Media Training DON’TS

Avoid These Pitfalls and Ace Your Next Media Interview

Media training will help you communicate better and more effectively. While there are a lot of ways to reach your audience, one of the best ways is through the media. These gatekeepers come with huge audiences, influence and credibility. To maximize the impact of your interview and generate more media coverage, follow these media training tips to prepare you for success and ensure that your message is on brand.

Media Training DON’TS…

• DON’T wing it. Every interview is an opportunity to build the reputation of your brand and tell your story in a compelling way. Take the time to learn about who you will be talking to, their beat, and the outlet they represent and think about how you can create a dialogue that resonates with their background, audience and interests. The more prepared you are, the better the interview will go.
• DON’T look at the camera. Instead of looking into the lens, sit up straight, smile, and look your interviewer in the eye. Also pay attention to your posture and poise; nonverbal communication plays an important factor in how your message is received.
• DON’T forget your message and your audience. Interviews are give and take but don’t forget why you are taking part in the interview. If the interviewer gets off track, gently guide the conversation back to your topic.
• DON’T use technical jargon. Most outlets cater to broad audiences that likely won’t know all the insider terms you do, so look for ways to make your knowledge relatable. The more relatable you can make your talking points, the better your chances of gaining new prospects.
• DON’T panic. While uncomfortable pauses tend to exploit our natural human aversion to silence, don’t let those instances unnerve you. If you have nothing more to add, don’t ramble on. Instead, allow for the empty space between your answer and a follow up question.
• DON’T speculate. Take the time to think about the questions you are asked, but if you don’t know the answer it's okay. Tell the reporter you don’t know the answer and you'll get back to them. Blind speculation can get you into a bad situation. Good credibility is hard to build and easy to lose.

Avoiding our media training DON’TS may seem easy, but it will take practice. The team at Flashlight Marketing is here to help you practice and perfect your craft, build your brand and ace your next interview with media training. Contact our team today to learn more about our services and how we can help.