Public Relations Tips: Television

To be in the public relations industry you are going to need to take advantage of some of the newer technology to help get your clients name and image out to the public, one of the newest things you can do is video casting. Video casting can help increase your sales because it allows you to connect on a personal level with your customers. When you make a video cast you are using making a physical connection with your customers with your voice and your expressions. Another way it can help your business is that it is very cost effective. Creating a video cast and then promoting it on your website is a lot cheaper then paying for television, cable and radio broadcasts. Video pod casts on websites can also be accessed anytime a customer wishes, where other types of broadcast are only run at certain times. Video casts can be continuously updated or changed completely relatively easy. This means you can create numerous videos and update your page as often as you wish.

Posted by DK at 07:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Don't dismiss the chance to be on television because you think your business isn't "important enough." If you can offer an interesting visual-the Number One most important criteria for TV-you just might be what the TV cameras are looking for. Here are tips on how small businesses can get onto television.

 Piggyback off holidays. A company that cooks and delivers dinners for busy families can pitch a story about their business the week of Thanksgiving, when many people hate to think about cooking anything other than the annual Thanksgiving feast. Invite the TV cameras along. A business that makes fancy, custom-made candies should call TV stations a few days before Valentine's Day. Ask to speak to the assignment editor.
 Offer yourself as the local angle to national stories. If national news outlets, for example, are reporting a sharp increase in the number of home-based businesses-and you're representative of the trend-call the TV station and invite them to your home to shoot film of you at work, as long as it's something more exciting than you sitting at your desk.
For more tips on how to get on TV see Special Report #9, "How to Generate Free Publicity for Your New Business"

Posted by Rachael at 07:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Did you know certain times of year, you are almost guaranteed to get your story on the air? You just need to understand the schedule of television and sweeps periods.

Sweeps periods are crucial months for TV stations. Stations beef up their coverage to draw in as many viewers as possible. February, July, October and November are sweeps months.

These are very, very busy times, but as soon as these sweeps periods end, freedom opens up in newsrooms. The non-sweep months are easier to get the attention you desire from the media.

December is the month when everybody is going on vacation. In addition, there are fewer people around providing pitches. Lean newsrooms are even leaner, and reporters are desperately looking for stories. The week between Christmas and New Years in an ideal time to pitch your story.

Find out more at How to Get on Local TV News Tomorrow.

Posted by DK at 08:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wardrobe has changed a great deal in television. It used to be the suit was the only way to go. Today’s wardrobes are far more casual and relaxed.

The key to dressing for your interview is dress for your image. If you are being interviewed about something relaxed, be dressed naturally and real. Ask, “How will the host dress?” You don’t want to be underdressed, but at the same time, don’t be stiff looking.

What about colors? The safest color on television is blue. Contrary to what some people might say, reds also photograph well. Avoid white and avoid black. Always avoid patterns and prints, because they are distracting to people, and the camera can’t read them very well. If you’re going to have any patterns or prints, for a woman, put them underneath in the blouse, never on the outside.

What else do you need to know before your television interview? Find out at How To Be A TV Show Host’s Dream Date.

Posted by DK at 07:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The best way to contact them is to send a fax to the assignment editor with their name on it so it’ll get set on their desk, because that’s literally what they do. So as they rush in and rush out, they grab whatever’s on their desk and take it with them out on their stories.

Calling them is a really good thing to do, but there are some do’s and don’ts about calling.

Never call during a newscast or at least one hour prior to the show because it’s really chaotic. If you call during that time, you are put in the “clueless” category.

The best time to call is in the morning, before the reporter’s morning meeting. They’ve got to go in to that meeting and have something dazzling to pitch to their crew. Catching them live is great.

If you can’t catch them live, never leave more than one message. If they have people like you who keep leaving story ideas, they’re going to get annoyed. You lose your credibility and they don’t want anything to do with you.

How to Get on Local TV News Tomorrow contains more helpful hints to getting great publicity on TV.

