Does your small business have something to add to an issue currently being discussed in the news? How about going on a talk radio show to get your message out. There are a lot of great radio talk shows on the air that are constantly looking for guests on a variety of topics, yes, even political shows.
From gardening shows to national business shows, the producers and on-air talent are more than happy to consider you as a guest, so long as you have something valuable to add to their show.
Understanding how to get on a talk radio show for small business public relations can save you a lot of time and bring a ton of exposure to any small business 
Timing: If there’s a major earthquake in Chile and you’re an architect that can talk about structural damage. Don’t waste another second. Start emailing major news radio show producers and making some phone calls. They’ll be waiting to book you. Timing in PR is all about jumping on the news of the hour, which is always a great way to get on a talk radio show.
News Peg: Health care reform, sky-high gas prices and the Toyota recall are all examples of major news pegs. If you’re a company that can add to any of these conversations, there are talk radio shows willing to book you.
Hook: People always get confused between a news peg and a hook. Think of a news peg as a conversation, while a hook is something that’s going to take place that you can attach your news to. Health care reform is a news peg. A planned rally in downtown to protest the health care plan is a hook.
Sound Intelligent: This is where you have a little responsibility to do your homework so that you don’t go on the air and sound like a bumbling fool. You have an obligation to study up on your talking points and bring thought-provoking conversation to the table (unless your target radio show is an FM morning zoo where they do stupid human tricks). Discuss the news at hand but also be very opportunistic in mentioning your company and why you fit into the conversation. We’ll cover media training in a future blog post.
Against The Grain: The quickest way to get a producer to notice you is to go against the grain. Like we say in the PR Toolkit for small business, think of a stereotype and say the opposite. If it’s customary for a man to drive on a first date, say you believe more women are now driving on a first date, for example (but be prepared to discuss why and what data you have to support).
Controversial: The second quickest way to get a producer to notice you is to be a little controversial. I’m not saying be very controversial. I’m saying be a little controversial. What does this mean? Well it is different in many scenarios, but for starters think about disagreeing with something everyone in your industry is rallying around. You be the opposing voice and they’ll want to hear about it.
Have An Offer: This only works for some shows, but sometimes it’s good to be prepared with a giveaway in case the show’s host wants to reward the listeners.
Take Calls: It’s also not a bad idea for you to be prepared to take some calls from listeners that may have questions for you. Now’s the time to think on your feet and prepare a series of anticipated questions ahead of time.
Ok now let’s talk about how to get on a talk radio show for small business public relations:
1) Do your homework to identify some good radio shows. This can be done simply by doing a few keyword searches on Google.
2) Develop your schtick. What’s your conversation? What do you have to say? What do you want to talk about? Don’t go into this with a blind eye. Have an agenda and be thorough in drafting up some talking points. By the way, the great thing about radio is that you can bring along your cheat sheets and have in front of you even during the interview.
3) Go to the talk show’s Web site and research the host and producer. See if you can get their phone numbers and email addresses. If they aren’t on the Web site, simply call the station and ask for numbers or email addresses.
4) Now that you’ve got your schtick down and you know who to approach, it’s time to give it your best pitch by either sending them a press release, an email pitch or making a phone call. If you call, be prepared to call often as they’re very busy people and not often at their desk. Persistence wins this game every single time.
5) If breaking news happens and your company could be a part of the conversation, don’t delay. Get on the phone right away and explain why you’d be a good guest to talk about what just happened.
Oh one other thing, be sure to merchandise your radio appearances on your Web site or blog so that your customers can listen to you. Make your radio clip downloadable to get some additional credibility from your customers. They’ll be impressed to hear you and will look at your as more of a expert in your field.
Try these tips and they should help you get on a talk radio show for your small business. Remember to download your copy of the PR Toolkit for small business to learn even more great tips on how to get on a talk radio show and other public relations opportunities.
John Sternal is a PR veteran of nearly 20 years and currently works with small businesses to obtain publicity through media exposure. To learn about how John can help your business get more PR send him an email: jsternal (at) understandingmarketing dot com.
Would you like to add to this list or just have a comment in general? Please share your thoughts below!
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My sister-in-law has done this several times. As I recall, she started in smaller markets, where the stations are looking for guests. She also had a clear definition of her topic and what she could offer to listeners. She would simply walk into the station and introduce herself and often was accepted
Wow, just walking into the station and introducing herself? Even I’ve never tried that one lol. But now I’ve got a new challenge.
One solution is to hire a great PR firm. Getting you exposure such as radio interviews is part of their job.
My first career was radio and I spent seven years as a news director. Part of my job was putting together a weekly public affairs program.
