Happy New Year! I'm excited that this begins the 9th year I've been sending out my montly e-newsletter, called Media Savvy eTips. I always put different advice in the eTip than the suggestions or observations I share in this blog. But I've had such terrific reaction to the latest edition, that I wanted you to benefit from it, too. The eTip urged readers to set Media Savvy goals for each month of the new year. Here are the first five resolutions:
For January, I resolve to create a media contact sheet. It will include names, emails, addresses and phone numbers of local, regional, national and trade reporters and editors.
For February, I resolve to introduce myself as an expert resource to each person on my media contact sheet.
For March, I resolve to raise my profile on social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Tweeter, etc.
For April, I resolve to submit myself as a source on www.HelpAReporterOut.com.
For May, I resolve to improve my ability to speak in soundbites in one of the following ways: getting coaching, joining Toastmasters or recording myself answering questions on a home camera.
If you are not already a subscriber to Media Savvy eTips, please consider signing up. You can do so by going to my website and clicking on the portion on the upper right that mentions the free newsletter. Or you can send me an email with "etips subscribe" in the subject line. And if you'd like the other seven resolutions, just ask.
In the meantime, have a happy, productive new year!
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Monday, December 1, 2008
Wild Abandon
Sometimes those being interviewed are nervous. If I could whisper words of encouragement to them beforehand, I would say, "We are interviewing you because your opinion counts. Just be yourself."
In the place where I'm working now, there are huge movie-screen-type monitors off to the side of the set, and routinely a person will catch his or her image, realize he or she is on national TV and suddenly exhibit signs of terror. On the other hand... occasionally, a guest will become so enamored of seeing himself on the screen that he will stare at himself. That makes it hard to continue the interview, too.
So the learning point is this: be your best self... maybe for you that's not wild abandon. But you're energized, you're on, you're confident, you have a message to share.
We can't wait to hear it.
In the place where I'm working now, there are huge movie-screen-type monitors off to the side of the set, and routinely a person will catch his or her image, realize he or she is on national TV and suddenly exhibit signs of terror. On the other hand... occasionally, a guest will become so enamored of seeing himself on the screen that he will stare at himself. That makes it hard to continue the interview, too.
So the learning point is this: be your best self... maybe for you that's not wild abandon. But you're energized, you're on, you're confident, you have a message to share.
We can't wait to hear it.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Cures for Gapiosis
To my horror, I noticed in the monitor that my white bra was showing on national television! Mom called this "gapiosis," when your buttoned shirt gaps wide enough at the bust to show your lingerie underneath. Now let me set the record straight... this was not a Janet Jackson sighting... just a little bit of white in a field of royal blue.
I immediately clasped my hands together, covering the offending whiteness with my wrists. That was a stop-gap measure that worked temporarily. But here are a couple of steps you can take to prevent this dreaded disease from happening to you:
1. Wear a blouse without buttons. This is what my colleague Lisa Ryan does. She will wear a camisole under a button-up shirt, but never a buttoned shirt by itself. Or you could wear a blouse under a suit jacket that buttons or zips.
2. Use wardrobe or toupee tape. This is double-sided tape that holds the cloth between the buttons together. It works pretty well, but is hard to handle.
After the show, the first thing my husband said was, "Why did your producers let your bra show?" With a smile, I responded, "What? You didn't think it helped ratings?"
I went to the producers to ask them why they didn't alert me, and one said, "I didn't even notice." Let's hope the rest of the viewers didn't either.
I immediately clasped my hands together, covering the offending whiteness with my wrists. That was a stop-gap measure that worked temporarily. But here are a couple of steps you can take to prevent this dreaded disease from happening to you:
1. Wear a blouse without buttons. This is what my colleague Lisa Ryan does. She will wear a camisole under a button-up shirt, but never a buttoned shirt by itself. Or you could wear a blouse under a suit jacket that buttons or zips.
2. Use wardrobe or toupee tape. This is double-sided tape that holds the cloth between the buttons together. It works pretty well, but is hard to handle.
After the show, the first thing my husband said was, "Why did your producers let your bra show?" With a smile, I responded, "What? You didn't think it helped ratings?"
I went to the producers to ask them why they didn't alert me, and one said, "I didn't even notice." Let's hope the rest of the viewers didn't either.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
New Ways to Generate Publicity
A few weeks ago, a friend of mine sent me a link to a YouTube video she created. It was so clever and so timely, I asked her permission to air it on my morning talk show. She agreed and later asked me for a quote to put in a press release. I happily obliged. She wrote and posted the press release with a distribution service called "PR Web." I was notified through a Google alert! She has given me permission to share her press release. Maybe you can take a clever idea and leverage it like this, too.
