10 Tips for the Best Media Interview
When our business first moved to Maine three years ago, nobody knew anything about our business. We knew that we wanted to work with a number of institutions and organizations. But, we first needed to demonstrate our legitimacy. Our team developed a strategy to be everywhere (talking about who we are and what we do) as quickly and cheaply as possible. Our team focused on turning small wins into media, newspaper, and TV interviews. I was initially unsure about how to prepare for a TV or media interview. These tips helped me a lot.
With a lot of luck (and excellent partners throughout Maine), we did find success by working with Elaine from Pen Name. Pen Name is a Maine-based PR and grant-writing small business. Thanks to Elaine, our business and the businesses we work with were and are consistently sharing accomplishments in the news.
I scored an interview. How do I effectively prepare for a media interview?
It’s natural to be nervous before your first TV interview (or maybe your first handful). Preparation will drive your success. I was anxious when I first began to do TV and newspaper interviews. But, a number of helpful tips helped me to grow my confidence on screen.
Dylan Veilleux is the founder of Tree Free Fire and a TV interview veteran. He notes, “I find that TV reporters want to see you succeed, they’re almost always very friendly.” It's true. After all, the interviewer called you in order to highlight your work on TV or in the newspaper.
Before your TV interview, prepare your background and attire strategically
It’s important to ensure that you and your background look good on camera.
Elaine suggests that you strategically prepare your background before the interview and ensure your background has at least one element that shows who you are or what you do.
Practice using FaceTime, iMovie, or Zoom to see what you’ll look like on camera.
It isn’t always possible, of course. But, use natural lighting whenever you can (and avoid using overhead lighting or desk lamps).
Wear solid colors. According to Elaine, “Stripes get very weird on TV, and you don't your audience to be distracted by a loud print.”
How to prepare for a TV interview? Pick your talking point(s)
An interview is your opportunity to highlight a few talking points. Unless it’s a live broadcast, an interviewer is going to edit your conversation, so you can remove any possible confusion about what’s “most important” if your message is clear and concise.
Before any interview, I make a list of what I want the audience to remember after watching the broadcast or reading the article. I then condense the list into one single talking point. (It’s alright if you have a few talking points. For me, having one keeps me focused.)
How to practice before your TV interview
Prior to an interview, I type my talking point(s) and practice saying them aloud.
Just like with a well-written article, write the headline first. What’s the title of the story you want to tell? Then, what are the two or three supporting details that are key to supporting your headline?
It’s ideal to memorize as much as possible. Ideally, you can practice to the point of making your rehearsed answers sound natural. Whenever I’m practicing, I use the Voice Memos app on my phone to record how I sound. I’m always amazed at how much it helps to simplify and condense what I want to say.
If I have time, I always like to share my talking points with someone who’s not a customer of our business. Share your talking points and ask the listener to tell you what they think is most important.
Guess the questions and prepare your media interview talking points
You’ve prepared your talking points, and you’ll most definitely have the opportunity to share them. But, what happens when the interviewer asks you a question that you don’t have prepped for the interview?
Just like during a job interview, you can count on some basics:
Who are you?
What does your business do?
Why did you start your business?
What’s the future of your business look like?
After I’ve made a list of the questions I think I’ll hear during the TV interview, I write short responses and include my talking points in all of them.
During the TV interview, I focus on keeping my talking points simple and brief
Understand that you’re on the record as soon as you join the interview call. The interview doesn’t begin when the interviewer pushes “record”. It begins immediately, so be aware that the interviewer is recording you. Know that the interviewer can include any information that you send in a follow-up.
I always have my talking points printed in front of me, and it’s alright to allow for silence during your TV interview. When the interviewer asks a question, you can stop to think about which talking point is most fitting. When you answer a question concisely, a skilled interviewer will wait for you to fill the silent void. Just wait. You don't need to fill the silence.
As your TV interview unfolds, rely on simple language and avoid jargon. It’s unlikely that your audience has the expertise or experience that you do (especially if your business is technical).
My TV interview was great, but there’s one last thing to do before you begin to promote it.
As soon as I finish a TV interview, I prep a thank-you note for the interviewer.
The purpose of a follow-up thank-you note is two-fold:
Building a friendly relationship with an interviewer makes it much easier to pitch related stories in the future.
It’s an opportunity to share any correct spellings or share links to things you talked about during the TV interview. Your TV interviewer is likely turning around your story rather quickly, so providing some background or context is very helpful (and ensures that your talking points are highlighted once again).
Ready to get your first media interview?
I’d love to help you get started.