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I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to take this opportunity to discuss media interviews. Of course you’re excited when you receive an inquiry, but before you commit make sure you understand what exactly it is you’re getting yourself into. Remember, not every interview is created equally, so here’s 5 questions you may want to consider asking.
1. Can you tell me more about your publication/station/blog? Make sure you not only understand the culture of the media outlet they represent, but confirm who will actually be interviewing you. Often times in radio or TV an off-air producer will do the scheduling, while the on-air talent is who you need to be prepared for.
2. What’s your angle on this story? Depending on their angle of the story and how they intend on using you as an expert, you can determine if it’s a good fit for you. For example, if you represent an educational institution and they’re discussing astronomical tuition fees, maybe it’s not something you’d like to be associated with.
3. Who else are you interviewing? It’s important to know who you’ll be compared or associated with for your interview. If an opposing voice is going to shed a negative sentiment upon you, it may not be worth the opportunity.
4. What’s the format? For broadcast you’ll want to know if the interview is live, live-to-tape or edited, and if the location is remote, on-site or just using sound bites. Print will give you an idea if they’re looking for a few quick quotes or a more in depth look into you or your business.
5. What else can I provide? If you can supply a video, photo, infographic, press release, etc. you may be able to control more of the narrative.
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I want to take this opportunity to discuss your marketing budget. While speaking with other companies in Charlotte I’m surprised to find that many don’t have one, and if they do they’re unsure of the appropriate amount to be allocated; usually ranging anywhere from 1 to 20%.
Of course your budget should depend on several different factors such as your growth stage, competitive landscape and industry. Inc. produced a great article found here about avoiding things like your marketing budget ratio (MBR), and instead looking at your marketing dollars as an investment. Understand your sales process and that fact that you’ll incur revenues in subsequent periods, and create a quantifiable best/worst case scenario to work from.
Are you curious to know what your marketing budget should be? What you should be investing in? What other Charlotte companies are doing compared to you? If so, please fill out this anonymous 5 question survey below. It should take less than 2 minutes. I will report back in my next post and share the results with you.
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I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to Pivot PR, Charlotte’s newest strategic communications agency. With nearly a decade of industry experience, Pivot takes a consultative approach to help client’s effectively communicate their message in order to meet business objectives.
Our goal is also to keep you up-to-date on the latest PR tactics, trends, and ever-changing media landscape in Charlotte. Please take a moment to follow the social media channels below and schedule an appointment if you’d like to discuss your specific needs.
Services include: strategic planning, media relations, content creation, social media, award submission, event promotion, crisis planning, brand reputation, monitoring, speaking opportunities, inbound marketing, direct B2B mail, website and mobile app development
