What You Can Learn From My Latest TV Appearance

I was on The CW 6 morning show with the Founders of The Live Well Project this week. Their day of empowerment for teens is coming up in a few weeks in San Diego and I’m honored to be speaking and leading a workshop on “Owning Your Power and Your Voice”. It’s a day filled with health and wellness, inspirational speakers/workshops, community and fun. It’s all FREE for teens ages 11-18.

While I work with both men and women, supporting women’s and girls’ voices holds a special place in my heart. This year one of my goals was to be more involved in my community and help empower more women and girls.

When I met the founders of The Live Well Project Michelle and Meeshie, I knew I wanted to support them however I could. Not everyone has the same opportunities and we want to change that by giving girls free tools and resources to be confident, healthy and empowered. Sometimes it only takes a spark to create a change.

Behind The Scenes and Insider Media Tips

Here’s a look behind the scenes on the set and a shot with CW6’s Renee Kohn. Click here to see the Live segment for more details about the event and how you can get involved.

But I also want to share some of the behind the scenes and insider media tips on how I booked the segment and how we leveraged the exposure to help the organization and empower even more girls. Here’s a brief Facebook Live from The Green Room (the waiting room with a TV playing the news) just a few minutes before we were on.

How To Get Booked

There are a lot of events, people and issues that deserve coverage, but how do you rise above the noise and actually get booked?

Tip #1 Make it easy for the producer.

This is a great event, but there are a lot of great events. A TV segment is not a calendar section of a newspaper. You have to provide visuals, a story and make the segment about more than just the event itself.

I didn’t just tell them “Hi, there’s a great event coming up and you have to cover it!” I showed them.

I emailed the morning show booker first and then followed up with a phone call. (Most producers will not call you unless they are interested. But if you are trying to reach them for quick follow up-it’s best to call a morning show producer right after the morning show usually around 10 am depending on the station. This is after the show when they are prepping for the next day and have a little bit of time before they are off for the day. Remember they probably started their shift at 4 or 5 am.)

The email included:

-What we could talk about (gave them a few different angles)

-What we would show (display items)

-Who would be available to be on (including a photo and short bio for each guest)

-Links to video clips they could use during the interview

-Sample anchor intros and talking points.

-A Fact sheet about the event for extra background

-Links to the website for more information.

(They won’t always use what you give them, but by providing all the information and making it simple, clear and accessible you’re making the producer’s job easy.)

Tip#2 You have to show them why it matters.

When it comes to local TV you have show why the event, story, topic matters and is important to the local community. Along with the anchor intro I provided some stats and information on why it is relevant to San Diego and their audience.

When it comes 2 getting booked on local TV, you have 2 show why it’s relevant & matters 2 community

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Bonus Tip: Straight from Producer

Here’s a look at part of the confirmation email I received from the producer after I booked the segment. This gives you a sense of what they really need. If everyone provided them with this information they probably wouldn’t have to ask and if you give it to them before how likely do you think they would book you?

“Confirmation details:

Before your appearance, please provide us with the following information:

–Name & Title of person(s) who will be speaking on-air

–Visual elements you will be providing (video, photos, food, water balloons, etc.)

–Contact information for you, including e-mail and cellphones of whoever will be appearing on the show in case of cancellation (i.e. breaking news).

–Any points you’d like to make sure we discuss during the interview (3 or 4 at most, most important ones first!)

–Anything else you think we should know before the segment?”

Leveraging The Exposure

When u get on local TV, reach goes beyond TV viewers. It’s also shared on their website & social.

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While not everyone was watching at 8:20 in the morning. It didn’t matter. The founders now have great content about the event that they can use to raise awareness, promote the event and help get even more volunteers and sponsors for next year so they can empower more girls. The segment was also shared on the station’s website and the link can be shared across social media over and over.

In fact they were speaking at a school right after the interview and were able to show the interview.

Our focus was about getting the message out about the free event and to support girls. I was glad to be able to use my media experience for something close to my heart, but you can also use these tips and apply them to your business or mission. Good luck and let me know how it goes. In the comments below share your struggles or successes when it comes to media.

If you want my FREE 7 Step Media Pitch Guide and Worksheet-get it below.