ASLU 035: Getting Started With TV Appearances to Promote Your Creative Business
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In Episode 35 of the podcast, Puneeta Chhitwal Varma talks to us about how she was able to expand her audience and her business by doing media segments on local and national television. Puneeta has appeared on The Social, she has a regular spot on Toronto’s CHCH’s Morning Live, and she has done segments on CBC and Global.
Today we talk about everything from how to connect with producers, how to pitch your ideas, how to prep for your segment, how to connect with the hosts and anchors and how to handle the heat when you’re on live television!
If you’re just looking for the links to all the resources mentioned in the episode, just scroll on down to the bottom where they’re all listed.
For a lot of us (myself 100% included) being on live TV or even in front of a camera is something that makes us very uncomfortable. And for others of us, we would love this kind of media exposure for our businesses or to get our message out to a wider audience but we have absolutely no idea how to go about it.
As we’ll find out in this episode, believe it or not, landing spots on TV, radio or even print interviews is not as hard as you might think! Puneeta shares all her tips for landing this kind of media exposure and how it can expand your audience, potential customer base and help spread the message about the things you are most passionate about.
Listen To the Episode
Here’s a direct link to Episode 35 - or you can listen via the players below:
In late 2018, Puneeta realized that as much as she had been enjoying writing on her site, Maple and Marigold, for the last several years, there was a whole segment of people that she wasn’t reaching with her message of sustainability, good food and helping people expand their cultural horizons.
She wanted to reach the world - and to do that, she was going to have to step outside her comfort zone and embrace new avenues where she could spread her message. As much as blogging, YouTube, podcasting and social media have made spreading our message easier, in many segments of the population, traditional media - TV, print and radio - are still viewed as the top tier of media. Have you really made it if you haven’t been on TV? (that’s a rhetorical question!)
TV and radio segments can live on for years on websites, YouTube and even podcast digests. Media is much more fluid today than it was in previous years.
But before Puneeta could move ahead, she needed to make sure she had a strong message to send out into the world and this is where many of us falter! Being on TV can be nerve wracking to begin with and a lot of us aren’t even sure we have something interesting to say that would make us an welcome guest. It takes some confidence building to simply talk ourselves into the idea.
Step 1: develop a strong point of view
Before you can go on TV or the radio, you have to have something to say, you have to have the confidence to say it and you have to know that there are people out there who need and want to hear it.
If you are inviting yourself into somebody else’s home or to somebody else’s party, you need to know what you’re bringing to the party - especially if you want to be invited back next time. Are you the party guest who entertains? Are you the party guest who always has interesting facts and experiences to share? Are you the guest who can connect people? Are you the guest everyone asks about their outfit? Are you the guest who always brings delicious food? Are you on top of the arts scene and knows the best movies or gallery openings? Or are you a sports enthusiast? Are you the doctor people always want ask about their medical issues? Which guest are you?
As we’ve mentioned in previous episodes, any time you are getting ready to pitch yourself, you have to ask yourself what you’re bringing to the table and why anyone would care.
Step 2: Consider Getting Help
As Puneeta and I both mentioned, we both had help when it came to learning how to work with media. Puneeta worked with Jennifer Singh of She’s Newsworthy and I worked with Heather Travis of Heather Travis PR.
Media training or coaching can be extremely helpful in learning how to hone in on your key messages, how to pitch yourself to producers and other media and it can really build your confidence. You might also run through mock interviews or do filmed interview sessions so you can view how you look on camera and identify any nervous traits.
TV and radio appearances are short - little more than a soundbite in many cases and very rarely more than 5 minutes. You need to learn how to be concise, clear and to the point while still being at ease and getting your message across. A professional coach can help you with this in a big way!
Sometimes, working with a PR professional can also help you connect with the right people at the different productions that might be a good fit for your message.
Step 3: Make a Media Calendar
Puneeta shared that she creates a Media Calendar at the beginning of the year that works in tandem with her blog calendar. By planning out her content and identifying her big themes for each season, she can more easily identify who she should pitch and what she should pitch them.
If you’re not a content creator, you can still do this - all businesses have seasons or interesting angles to them.
If you’re a fashion designer, accessory designer, makeup artist or skin care product developer think about the different seasonal looks or needs that could be presented.
If you’re a maker who creates aromatherapy candles you could pitch ideas on the mental or physical health benefits of aromatherapy, or how to change up the scents in your home to match the season or a piece on which scents can impact productivity for those who find themselves working at home right now.
