Have you ever found yourself looking for a particular document that you know you have, but you just can’t seem to find it anywhere? I know I have.
I think that’s the reason I developed a fondness for creating checklists. I have a checklist for just about everything so that I don’t have to rethink all the steps each time I go to do a task. I can just pull out the checklist and follow the steps. And they’re all in a file marked “Checklists,” so I always know where to find them.
For that reason, I created a checklist for my clients called The Publicity Cheat Sheet, or I suppose I could call it The Publicity Checklist, but whatever it’s called, it is a helpful list of steps to take before securing coverage for you and your book. The Publicity Cheat Sheet has been an opt-in gift, a giveaway during webinars, and other presentations. Today, I thought I’d share a part of it with you.
Here is a checklist of things to do before you reach out to book yourself on media interviews:
Before Landing The Interview
☐ Hone your message. Practice, practice, practice so that you can easily say what it is you do, how and why you do it, and how it is helpful to others.
☐ Be succinct. Enough said.
☐ Have a great hook. Remember that media folks are being pitched story and segment ideas over and over again. Chances are very good they have covered your topic many times, so how can you position yourself and grab their attention in a unique and different way? A Media Darling stands out.
☐ Create soundbites. Sound bites are short, pithy and very memorable phrases or summary statements that quickly make a point. Even long after the interview, a sound bite can stay with someone. Example: “When it comes to relationships, perfection = pure fiction.”
☐ What are your top three messages? Burn them into your brain. These are the talking points that you will get across in any interview no matter what — even if the interview is only four minutes long. For longer opportunities, have more key messages. Try to have a story example for each key point.
☐ Get media training. Whenever you see or hear someone deliver a great interview, you can bet they’ve practiced. Media training will help you get clear on your key messages and deliver them like a pro. Being in front of the camera is like sitting on the hot seat. You want to come across as relaxed, confident, and as a credible professional.
☐ Be ahead of the news and be available. If you’re a Media Darling, media comes to you for your unique perspective on a story.
☐ Be easy to work with. Be friendly. If for some reason an interview gets cancelled, be gracious. They will try to reschedule. If media has a cancellation and they call you to pinch hit, do your best to help out and say, “YES!”
And last but definitely not least, create your own Media Channel. More on that in the weeks to come!
To your success!
Joanne
P.S. I am in the process of writing another book and I’m looking for some beta readers. If you’d like early access to the material and the opportunity to share your brilliance (which I would love), then let me know you’re interested. I will have a checklist for this next week, but feel free to shoot me an email if you feel so moved. Thanks!
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