5 Ways to Prep For a Broadcast Interview
You’re booked for a live TV interview, congrats! That’s the hard part…now what? Making sure you are prepared and camera ready is key, because being asked back is crucial! Below we’ll talk about five tips to help you prep and feel confident. But how couldn’t you right? You’re talking about your expertise and/or brand and who knows your brand better than anyone? You! Feel confident that you have a platform to speak about your brand as a thought leader, share knowledge, answer questions and overall position yourself as an expert.
Most importantly, have fun! Your audience wants to watch someone who is confident, energetic, friendly and most of all, smiling! Engage with your audience, but also the anchor or host. That being said, engage, but control the interview by not losing your train of thought and be able to get in the talking points you need to spotlight. Practice makes perfect, so remember…the more you do it, the better and more comfortable you’ll become!
What Do PR Agencies Do?
Public Relations (PR)…storytelling, building awareness and shaping a brand’s image through different forms of communication. Fun, right? As veteran publicists, we connect with the ultimate gatekeepers, our media friends, to target audiences across the globe and craft newsworthy story angles. We love what we do because it’s about promoting other entrepreneurs like ourselves and we take pride in helping businesses organically grow. We also love it because the power of PR is real! Part of its superpower is the fact PR produces Earned Media its earned communication, meaning “not paid” like advertising or sponsored content. It’s the most unbiased, honest depiction a brand can receive, making it the most credible type of coverage! Everybody wants it, but no one has control over it because it is through the eyes of the media. As publicists, we provide as much information as possible, connect the media with our clients and craft the message. But after we’ve delivered and the media personally experiences the service or tries the product, it’s their words. And that’s when the excitement & roller coaster ride begins!
Thing #1 – Write Down your Talking Points
It’s very important to know what you want to say. Some people are fantastic off the cuff, but most of us need a plan. Determine your talking points. Write them down and practice incorporating them naturally into a conversation. You don’t want to sound like a commercial! But don’t make your list too long and set unrealistic expectations. Two or three talking points is plenty and a lot of anchors will get in one or two of those in their opening, but be ready to include them!
Thing #2 – Read Current News
It’s always important to know what’s going on in the world, but especially if you’re being interviewed on live television. The anchor might ask you something about a news topic or how it relates to your expertise, so best to be prepared. Especially if the breaking news has to do with your industry, know you will need to field the question.
Thing #3 – Watch Examples of TV Stations & Anchor
A great way to feel more comfortable is to watch examples of the exact broadcast you will be featured on so you know what to expect. Look at the set, how the guests are sitting, how long the segment is, what the anchors ask these guests and their demeanor. All of these aspects will help you be prepared for your interview.
Thing #4 – Practice a Dry Run with Someone
Role playing is a great way to prepare yourself for any situation, whether it be a panel, public speaking to a large crowd or live TV. Grab a friend, partner, spouse or family member and have them pretend to be the anchor. Do this a few times and have them switch up the questions and order of questions.
Thing #5 – Record Yourself & Watch
When media training clients, we role play and record a mock interview, then sit together and watch. It gives you the opportunity to see yourself on camera, decide what you like, what you need to work on, etc.
Introduction to Bettie Bomb?
Founded in 2005, Bettie Bomb is a Female-Owned Midwest PR Agency, offering a suite of services from trusted industry partners under one creative umbrella. PR, Marketing, Social Media and beyond…we work as an extension of your team, creating personalized campaigns, building awareness and telling your story when it matters most.
We’re Veteran Midwest Publicists specializing in all things lifestyle: food, fashion, hospitality, retail, health & wellness, medical, consumer and philanthropy. Partners Rebecca Kussmann & Laura Collins work closely with businesses & organizations to target key audiences and generate exposure all under the Bettie Bomb umbrella. Work one-on-one or have us build a team. We can be BIG and we can be small…that’s the beauty of it. Small, but mighty with the ability to grow. That’s us in a nutshell.