Posted by DK at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What is the number one thing you can do to be a talk show host’s dream date? Be compelling. If you are not compelling, you are boring, and you’ll never be invited back.

To be compelling, you have to create chemistry with the audience. You need to know what they want, not what you want.

There has to be something that is compelling to the eye. Otherwise, you are a guest who is just a “talking head.” That’s the last thing that you want.

You’ve got to do something that people will remember, and they’ll go, “Hey, did you see that guy?” When it’s valid to the audience, it becomes valid in a producer’s eyes.

For more tips on TV interviews, check out How To Be A TV Show Host’s Dream Date.

Posted by DK at 06:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It happens all the time. The most intelligent and colorful person blanks out when the camera starts to role because they suddenly realize every word is going to be scrutinized, and people are looking just at them. Suddenly they realize they aren’t making any sense, but they can’t stop themselves. It’s a common phenomenon, and it happens to almost anyone who isn’t an expert. How do you keep this from happening to you?

First, block all distractions. You have to focus. When you’re in a studio, there’s a lot going on that is extremely distracting. Just take a moment, with a deep breath, and focus yourself on the interview.

Second, before you sit in your chair, persuade yourself first, so that you can share your enthusiasm for what it is you’re going to talk about. Many people are not terribly confident in what they’re saying because they have this inner voice, this inner critic, that’s saying, “Yeah, but.” Therefore, they don’t want to overstate, so they compensate in the other direction and say something that’s pretty meaningless, that doesn’t have the umpf that it should.

And third, practice with a tape recorder before you ever get to the interview. You should sound mechanical or rehearsed, but just listen to yourself before you go out there so you will already have heard what you sound like.

Get more at How To Be A TV Show Host’s Dream Date.

Posted by DK at 09:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Let’s say that you’ve been on TV and you’ve had a great experience. The interview went great, the host was just wonderful. What do you do afterward?

Write a note to their boss, and copy it to the host. Don’t necessarily write the note to the producer, but write it to the person who’s the general manager of the station, because you are glorifying them and validating them.

Producers and people off the air spend their time seeing the hosts of the show getting all of the attention. It’s completely wrong and backwards, but that’s the way it is.

If you go to their boss, who’s the general manager of the station or whomever is in charge and say, “I had the greatest experience with this person,” and lay out what they did, they will thank you from the bottom of their hearts and they will invite you back.

For more great tips, try How To Be A TV Show Host’s Dream Date.

Posted by DK at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Competition is fierce among guests who want to get onto TV talk shows. How do you determine what those topics you should be talking about, before you start pitching ideas to a particular show?

Subscribe to USA Today. Every producer reads this like a bible, everyday. It sits there on all the tables, and they all look at it and refer to it.

If you pick that up and see, for example, in the news today there is a story about donuts being so popular in America, if you have anything to do with health care or with the food industry, you have an “in.”

You just find some way to tie into what is topical. It can be a stretch, but it can work. That’s your best bet, rather than something coming out of the blue. Producers like to tie it in to what’s out there in the news already.

Find out more helpful information at How To Be A TV Show Host’s Dream Date.

Posted by DK at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When pitching a story, it’s important to know who is in charge. TV stations have what’s called a “Queen Bee.” This is someone in the newsroom who knows everything that’s going on, who everyone runs to, who has all the power. The "Queen Bee" knows all, tells all.

So you really want to be friends with the "Queen Bee.” As you start creating relationships with your local stations, you will find out really quickly who that person is.

They usually have three different titles. They’ll either be called a managing editor, a planning editor, or the assignment editor. Be careful with the title “assignment editor,” because a lot of newsrooms might have a total of 10 assignment editors, and there’s a "Queen Bee" of those assignment editors.

To find out more information on how you can get booked on your local TV station, check out How to Get on Local TV News Tomorrow.

Posted by DK at 01:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Presenting an idea to a producer involves one very important thing: the pitch. Although difficult, landing the pitch is the best step you can take to getting booked, especially on a morning or early show.

