Many thanks to Doug Stewart, a guy dedicated to helping small businesses dominate their space on the web, for asking me to talk with him for a few minutes about effectively using social media and PR together to market businesses. If you’ve never heard me speak, here’s your chance If you have and you’re game for more… bless you, firstly, and secondly, enjoy the interview!

Have a topic you want to see me cover here? I’ve been toying with the idea of breaking my no-video style… what would you most like to see/hear for the first vid post on this blog?

In the long ago days – maybe, 25 years ago – news was a daily affair and it was consumed in tightly controlled, pre-packaged formats and chunks. People read their newspapers and watched the local and national nightly news. The truly committed also read a newsweekly or two and maybe even *gasp* the Wall Street Journal or New York Times. What wasn’t reported in the local newspaper on Thursday or on the nightly news that night just wasn’t news until Friday, when it WAS reported. News cycles were more predictable and longer.

Everyone received the same news diet for almost no cost. TV news was over the air and free to anyone with an antenna and a TV set. Local papers averaged $0.25 to $0.50 per day off the shelf and less than $8.00/month on a subscription. Those crazy people who subscribed to Time or the WSJ, well, they were paying some bucks, but they were definitely not the majority of the news-consuming public. People didn’t pay to be informed, not really. And “being informed” simply meant you’d been exposed to the same news stories that the rest of the people around you had consumed through the limited means possible. Essentially,a news baseline existed for most of the population. So essentially, most people weren’t willing to pay to just ante into the knowledge game. And yes, this also meant opinions and info were to a large extent homogenous.

Nothing has changed, even though everything is different.

Think about that… cable news, the internet, blogging, citizen journalism, Twitter, real time news feeds: the methodology of delivery is different and the resources (time, talent, money) dedicated to gathering news are much expanded; but my local news is still available over the air for free and my local newspaper still costs a negligible amount. I may pay for access to the ‘net, but my news sources on it, Twitter, blogs, Google Reader… are all free. And I could go to the library or other public access point and get informed. So, while cycles are shorter and news is nearly ubiquitous, people still are largely unwilling to pay to be informed.

What have people always paid for? To be entertained. And I don’t mean any stupid hybridization like “infotainment” or “edutainment”. In a developed society, people EXPECT to be informed. It’s perceived as a right of the people and the mission of news gathering… like a higher purpose akin to medical care. Why would anyone pay for something they feel is a right? They won’t. With a few rare exceptions, this is why news subscription sites don’t work. Unless the news is specialized enough to be valuable as knowledge currency (insider information status as opposed to generally being informed), it’s not perceived as being worth paying for.

What I wonder is why magazines, who are already in the specialized information curation business, just in an expensive to produce and maintain print format, don’t continue their primary mission (entertainment) and CHARGE for the curation of their own and other’s quality, niche-specific information online. And why newspapers, who are in the public information business, in the same expensive to produce and maintain print format, keep trying to charge me to be generally informed online. If information curation is the next big thing on the internet, the people who’ve been doing it well for decades (think showbiz mags, home decor mags, cooking, parenting, yachting, golf… whatever) should be leading the way.

What do you think? Can magazine companies become curators and charge for content? Would you pay for quality niche-related content? Has that ship sailed… ?

photo credit: Flikr user Bruna Ferrara

Green Rooms are usually not green...

Many times the elation of winning a TV interview spot is followed closely by the panic of having to do live TV. And I do mean panic. I’ve had clients who’ve hyperventilated, bailed at the last minute and frozen on camera. Luckily, they weren’t my clients when those things happened… and that’s because a bit of preparation goes a long, long way to solving the pre-TV panic attack.

Here’s a few basic rules and tips to keep your TV appearance a positive thing for you and your business or cause:

Do Your Homework

Watch an episode or two (or three!) of the show or segment you’ll be appearing on. Pay attention to what the set looks like, how the hosts interact with guests and each other, and any certain “shticks” common to the show. Memorize the hosts’ names.

Set Goals

Be clear in your mind what you want to accomplish during your appearance. Is it to be perceived as an expert? Is it to promote your location, services, products or event? My most recent appearance was to be part of a live giveaway of Father’s Day items from a shopping center (Smith Farm Marketplace in Owasso) who is a client of ours. The segment was going to be about 90 sec., and I wouldn’t be talking for  even half of that. I knew I wanted to mention several of the contributing merchants by name, mention the name of the shopping center & it’s location (Owasso) and remind people that they had two shopping days left and could find everything they needed for the Dad on their list at Smith Farm. Quite a bit to work in over a short amount of time, unscripted and in response to hosts’ questions. Knowing clearly what I wanted to communicate helped me not waste any words or time, and we got the job done.

Practice Up

While it generally isn’t best to script and memorize your words because you typically won’t sound natural and relaxed, you SHOULD say key phrases out loud and listen for troublesome words, sounds or blends so you can reword. If the topic is emotional or potentially volatile, practice answering questions on topic calmly and clearly. Have someone help you by asking you pointed questions and taping your answers so you can see your own reactions.

Dress Appropriately

Use the anchors as your guide… go for brighter colored solids, paired with darks, blacks or neutrals. Avoid fire engine red and stark white and avoid narrow stripes or diagonals. If you do a print or a pattern of any sort, it should be non-distracting to the eye. Anchors wear simple shapes and colors so the visual focus is on their face or on the video they’re showing. Keep jewelry, hair accessories or other add-ons simple, too.

Be A Good Guest

Arrive on time and check in with the producer as soon as you do so. Usually the receptionist or person greeting you will direct you to the “green room” or waiting area for guests and will let the producer or assistant know you’ve arrived. Ask if there is anything you need to know, what time you’re scheduled to appear, when to exit the green room and where to go when you do so. Make sure your teeth are good to go (no everything bagel lodged anywhere it shouldn’t be… !) and take a few deep breaths.

Relax

Report to the set when you’re instructed to do so, listen for camera instructions, cues or prompts and/or the “launch question” for your segment and any other last minute words of wisdom from the producers, hosts or crew. Then relax… it’s a conversation, you’re prepped and ready, you look great on camera, and you’re a model guest. You’ll knock it out and then you’ll get asked back… feel free to repeat the above steps as often as necessary on your way to expert TV personality

If you have tips or hard-won wisdom for doing TV well, please share them in the comments!