Think about the different seasons when you build your calendar and what different talking points each one has for your business. Then, think about which programs are the right fit for your message and use that to put together your pitching strategy.
Remember that many of the programs you may want to pitch are on the air daily. Some of the morning programs broadcast for 3 hours, 5 days a week. That’s a lot of 5 minute segments to fill and produce every week and that means there are a lot of opportunities to be on television or radio. If you have a good story to tell, there is space for you.
figure out your why
Step 4: How Do You Find the People to Pitch?
As Gabby mentioned in her episode on how to pitch yourself as a writer, when it comes to pitching yourself for TV, Twitter is still the place you want to be. Most morning or daytime news and talk show programs (all news programs actually!) have a very active presence on Twitter. The producers, reporters and on-air personalities are also usually quite active on Twitter. So… get yourself over to twitter and start engaging!
Twitter is also a place where a lot of journalists will do call outs for stories they’re working on. Keep an eye out to see if anyone is looking for help with something that’s a great fit for you! Puneeta found one of her first opportunities by responding to a journalist who put a call out for somebody who could speak about celebrating Diwali in a multi-cultural society.
Think about the shows and broadcasts you like to watch and who might be a good fit for your message. Start following them on social media along with the hosts. See who they mention or tag and what kind of hashtags they use. Check those hashtags out. See who else is following them and who they follow.
With a little research you’ll start to see who works behind the scenes and get an idea of who the right people to pitch may be. Add them to your media calendar and keep track of who works where.
Connecting on social media first can make it easier for your first pitch email to stand out when you email them. (emailing is often the best way to send in a formal pitch)
Don’t be afraid to pitch again even if you get a no or, as often happens, you don’t get a reply at all.
More Tips On Pitching
For more tips on pitching check out these two articles and episodes. The principals of pitching carry through regardless of the niche you are in:
Step 5: Prepare, Prepare, Prepare
Your pitch is often just an outline. The next step is to fill the outline in with all the details. How many hot drinks will you show on your segment? How are they different? What will you say about each one? Which ingredients will you profile and have on hand to discuss and show? What are the benefits of each drink? What research will you reference to back up any claims you’re making? Will you make the drinks on camera or have them already prepared of both? You need to plan out the logistics and flow of the entire segment.
Send all of that information to the producer after your pitch has been accepted - it makes their life easier because they know exactly what to expect. Where possible, include any information or research you’ve done that shows there is an audience looking for the information you’re going to share.
You can never prepare enough for a live segment - especially if you’re demonstrating something like cooking a recipe, showing fall fashion looks, or showing people how to make a simple bead bracelet. Make sure you:
practice what you’re going to say over and over again, and make sure your key points are included
time yourself
watch yourself in the mirror
if you have a lot of props or tools, work out the flow of how you will move them around
binge watch clips from the show you’re going to be on - most of them will have clips online - and get a sense of the flow, the vibe, the personalities of the host and the format
Step 6: Navigating A Live Appearance.
Puneeta share a lot of tips from her experiences doing live segments with us:
if you have your choice of day, don’t choose a day of or after a major, known news event - like an elections, a federal budget release, etc.
in the hour prior to appearing your first instinct might be to go over your talking points in your head or do some deep breathing exercises but, make some time to scroll through twitter and the news. You may have to react or comment on something that’s happening right now in the news and while you don’t need to be an expert by any means, you don’t want to be caught off guard because you were in your own little bubble. The hosts will have to find a smooth way to segue from the segment prior to you into your segment and that may require them referencing breaking news.
doing this will also prepare you for the energy on set. If something tragic has just happened your tone might need to reflect that!
Step 7: Connect With the Host or Anchor
Remember this is a conversation, in most cases, between you and the host or anchor. Treat it like that. If the camera is distracting, or one of your props or products has fallen off the table or isn’t where you expect it to be or something has happened to fluster you, focus on the person you’re talking to. Make eye contact with them and let them help you. It can really calm you down.
For most of us, segments on live, daytime TV are not going to be hard hitting journalism. The host wants you to be seen in a good light because it puts them and the show in a good light. They’re not going to try and trip you up or ask you something out of left field.
Media appearances can be a wonderful way to reach a broader audience with your message, your product or your services. It can be intimidating and, like any kind of pitching, it is hard work. But the rewards can be more than worth it!
Resources mentioned In the episode
Puneeta’s E-Book, How to Shop Your Pantry (all proceeds go to supporting Second Harvest, Canada’s largest food rescue organization.
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