Top Mom-Blogger Urges Mothers to Vote, Not Fight
After noticing that the nomination of Sarah Palin had re-ignited the "mommy wars," mom-blogger Dena Dyer created a Dr. Suess parody video called "Red (State) Mom, Blue (State) Mom" urging mothers to vote their beliefs, not fight about them.
Fredericksburg, Texas (PRWEB) October 18, 2008 -- The nomination of Sarah Palin has re-ignited the "mommy wars." Over water coolers, in chat rooms and in person, mothers are once again sparring over politics, childcare choices, and the work/life balance.
Award-winning mommy blogger Dena Dyer says, "It bothers me that so many mothers are up in arms, and that they are spending countless hours fighting about the candidates."Dyer has friends on both sides of the political spectrum, so she came up with a Dr. Suess parody that encourages moms to vote their beliefs, not fight about them. "Red (State) Mom, Blue (State) Mom" is based on the classic children's book One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish and is available on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxVugi06wyM.
The video was featured on FamilyNet's national morning show, "Mornings with Lorri & Larry." Co-host and guest coordinator Lorri Allen says, "We are always looking for timely stories on our morning talk show. Dena Dyer's Dr. Seuss parody was a perfect fit for us. She not only entertains, she also offers a peaceful solution to political bickering."
Dyer believes that moms have more in common than they think. "I've been a stay-at-home mom, at work-at-home mom, and a work-outside-the-home mom. I've had my kids in public and private schools, and I have a lot of friends that homeschool their children. And you know what? We moms are more alike than not. We tend to want the same things for our children, though we may disagree on how to get there."
She adds, "I hope moms will watch the video and laugh. I also hope they'll realize that the energy they're spending on battling other moms could be better spent on making the changes they long for a reality."
For more info, including the text to "Red (State) Mom, Blue (State) Mom," visit http://www.denadyer.com.
Top Mom-Blogger Urges Mothers to Vote, Not Fight
After noticing that the nomination of Sarah Palin had re-ignited the "mommy wars," mom-blogger Dena Dyer created a Dr. Suess parody video called "Red (State) Mom, Blue (State) Mom" urging mothers to vote their beliefs, not fight about them.
Fredericksburg, Texas (PRWEB) October 18, 2008 -- The nomination of Sarah Palin has re-ignited the "mommy wars." Over water coolers, in chat rooms and in person, mothers are once again sparring over politics, childcare choices, and the work/life balance.
Award-winning mommy blogger Dena Dyer says, "It bothers me that so many mothers are up in arms, and that they are spending countless hours fighting about the candidates."Dyer has friends on both sides of the political spectrum, so she came up with a Dr. Suess parody that encourages moms to vote their beliefs, not fight about them. "Red (State) Mom, Blue (State) Mom" is based on the classic children's book One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish and is available on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxVugi06wyM.
The video was featured on FamilyNet's national morning show, "Mornings with Lorri & Larry." Co-host and guest coordinator Lorri Allen says, "We are always looking for timely stories on our morning talk show. Dena Dyer's Dr. Seuss parody was a perfect fit for us. She not only entertains, she also offers a peaceful solution to political bickering."
Dyer believes that moms have more in common than they think. "I've been a stay-at-home mom, at work-at-home mom, and a work-outside-the-home mom. I've had my kids in public and private schools, and I have a lot of friends that homeschool their children. And you know what? We moms are more alike than not. We tend to want the same things for our children, though we may disagree on how to get there."
She adds, "I hope moms will watch the video and laugh. I also hope they'll realize that the energy they're spending on battling other moms could be better spent on making the changes they long for a reality."
For more info, including the text to "Red (State) Mom, Blue (State) Mom," visit http://www.denadyer.com.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Simulcasting
A few of the publicists and prospective guests pitching stories to me for my daily talk show can't seem to grasp the idea that it broadcasts on TV AND airs on radio at the same time.
Here's how I describe it in my email signature, and either people don't read it, or I need to do a better job: "Mornings airs on Sirius 161 from 6-9 am eastern. From 7-9 am eastern, the program is also simulcast on FamilyNet Television."
We're not the only ones doing it. You've heard of Don Imus, whose radio show now airs on RFD-TV. And if you're a sports fan, you probably know about Mike and Mike on ESPN.
