Any interview really should be seen as an opportunity to get your message across, to raise the...
So are you ready for the invasion? No, not in some far-flung country but far closer to home. Two thousand BBC staff are moving to Manchester and taking up residence at the proudly named New Media City in Salford. Hundreds of millions of pounds are being spent so that there can no longer be the accusation that the Beeb are far too London-centric and are ignoring the power of the regions. But what does it mean for the likes of you and I? Why should we care whether the address of the newsroom is W12 or M50?
Well if you’re north of the Watford Gap this is good news. Hundreds of journalists are now grappling with the challenge of finding good local spokespeople who can talk about anything from the weather to the current economic climate. They will be desperately trying to refill their contact books with those who will gladly agree to doing an interview at short notice or giving them just the soundbite they need for their package. So what an opportunity! A desperate journalist on your patch in need of a good spokesperson. Here is your chance to raise brand awareness, enhance the reputation of your company or promote a new service you might be offering. It’s aso completely free! No advertising or marketing costs and direct access to your target audience. No brainer or what?
But where do you start? How do you find your new buddy in this enormous beast of a media centre, with a myriad of different departments – often filled with people who are always in a hurry. Well, be brave my friend. They don’t normally bite and most of them are house trained. But seriously, the best thing is to email or call them and tell them who you are, what you do and how you’re happy to be interviewed on x,y or z. You will have to be persistent though! Journalists normally react to an interesting subject title. ‘New store opening today’ isn’t different, exciting or new. However ‘new store opening and generating 100 jobs for the local community’ is extremely interesting to a journalist!
So then you’re up and running. You’ve met, you know each other and even though he or she probably isn’t going to be your best friend, you are as useful to them as they are to you.
Now we’ve established the why and the how to engage with the media, the next bit is what we are going to say and here’s where the media training comes in. No journalist worth his or her salt will want to interview you if all you do is ramble on for hours about your business,or product. Take it from me, they have a very short attention span, so keep it short!
Two or three key points are fine, with lots of examples as to why the business or product is worth shouting about.
Then there’s the soundbite – journalists love these! It’s that short, sharp message lasting no more than 15 seconds that encapsulates what you’re trying to get across.
It takes a little bit of training and practice but once you’ve got it – you’ll be flying. So roll up roll up - one of the biggest news channels in the world is coming to a city near you – it’s show time!
Sharon
P.S. Get in touch via www.mediafirst.co.uk for more advise on preparing your messages, structuring your interviews and controlling your brand message during media interviews.
