Baseball great Reggie Jackson, who often got more publicity
than he wanted, once said, ‘The media are like birds on a
wire. When one flies, they all fly.’
Everyone in the media monitors everyone else, because
NO ONE wants to miss anything or leave the impression
they’re falling behind current events.
You can use that competitive spirit to build a free
publicity machine for yourself. Especially on radio.
How to get attention the first time requires a whole
separate article (I have one on our website), but here’s
what you do to get producers and talk show hosts to love
you–and to invite you back often.
***Be available. When former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros
was a San Antonio City Councilman, he could always be found
on short notice. When a guest canceled at the last minute,
many a frantic host breathed easier when they saw Henry’s
beat up old Volkswagen pulling into the station lot just
before airtime. No wonder Cisneros later became one of the
most popular mayors in San Antonio history.
***Speak Your Mind. Radio hosts LOVE guests who have the
courage to be controversial. ‘Dr. Laura’ was originally
scheduled to be a one-time guest on an LA radio station some
years ago, but she was so engaging and fearless, she
got invited back again and again. Of course, now she has her
own syndicated show.
***Use Your Imagination–and the vast resources of the
internet. Got a spaghetti dinner coming up at your church
that you want to plug on the air? Are you wondering just how
you give a spaghetti dinner some radio ‘sex appeal?’
‘Go to the internet,’ says veteran morning drive personality
Sonny Melendrez. ‘Look up spaghetti. Talk about the
history of spaghetti on the air. Keep your tongue firmly
planted in your cheek, and make up whatever you want. Look
up food jokes. Church jokes. Put it to work for you in a
fun way.’
And don’t worry, you’ll get your chance to give important
details…date, time, place phone numbers, etc…
Do these things and you’ll be amazed how often you’re
invited back…and how often you start getting invitations
from other stations. Remember what Reggie Jackson said
about ‘birds on a wire.’ Keep that in mind, and you’ll soar
to new heights as a popular radio guest.
Drive in a flood of new traffic, sell more products and
services than ever — and maybe even make yourself famous in
the process. Subscribe to George McKenzie’s ‘Get Free
Publicity’ Ezine and receive a 5-day mini-course on how to
get for thousands of dollars worth of positive — and
positively free — advertising and publicity.
Click here for more information
