Any size company, from a small one-man band to a Fortune 500 Goliath, can benefit from a little publicity. By working with the media you can raise awareness about your company, project a certain image or communicate a specific message. To achieve these public relations goals, you’ll need to participate in media interviews.

The key to knocking a media interview out of the park is preparation and confidence. With the proper preparation, you can feel confident in yourself and the message you’ll convey.

  1. Research the journalist and his or her media outlet. Get to know the material that is normally covered and the target audience.
  2. Ask the journalist what his or her angle is. You’ll NEED to know in order to start crafting your message.
  3. Plan the direction you’d like the story to go. By defining your agenda, you’ll be able to start practicing key message points.
  4. Anticipate questions and prepare answers accordingly. If you already know the angle, you can predict how the journalist will try to fit you into that story.
  5. Compile research and statistics to support your points. Review these facts and figures so you’re comfortable discussing them.
  6. Develop anecdotes to clarify your message. Simple stories will not only help the journalist to understand, but will also help readers to understand.
  7. Confirm the specifics of the interview. If you don’t, you could wind up going to the wrong place, calling the wrong number or doing either at the wrong time, which reflects poorly on you and your company.
      del.icio.us   SphereIt   Reddit   Furl