Still, I get questions like:
Here's how I describe it in my email signature, and either people don't read it, or I need to do a better job: "Mornings airs on Sirius 161 from 6-9 am eastern. From 7-9 am eastern, the program is also simulcast on FamilyNet Television."
We're not the only ones doing it. You've heard of Don Imus, whose radio show now airs on RFD-TV. And if you're a sports fan, you probably know about Mike and Mike on ESPN.
Still, I get questions like:
- How can you be on the radio and the TV at the same time? (not only are we are going to a listening audience all over the U.S. and Canada by radio and across the U.S. by TV, Sirius plays our show live on the Internet!).
- When does your radio show end and when does the TV show start?
- Can I listen and watch at the same time?
- So you're on the air for five hours a day?
Friday, October 17, 2008
Honesty is the Best Policy
Every other month or so, I present a "Mastering the Media" course to CEO's who belong to a terrific organization called Vistage.
When I speak to one of these think-tanks, at least one of the business owners has trouble with my advice to be honest with the news media. He or she insists that honesty could lead to lawsuits. But here's the rationale: I'm telling you to not lie, to not deceive, to not be deceptive. Lies and dishonesty come back to haunt news makers. Think of several high-profile celebrities and politicians, who, if they had told the truth in the first place, may not have been in such hot water. They may still have been impeached, lost their office, lost the lawsuit or gone to federal prison, but the court of public opinion might have prevailed.
In more explicit terms, you can be honest by saying something that is not saying anything at all. You never want to say, "No comment." But you can say something to that effect without lying. For instance, you could say, "I would love to tell my side of the story. But right now, my lawyers are asking me to refrain from doing so." The news media is happy--reporters have a soundbite-- your attorneys are satisfied, and you haven't told a whopper.
Honesty is the best policy.
When I speak to one of these think-tanks, at least one of the business owners has trouble with my advice to be honest with the news media. He or she insists that honesty could lead to lawsuits. But here's the rationale: I'm telling you to not lie, to not deceive, to not be deceptive. Lies and dishonesty come back to haunt news makers. Think of several high-profile celebrities and politicians, who, if they had told the truth in the first place, may not have been in such hot water. They may still have been impeached, lost their office, lost the lawsuit or gone to federal prison, but the court of public opinion might have prevailed.
In more explicit terms, you can be honest by saying something that is not saying anything at all. You never want to say, "No comment." But you can say something to that effect without lying. For instance, you could say, "I would love to tell my side of the story. But right now, my lawyers are asking me to refrain from doing so." The news media is happy--reporters have a soundbite-- your attorneys are satisfied, and you haven't told a whopper.
Honesty is the best policy.
Monday, October 6, 2008
No Book Yet
I had the pleasure of conducting a teleseminar last week for the Business Coaching Group of the National Speakers Association. One of the participants asked, "Can I get any publicity since I haven't written a book yet?"
It's a great question. It is easier to establish your credibility with guest coordinators and assignment editors if you have published a book. But I answered the woman honestly, "I have to read so many books now, that I prefer to schedule guests who aren't promoting a book."
Without a book, you can establish your credibility in these ways:
You do have to explain why you are the perfect person to discuss the topic. Sometimes your title alone makes you worthy to be interviewed... for instance, if you are the President of a successful bank, I'd love to interview you this week. Or you may be the Executive Director of a non-profit agency helping hurricane victims... or those who've lost their homes in the sub-prime lending mess.
Don't wait for your book to come out to pitch the media about your expertise. The fact that you can show media experience and contacts will help you sell your book proposal to agents or acquisition editors.
It's a great question. It is easier to establish your credibility with guest coordinators and assignment editors if you have published a book. But I answered the woman honestly, "I have to read so many books now, that I prefer to schedule guests who aren't promoting a book."
Without a book, you can establish your credibility in these ways:
- Years serving a certain industry
- Education
- A life-changing experience
- On-the-job results
You do have to explain why you are the perfect person to discuss the topic. Sometimes your title alone makes you worthy to be interviewed... for instance, if you are the President of a successful bank, I'd love to interview you this week. Or you may be the Executive Director of a non-profit agency helping hurricane victims... or those who've lost their homes in the sub-prime lending mess.
Don't wait for your book to come out to pitch the media about your expertise. The fact that you can show media experience and contacts will help you sell your book proposal to agents or acquisition editors.
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