One time I interviewed someone who was organizing Red Ribbon activities in the local high school. As I asked her questions, I quickly realized I knew more about the topic than she did.
For just about every question I asked, she got a panicked look and shook her head that she didn’t really know the answer. (And, of course, shaking your head doesn’t translate well on radio.)
So I ended up answering most questions. After about 10 or 15 minutes of interviewing myself, I decided we didn’t really need a full 30-minute show that week.
(I have to take the blame for not doing a good job of researching whether this person was really qualified.)
My point here is, if you’re interviewed, relax and have fun with it. Interviewers hate short answers unless they preface the question with, “We’ve only got about 60-seconds left…”, so just explain what you know and speak as clearly as possible.
In most cases (gotcha journalism being an exception) the interviewer wants you to succeed and look good.
As a slightly related topic, I just subscribed to Help A Report Out. Sometimes you might find someone looking for a radio guest. But even being quoted for print is great.
Thanks and great points, Mike.
Sometimes it’s hard for small businesses to know where to begin when they want to engage with the media. Your tips give a good sense of where to begin evaluating what you want to say before you even connect with a radio program.
The answer depends on your area of “expertise” and the market. Unless you are a very specific expert or “famous”, calling national shows is [mostly] a waste of time. I was a morningZOO- host for many years.
Call the radio station of the local/regional shows that you hear in your town/city. Ask for the show producers e-mail, and that of the host, if he gives it “on the air”. [this requires planning, because you want to build a relationship].
Send an e-mail [of less than 8-10 sentences], explaining why you should be interviewed. Mention your credentials and make the offer. If they are interested, they will come looking for you. No one wants to talk about buying something you are selling. You are participating in a conversation on a topic. If you get ONE/or two good mentions of your web site in 4 minutes, you were successful.
In your message, Leave a 24 hour cell number that you actually answer ! ! Remember the morning show will call you @ 5:45AM to arrange a 6:30-7pm chat.
If you can’t make the crowd at a church BBQ/business after-hours social gathering listen/ be interested in what you have to say, Join Toastmasters FIRST. Sounding like a dullard on the radio is WORSE than no PR at all. DO NOT fall into that trap.
Watch and listen to all interviews with a new “ear”. See how it “works”… the pacing, the timing. Notice most spots are 3-4 minutes start/finish. Can you get into your story and punchline in two 20 second pieces? If not you’ll fail.
It helps if you know the “style” on the show. Here is where local shows you actually listen too will help 1st-timers. Howard Stern is very different than Tom Joyner, than Rush [who does "none"], to Bob&Tom. You’ll never get on those shows, but the “styles” are different [my point]
Send your e-mail NO MORE than once a month. You had better have something REALLY interesting to “bring to the table”. If a show producer has ignored you 2-3 times prior, that is a hint. You are either off-topic or not an “expert” in the producers unoffical/ and admittedly uninformed opinion. … but his is the only one that matters, like it or not.
I can NOT stress enough. NO ONE cares what you are selling. If AC units are running full blast in JULY and the regional power co is doing brown-outs, a local AC repair guy [who advertises on the station--hint hint] should be pitching an interview about the home appliance that uses the most electricity [the AC unit -it's true] … but the conversation is what can I [homeowner] do “today” to reduce my use. the answer is NOT call for a warranty “check-up”.. .
If you want to do this more than “once”… get some media training. This is a skill. Watch the TV morning shows to see who is “good” and who”fails”. I especially like the financial channels. they get 1st time financial planners and mutual fund managers who are unprepared and AWFUL. Learn something for that…. and do NOT be that guy, OK.
Randy Whatley in Atlanta is a media training expert. If you want a good guy, who also does crisis and “oops, 60 minutes is at the door” damage control, call him. Link below.
I have used a variety of ways:
- I identified which stations and got my PR agency to follow them up
- I identified stations and my PA called and asked how I got on, we then sent off info to the right person (often finding the right person is half the battle!)
- People have approached me through seeing an article on me in a newspaper or online
- In Australia there is a great media resource, where interviewers will post what they are looking for (see below)
Links:
http://www.sourcebottle.com.au
Creating a social media marketing asset I believe is the first step before getting on any kind of radio show. If you in fact do get on a radio show and you tell someone to visit your Twitter page or Facebook fan page and you have 20 followers, they aren’t going to think much of it. However, if you have put your time in and have created some good relationships over the web, it will play better for you in the end. When you have created a name for yourself via social media, people will start asking you if you would like to be a guest blogger, or be a guest on a webinar, or a speaker on a radio show
Incredible article - and amazing comments as well!
This was actually the first time in probably 1-2 years I read every single comment after an article post on a blog
Jeremy Reeves
http://www.ReevesCopy.com
Appreciate the comment, Jeremy.