What to Expect on a Nationally Syndicated Radio Interview

What would it be like to be a guest on a top rated national radio program, like Sean Hannity, NPR’s All Things Considered, Howard Stern or Tom Joyner? Several Allen Media Strategies clients have recently appeared on the nationally syndicated Mancow Experience radio show. Based in Chicago and syndicated nationwide, Mancow has one the most listened to programs in the Midwest. Here are the notes that their show producer sent to us to share with our clients:

“Our team will call several minutes before interview time to ensure a good connection, and our studio can be reached at 312-XXX-XXXX or 312-XXX-XXXX as a backup. (Interviews are live, and are sometimes replayed later in the week.)”

“Mancow likes to move quickly between guests and topics (usually 4-8 minutes per interview), so we like guests to be prepared to hit the ground running. He loves to exercise a sense of humor and highlight unique details about popular topics. The more surprising details the better – Mancow loves the weird and unconventional.”

“Because there are many guests on the show, there may be a brief period of waiting while the previous guest finishes. At the close, if Mancow is unable to say goodbye, then our producers will do it for him.”

Of course, not every national radio program is exactly like Mancow, but most are looking for the same traits in their guests: surprising, weird and unconventional (what is your unique, compelling take on your subject of interest?) and 4-8 minute segments both in TV and radio, brevity and self editing is key.

You should always listen to audio of a show BEFORE you’re a guest there to get a feel for the host’s sense of humor, style and the rhythm and flow of conversation.  Preparation is key!

One of the Top P.R. Mistakes

It’s not the way the release is written; it’s not how you perform during the interview. It’s a simple…thank you. Thank you to the reporter who wrote about you; thank you to the radio host who had you on his or her show as a guest.  Thank you to the cameraman from the TV station, who never gets any of the credit that gets gobbled up by the high profile anchor and reporter.  Remember, reporters and show hosts don’t owe you anything; it’s a privilege and honor that you’ve been given, and should be treated as such. The media is a very transient business, and saying thank you to media pros in one market will often help you in another market somewhere down the road. Plus, it’s simply the right thing to do. To make your thank you really stand out, send a hand written note to the media pro.

Book Publicity Strategy

Allen Media Strategies is proud to work with fantastic authors on their book campaigns. Often, we’re hired by both the author and the publisher. Why? Because book publicity is very competitive. With advances in technology, so many more new authors can now get their book into print, which means the competition for publicity and media coverage is tougher than it’s ever been. The power of P.R. to sell books via print and online coverage and radio and TV interviews is well documented. As such, thousands of authors and other guest experts are constantly gunning for media coverage, so getting media pros to notice you and your book is harder than ever. The number one way authors become successful is because they try, and you must try, with the understanding that book marketing is no different than any other very competitive industry. Making others aware of your book doesn’t happen overnight or because of one or two successful media hits. It takes time to achieve and sustain promotional momentum, and it typically takes at least three months to see book sales materialize from a P.R. campaign. The most successful authors we work with spend at least a year promoting their book in one way or another.