Make sure you keep your wording simple, and try to keep it under 30 seconds in length. If you're a celebrity expert, or a famous author, drop your name right away. It gets the producer interested and listening. Also, if your subject is tied to current events, mentioning its relevance to your subject will help. Whatever you do, make sure you are quick and concise, because producers will immediately dislike your pitch if you cannot articulate it.

For all the skinny on how to get onto talk shows, read or listen to How to Get Booked On Morning TV Talk Shows

Posted by DK at 07:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

To a publicist, knowing your media before your pitch it is a no-brainer. As someone trying to get publicity yourself, make sure you take that professionalism to your own level: watch or listen to the show you’re hoping to pitch. Producers of the show will be able to tell whether or not you’re familiar with their show. If you don’t know them well enough to pitch effectively, why would they want you on their air?

So, take the time to watch several full-length shows to get a feel of things. Understanding your target media will allow you to angle your pitch appropriately and get on the shows of your choice.

For other tips on pitching to a morning talk shows, check out How to Get Booked On Morning TV Talk Shows

Posted by DK at 07:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Don't forget to prepare for a pre-interview! Producers use pre-interviews as the deciding factor whether or not to book you or your client.

This interview is usually done over the phone, between you or your client and the producer. It's important that you prep yourself or your client to land the booking. This is the producer's chance to make sure you are articulate and know your material. They don't want someone to bomb on their show, so this is a necessary step in the booking process. Make sure you're prepared!

Know the show, know your subject matter, be awake, pay attention, and be engaging. You can't afford to blow this one off!

For more tips on how to get onto talk shows, pick up a copy of How to Get Booked On Morning TV Talk Shows

Posted by DK at 07:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

How do you know which topics to pitch to a particular TV show? Read the newspaper!

Almost all producers use the USAToday to keep up on the news and current issues in the nation. If you read that same information, you'll know what's on show producer's minds, and what kind of stories they're looking for.

Of course, you shouldn't be obvious and mention your pitch's connection to a specific article. But producers are more willing to consider your pitch if they can tell you've done your media research. Start thinking like a publicist: order the newspaper!

This is just one of the many tips found in How to Be A TV Talk Show Host's Dream Date.

Posted by DK at 10:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So what do you do if you make a pitch to a Morning Show, and they give you the ambivalent "we'll get back to you?"

Although this can be frustrating, there are two things to remember: first, producers really are busy people, and they probably don't have time to make you a priority.

Expect that you'll need to be the one pressing them for an answer, because it shows you're dedicated enough to do your part.

Continue reading "Pitching morning shows - how to handle the brush-off" »

Posted by DK at 11:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

One key to getting on your local TV news is to pitch your stories to the right people.

Here's how most TV newsrooms are organized, and who is best for you to pitch:

Everyone goes to the "Queen Bee," that main assignment editor. For the purposes of this, I'm going to call them an assignment editor. Everything gets funneled back to them because they're the gatekeepers. They have all the press releases that they take into the 9 o'clock morning meeting. They know everything that's going on. They know all the trials that are going to take place that day. They know all the stories that are going on because everybody funnels it to them and it's good to be in a relationship with them.

But it's a really good idea to bundle your information to more than one person. So it's great if you want to send your press release to that "Queen Bee" or managing editor, but the next person in the chain of command is the producer.

There are two kinds of producers, so I'm going to educate you a little bit. One type of producer is what's called an online producer. And newsrooms will have many of them in one day. Each online producer is in charge of one show. They're kind of like the quarterback of the show. They come in 10 hours before their show starts, so the people who are in the morning show are in at 11 o'clock at night working on their show, getting ready. They're writing all the teasers for the show. They're responsible for all the stories in their show. They're responsible for all the reporters and gathering the information and bringing it back to them and writing the openings and closings of each piece, where the commercial is going to air. So they're completely quarterbacking that show. They never leave the newsroom. It's great to know their names because you can always pitch to them.

Continue reading "Pitching stories to local television stations" »

Posted by DK at 09:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)