Former TV reporter turned publicist shares insights and practical strategies for securing return invitations for clients' broadcast appearances.
By Sabrina Christiansen
In the world of public relations, booking your client on Good Morning America, the TODAY Show or even a top local TV station is a major accomplishment. With producers, bookers and reporters receiving thousands of emails a day, the sheer fact that your email broke through the noise is something to celebrate. However, the real challenge lies in ensuring that your client's appearance is not a one-time event but the beginning of a lasting relationship with the show. Here are some key strategies to ensure that your client will be invited back for future segments.
Appearance Matters
While it’s true that it’s what’s on the inside that matters (i.e. your client’s expertise), when trying to appear as an expert in your field, external appearance is important. If they are invited to do a fitness segment and arrive in business casual attire, it will be hard to convince the audience that they are the go-to person for health and wellness. The same is true for a financial expert arriving in workout clothing.
Keep in mind that appearance stretches further than an outfit. Your client can make a lasting impact in the way they hold themself and the confidence they exude. Part of thoroughly preparing for a segment is equipping your client with proper media training so they feel their best and suppress natural nerves. As a former TV reporter turned publicist, this is my number one advice for clients: you are the expert and they need your voice. If you didn’t have something special to offer, you wouldn’t have been invited in the first place. Proper outfitting and prep will help ensure your confidence.
Every Interaction is Impactful
It may seem obvious to tell your client to put their best foot forward with producers or anchors they will interact with most directly; but what about the camera workers, directors, or staging assistants? It is vital to remember that from the second a guest walks through the door to the second they leave, they are being watched. Just like you would speak with co-workers after a business meeting with an outside organization, all news departments debrief after segments. Your value to the news stations will only increase if you are pleasant to work with in addition to the insights you share.
Meet Expectations
To ensure your client will be invited back, it is crucial to provide insights that are unique, relevant and impactful. This starts with the pitch, but doesn’t end there. Offering compelling story ideas that align with the show’s audiences and editorial focus are important to secure the spot, but making sure the content offered day-of matches expectations is key. False promises won’t lead to repeated appearances.
Monitor Performance and Offer Feedback
After your client's appearance, it's essential to debrief on their performance. The first thing you should do is gather feedback from the producers and/or audience. Pay attention to ratings, social media engagement and any feedback provided by the show's producers.
If you find it intimidating to offer criticism to your client, reframe your thinking. While they are the experts in their field, you are the expert in public relations. They are counting on you for valuable feedback. Lead with the positives and ensure they know you are rooting them on. From there you can offer constructive feedback to help them improve for future bookings. Most of the time, we are our harshest critics. Hearing both the good and the bad will only lead to your clients' improvement.
Stay Top of Mind
Finally, to ensure that your client will be invited back, it's your job to make sure they stay top of mind with the producers. This means maintaining regular communication with bookers while sharing relevant updates and story ideas. You have the upper hand over other publicists offering similar experts since you have had an initial appearance. We all want a go-to contact we trust and can rely on. Demonstrating your ongoing commitment to delivering valuable content for the show will be key to cementing your client in their rolodex.
Overall, securing a return invitation for your client in the world of TV news requires careful planning, strategic relationship-building and a commitment to delivering consistently valuable content. By following these key strategies, you can increase the likelihood that your clients will become their first call in times of need.
Before joining Rosen Group in 2021, Sabrina spent four years as a broadcast reporter/multimedia journalist in Springfield Mass for Western Mass News.