Why Overlooking Interviews on Smaller Radio Stations Can be a Big Public Relations Mistake

Talk radio interviews have drastically changed!

In the golden days, the hosts of major-market talk radio shows used to bring guests into the studio for long chats. A talk radio guest could just knock off a couple of those interviews and sales would instantly hit turbo.
Sadly, those days are gone. Unless an author is a truly big name nowadays, the chances of hitting pay-dirt with just a couple of big radio interviews are history.

The reasons are two-fold. First, there just arent as many talk shows with a format for guests as there used to be. Friedman adds, Secondly, the amount of per-guest interview time has shrunk. What is to blame for this? The researchers. The result of much research found that the shorter the segment, the more the audience will stay involved.

Quantity still rules. Think about it. There are thousands of radio stations out there!many just 1,000 watts or so and without a big-name host. But that certainly doesnt mean you should thumb your nose at them.

Think about this point of view. If a 1000-watt radio station had, say, only 100 listeners, youd probably think it wasnt worth the trouble, right? adds Friedman. But what if you could go to an auditorium and talk to 100 people about your book, would you go? Absolutely!

See the contradiction here? I would suggest that you go on every talk radio show that you can, no matter what the size is! This is a fabulous way of creating a solid consumer base and awareness, adds Friedman

Get your feet wet in the small markets before taking the plunge with the majors.

Marsha Friedman says, It takes approximately 10 to 12 radio interviews before most clients are comfortable behind the microphone. So its far better to make your first inevitable mistakes on a smaller stage than a bigger one, and thats where the little stations come in. The small stations give you a fantastic practice field when it comes to radio pr.

Also, doing lots of interviews gives you a fantastic on-air experience. Youll be able to crystallize your thoughts on your product better!get your presentation down to a few succinct words!sound like a pro instead of a floundering amateur.

There are many mistakes made by rookie talk radio guests such as not mentioning your product or website enough, or being too salesy. Its also a mistake to mention these too often and upset the host, who will let you know that the show is not an infomercial.

Technical clients have a tendency to slide into techno-babble, and even good guests inevitably walk out of their first few interviews knowing they could have done better. But if you are going out to smaller stations initially, you wont have a national audience hearing your mistakes.

Sure, there can be pitfalls with smaller stations. Be prepared to run into some hosts who are unprofessional, and make sure you confirm an interview at least twice before youre scheduled to be on the air.

But hey, what can prepare you for the 500 watt station in the middle of nowhere thats hosted by a recent college grad. Hosts on the smaller talk radio stations may not do as much research as the big national hosts. So you may have to walk them through the major points of your topic.

Marsha Friedman says, Prepare for these interviews as though you have just met someone on the street for the first time and youre telling them about your book. If the hosts arent as prepared as they should be, you still need to be on your toes. Very bright people listen to some very small radio stations; so dont ever talk down to your audience.

The bottom-line here is that small-station interviews not only can generate sales, they can prepare you for the big time.

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