Planning to book your own TV advertising? There is more than just sending a press release

If you’re planning to go out and get your own media coverage, here are some crucial elements regarding orchestrating a PR campaign and, more specifically, regarding television appearances. Print and radio advertising definitely require attention to detail, but the number of logistical issues you have to deal with for television exposure is far greater.

So let’s look at some of the elements of putting together a great TV pitch that can result in valuable media opportunities for you.

The producer wants to shoot “outdoors”

It’s not unusual for a producer to be interested in your pitch, but want the interview to take place in a location that illustrates what the story is about. Television, after all, is a visual medium.

A great example that comes to mind is a client who is an expert in dealing with foreclosure, a very timely topic unfortunately. He was traveling across the country to cities experiencing high rates of foreclosures and in each city we got media coverage for him. But in Phoenix, Arizona, the producer didn’t just want a “talking head” interview. He agreed to do the interview only if it could be at a foreclosed property. And, of course, it was up to us to locate a suitable site, get permission to film the interview there, and make sure the TV crew had access when they arrived. After many, many phone calls to organize all of this, the location was finalized, permission was obtained, and the client’s television interview was confirmed. In fact, it turned out to be one of the best client interviews.

So when planning your TV presentation, it’s a good idea to think about where your story would best be told. It would be smart to research all the details about the location and offer a segment on the site as part of your presentation. For example, if you’re an expert on bridge safety, you’d like to host shows in those cities with older or more problematic bridges, and suggest a location on or near the bridge to illustrate your message.

Pictures are a must

If the three most important words in real estate are “location, location, location”, on television they are “visuals, visuals, visuals”. Even if it’s an in-studio segment, the producer will be more inclined to book you as a guest if he can provide footage as part of your interview. They can be accessories that are part of your message, or even graphics to illustrate your message. Two examples come to mind where we had to do a lot of extra work to close the deal with the producer.

One example involved a producer of a national television show who was very interested in a segment we were hosting related to “Shelter Dog Adoption Month.” But the producer only wanted our client if he could bring 10 to 15 shelter dogs with her. Speaking of logistics! My staff called animal shelters throughout New York City, New Jersey, and Long Island and finally found one that wanted to work with us. The shelter agreed to find 10 shelter dogs that they knew were compatible with each other and would not fight on set, bring them to the studio at the scheduled time, and provide them with pens to hold them for as long as they were there. . In the process of our calls, we also found a second shelter who brought a “pet mobile” into the studio and parked it outside for the day. It was a lot of work for my team, but it really paid off for the client. At the end of the segment, the host invited people to come down to the studio and adopt a cat or dog on the spot. Many turned up and it was a huge hit for everyone!

Another example has to do with the many cookbook authors we have represented over the years. If you’ve written a cookbook and want to promote it, you’d better be ready to cook on the air, especially if the station has a studio kitchen. Be ready to make your signature dish, or at least show off all the ingredients, measured, sliced ​​and diced and ready to go, followed by the triumphant presentation of the completed masterpiece. You may even need to hire (and pay) a food “stylist” to create the sumptuous variety the show’s producer may demand, especially when it comes to national shows.

that’s a wrapper

What I recommend is that you be creative…watch TV shows for ideas. Before writing your television presentation, visualize the segment in your mind: think about what places, props and actions would be the most interesting for the audience of the program.

What I can promise you is that if your story is entertaining and makes for an interesting and informative segment, with clearly planned details, you are much more likely to be invited to be a guest by TV producers. Producers appreciate segments that are fully planned and if you can’t deliver the goods, they won’t waste a minute before moving on to the next candidate who has their segment “packaged” and ready for the camera!

Good luck and have fun!