Media Magnetism - Radio Talk Shows Are Waiting To Interview YOU!

Have you ever listened to a radio talk show guest being interviewed about your area of expertise and thought, "I could do a better job than him?" Or "I know more about that than she does"?

You're probably right! You may have more knowledge about your field, you may have more experience, and you may be a better communicator.

BUT - there is one thing every radio show guest knows that you don't...how to get booked as a guest!

There are three ways to get lots of radio interviews:

1. Hire a publicist - Some charge an hourly rate, others charge a monthly fee. After he self published his book, Rich Dad, Poor Dad, author Robert Kiyosaki, hired a PR Agent for $8,000 a month. A month and a half and $10,000 later all he got was one interview on a radio station in Phoenix. Robert fired his publicist and took out ads in a trade paper to promote himself as a potential guest. He quickly got three interviews that caused book stores to start carrying his book. Rich Dad, Poor Dad went on to not only make the New York Times best seller list, it stayed there for six years and sold 26 MILLION copies!

2. Contact Radio Stations Yourself - You can easily look up contact information for radio stations and specific radio shows online and then contact the producers and try to convince them to have you as a guest.

This method takes a lot of man hours and it can be very challenging trying to navigate through receptionists and get the attention of busy producers.

3. Use a Media Service - There are several great ones, but I encourage all my clients to start with Radio Guest List. This is a free service that sends you daily requests from Radio hosts and producers who are looking for guests. They usually have very specific topics for upcoming shows. When you see a request that you think is a good fit for you, you pitch (contact) the producer via email and let them know why you would be a great guest.

Radio Guest List does not usually have national radio shows; in fact, many of them are local radio shows, podcasts or Blog Talk Radio shows. Still, it is exposure and a great way for you to sharpen your skills so you can become a great guest that producers will ask back over and over.

Here are Four Tips for Pitching the Media:

1. When you pitch yourself DO NOT try to sell the producers, instead seek to serve them.
When I pitched radio stations to promote my cookbook, Party For Two, I didn't say, “Please have me on your show so I can sell lots of books. I said, “ I'd love to teach your listeners how to have a weekly romantic Date Night dinner.”

2. Provide the producer/host with a list of common questions in bullet form. Most radio hosts will not have read your book, or visited your website, or know who you are. Providing them with a list of questions you are frequently asked makes their job MUCH easier and it makes a much better interview. Most experienced radio guests find that 90% of radio hosts base the entire interview on the outline they provided.

3. Email the host and/or producer after the interview and thank them for having you on their show. Suggest some additional topics for future interviews and they will probably ask you back!

4. Multiply the impact of each interview. Most interviews are recorded and archived online so you can continue to benefit from them. Put a link on your website's About page, share the link through social media, and include the link with your pitches to other radio shows. This way they can get a feel for how good of a guest you will be.