One of my PR Leads clients was pre-interviewed for a TV newscast.

She asked me how she can ace the live interview and make it memorable.

A lot of it has to do with branding and search engine marketing, actually.

Here’s what I told her:

  1. Make a list of 3 points you want to cover, and make sure you work them into your answers.
  2. Embed your keyphrases into your answers, so people can use them to find you online.
  3. Review your answers and see if there is a way to make them shorter, without sacrificing content – people remember sound bytes!
  4. Think of a rhyme, alliteration (using same letters to start several words), or a cute phrase that would be a good “sound byte”  – for example “Proper planning prevents poor performance.”  Try to create something that dovetails with how you can be found online.
  5. Remember that you probably won’t be allowed to say the URL of your website. However, you CAN usually say something like “I’ve come up with ’13 Ways To Improve Performance Through Planning’. The third thing I recommend is…” – have that as the title of blog posts as well as podcast interviews where people can find you by name, because now they’ll want 1-2 and 4-13 as well!

In fact, note the title of this article: “5 More Media Training Tips That Help People Find And Remember You”

I’ve provided HUNDREDS of media training tips (it’s a good idea for you and me to stay in touch) through:

  • Media interviews (I’ve been on CNBC, among other networks)
  • Podcast interviews (I’ve done scores of them)
  • Webinar trainings (I’ve done scores of those, too)
  • Blog posts (I do a new one just about every week)
  • E-mails to my subscribers (I send them every week)
  • Posts to my social media (I add them almost every day)

But when I said “5 MORE”, did it make you at least a little curious what some of the other ones are, or where you might at least find the “first five”?

The more your answers align with your messaging, the more your interview builds your brand.

Reporters need to interview and quote people like you.

One friendly reporter who can rely on you for great quotes for their article and provide expert support for their news story can make your entire career!

What I’ve outlined is basically how experts who appear regularly on their LOCAL 6-o’clock news use that to build a NATIONAL presence.

The first step, of course, is to meet and connect with reporters and journalists.