How to conduct the perfect media interview by Brandon Countee

 

Interviews are a constant  and very important occurrence for small business owners, entertainer and athletes. They are important because they represent a unique way to interact with possible clients, fans and the media in general. Here are five key tips to help you ace interviews with the media.

1.       The media is not your friend.

Journalists have a job to do and what they report must be accurate, fair and balanced. Even if they are your friend, remember they are at work when it comes to the interview.

2.              that even if they are your friend they are at work when it comes to the interview.

terviews with the media.2.        teract with Have an objective

Approach all interviews with a goal and a key message that you want the interviewer to leave with.  Plan ahead and be prepared for the difficult questions. Make sure at the end of the interview that you convey your message. Learn the interviewer's first name and address them by their first name. This makes the meeting warm and caring.

3.       Control the interview

The interviewer never will just ask the right questions. After you answer the question steer the conversation to what you want to get across. Don’t sit back and wait for them to ask the question you are waiting for.

4.      Be prepared for questions

Be prepared for certain questions to arise. Try to find out what topics the interviewer wants to ask before the interview.

5.       Your look

What you wear and your body movements are the MOST important part of a video or broadcast interview. The importance of the look is too long to put in one simple blog but I will give this: Never wear a white shirt. Choose a light blue or a green shade to not seem boring or stale. Your tie should be muted and your suit a dark solid color. Avoid large flashy accessories as they can detract from your overall look.

Importance of Marketing for your business

If 2011 showed companies anything to be remembered, it should be that marketing and all of its many facets is a growing importance for success. Whether it is a small business or a large corporation with offices internationally,  how they are marketed to potential and existing consumers is becoming a bigger fish to catch each year.

For profit companies are built for one thing: Profit. Many of the clients we work with at Majestic Raven Entertainment have expectations and we stay commited to providing the best quality marketing and public relations management that will be a driving force for the success and longevity of their business.

If you dont have time to manage and control your advertising or you dont have the expertise hire a public relations firm to assist with marketing your business. The one problem that dooms a business from the start is what I call gourging business model.

The GBM for short is a model that many business have where everyone within the company is multitasking constantly on everything witht their business from accounting, management, human resource and payroll. The problem is that usually the person who is responsible for hiring the next cook for their restaurant is also responsible for insuring that the marketing duties are also taking care of even though they have very little knowledge of marketing or creating PR campaigns. Wanting to save a little by doing it yourself can actually add stress and be the ultimate downfall of your business.

I consulted with a music label years ago who had problem getting their clients concert shows and interviews. After one day of sitting with them I quickly observed the problem: The music producer was also the marketing manager and booking agent for the whole company and their artist! When I presented the idea that they should hire both an agent and publicist the quick response was that "The problem isnt that we need help, we just need to get some shows. We have a facebook,Myspace and Website. The marketing is done. We just need to get in front of some promoters."

Unsuprisingly the company dissolved 8 months later. But I think that story was important because it has an theme that currently occurs with a small business: Not knowing your needs and or limitations when it comes to starting a business.

It is impertitive that managers and owners realize that a lot of the success for companies comes from being able to utilize skills and strentghs that are not their own but available to them.

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