Preparing for a media interview can be a long and tedious process, but once you know how to do it properly, it won’t prove to be so difficult. It can be exciting when the media contacts you for a feature story, or when your PR team lands you a press interview, so making sure you’re ready for it will set you up for success.
At Tuesday Media, our PR experts have vast experience building stories and pitching them to the media, gaining press coverage and exposure for clients. We aren’t your typical PR agency – our team of expert PR specialists not only have extensive knowledge and experience, but can get under the skin of your business, and prepare you in all the right ways for a media interview.
If you’re yet to undergo training for a media interview, continue reading to find out more about how you can organise yourself both before and after the interview.
What to Do Before a Media Interview
There are a variety of things you can do to ready yourself for a media interview. Our Tuesday Media team has compiled a list of top tips below.
Whether your media interview is on live TV, a pre-record or a down-the-line, there’s no such thing as being over-prepared. We encourage you to read through our tips if you want your interview to go as smoothly as possible.
We’ve touched on how you should compose yourself during your interviewer’s questions, as well as homing in on how important your responses are throughout.
Prepare Yourself
Regardless of how well you know the topic you’re speaking about, it’s imperative that you prepare and conduct extensive research. Although you might feel confident in yourself that you know what you’re talking about, nerves can make you forget vital information.
Be Prepared to Have Off-Topic Conversations
Sometimes, having off-topic conversations can encourage you to think more creatively. Being under pressure and put on the spot might seem daunting, but many great benefits can come from these types of situations.
At Tuesday Media, we are expert storytellers – and can help you not only identify and understand the story behind your business, but share it in the right way to the media.
We encourage you to delve deeper into your research in the case of a reporter asking about something you haven’t prepared for. In most cases, reporters will ask questions at random that you weren’t expected to answer – most of which should usually remain based on the industry you work in.
It can be easy to lose focus when you’re put under pressure, but if you manage to answer in a relaxed manner with a quick, interesting response, there’s a chance you’ll leave an excellent impression.
Stay Concise
The last thing you want is to drag your answers exceedingly. When you’re asked a question, it’s best to keep your answer short and brief – this helps the conversation flow more easily and keeps the interaction between you and the reporter fair.
If you were to put yourself in the position of whoever is listening, would you be frustrated at hearing an interview where one person doesn’t get an equal chance to respond? Typically, most people’s answer would be yes.
Unless the reporter goes off-topic, it’s key that you stay in line with what you’re being asked, whilst getting key messages across. You should answer the interviewer’s questions as thoroughly as possible, but only give the amount of information that you think is needed – saying too much can turn the conversation onto other topics that might not be so relevant to what you should be speaking about.
By not staying concise, you could end up giving inaccurate statements. This is why media interview preparation is vital, and by giving the right answers you’ll captivate the audience more efficiently and have a successful interview.
Have Three Key Points
Although the reporter is the one asking questions, you should aim to have around three key points that you want to get across whilst you’re being interviewed.
Journalists like it when you have memorable sound bites that stick in their heads. This shows that you’re creative with what you’re saying and know what you’re talking about. By having three points to talk about, you don’t have to think too much about what areas you’re going to cover.
When you’re talking about the main points you want to cover, keep the audience’s interest at heart – do your answers sound the same? Do you need to change how you’re responding?
Don’t use your interview time as a form of self-promotion. The reporter’s duty isn’t usually to advertise your business – this isn’t usually what a media interview is about. If it naturally comes up in conversation, then it’s fine to mention your business and what services you offer, but staying in touch with the original talking points is what’s important.
What Should You Avoid During a Media Interview?
There are many things you should try and avoid during a media interview. One of our key tips is to avoid jargon – whether it be through television or radio, you should consider your audience’s perspective and make the interview as accessible and easy to understand as possible.
Certain terms that are used in your workplace between colleagues might not be understood so easily by everyone else, so be aware when it comes to answering questions. Although it’s easy to assume that most people understand the slang you speak, more often than not, they don’t.
To make sure your audience understands the information that you’re distributing, focus on using well-known terminology as opposed to vocabulary that’s more complicated. Certain body language should also be avoided during interviews, as the way that you compose yourself is the biggest indicator of how nervous you are.
Maintaining a relaxed nature whilst you speak throughout the interview will give the impression to the audience that you feel confident in talking to a reporter. Staying calm will show that you’re comfortable being interviewed, which could later help encourage a further invitation to the next media interview that’s based on your industry.
How We Can Help At Tuesday Media
At Tuesday Media, we work closely with our clients to make sure they secure positive publicity. Our aim is to build trust in your business and draw the right stories from your organisation in order to secure the right amount of coverage across various media outlets.
Unlike regular PR agencies, Tuesday Media generates great coverage, combining numerous skill sets within our team to help achieve the best results for your business and get your key message across.
From personal experiences and client case studies, our team knows which key points to cover in conversation regarding your industry.
Our PR experts here at Tuesday Media are class-A storytellers. We’ve worked alongside many businesses to get their unique story out there to the world.
Unlike other traditional methods used by PR agencies, we use our own techniques and methods to push your business forward – whether it be our unique storytelling workshops or our ability to unearth what makes your business unique.
With an array of journalistic contacts, we know who to reach out to and when. Winning multiple awards and generating new business leads for our pre-existing clients, we encourage you to reach out if you’re looking for a PR agency to work alongside your business.
We use SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and other tactics for great results. Whether it be for an approaching media interview or your next future media interview, drop us an email today.
