An interview with a journalist is a great way to share information and raise awareness about your business, products and services. It gives you an opportunity to discuss the industry and the latest technologies, allows you to demonstrate your knowledge, and can really help to create interest in what you are doing. Media interviews can happen all year round, but a lot of media activity tends to happen at trade shows. With so many members of the media in one place, a trade show is a great place to book media interviews so that you can share your business’ latest news, whether that’s a product launch or a noteworthy customer.
Your chance to shine
Even if you haven’t got any big news or developments to share, you can still make the most of a media interview by using it as an opportunity to raise awareness and build good relationships with journalists. Cultivating a good connection with a journalist can help pave the way for getting your news published in their publication at a later date. In addition, if you can offer a valuable and insightful opinion, you’re far more likely to be approached in the future, to be asked to contribute to a feature in their publication.
Make sure you nail it!
Media interviews are usually fairly short, so it is important to really nail the interview from start to finish. While there is always an element of unpredictability to the questions the journalist will ask, there are still steps you can take to make sure you are as ready as you can possibly be.
Here is a list of things you can do before, and during the interview to help you really make the most of it.
Before the interview
- Before the interview, it is worth preparing a list of topics and general responses, as well as deciding what you want the goal of the interview to be.
- Be sure to choose the right spokesperson for the interview. It needs to be someone who knows both your business and the industry well.
- Make sure you have some up to date statistics or evidence to support your points. Not only will a good statistic picque the journalist’s interest, it will also show that you really do know what you are talking about.
- Make sure you know the name of the journalist and the publication.
- Double check the time and location of the interview and don’t ever be late!
- Consider whether there is anything you want to ask beforehand. It’s much better to get things straight at the beginning to avoid confusion during the interview.
During the interview
- Be responsive, self-aware, friendly and open to questions. If you come across as friendly and personable, the journalist is more likely to contact you again in the future.
- Create a good atmosphere by using the journalist’s first name in conversation. It will put you at ease and help you connect with the journalist. Being informal is fine!
- Speak clearly and concisely, and respond to questions in a structured way. Make your first point, introduce your second point, then deliver your third. Elaborate on each of the points then summarise.
- While it helps to prepare some topics and responses beforehand, always make sure you answer the journalist’s questions, even if they are not what you expected. Don’t railroad the conversation to suit your own agenda. Don’t skirt around the issue by being woolly, and don’t make it up as you go along.
- Don’t ramble or feel the need to fill any silence. Say what you need to, to get your point across, then know when to stop.
- Don’t presume that anything is ‘off the record’. Whatever you say can’t be undone so don’t say anything that you don’t want to be quoted.
- Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know” but make sure you keep a note of the question and send the answer afterwards.
Make sure the journalist knows that your knowledge is available for their future needs. Being viewed as an expert in the field at the same time as being a helpful ‘go-to’ person will enhance your standing.
The media interview is an important tool for getting your brand out there, and with the right planning and preparation, you will be able to give a great interview that will benefit your business.
At Radical Moves, we have more than 15 years’ experience working in the satellite and broadcast industries. We understand the challenges and opportunities facing those industries and can work with you to get your message to the right audience, at the right time. We have the connections to help you get more media interviews and we can help you make the most out of each interview. Get in touch now to find out more: hello@radicalmoves.co.uk