Side Hustle Hero 54: Landing, Loving, and Leveraging Media Interviews, with Jess Todtfeld
Interested in free publicity? Increased visibility? Building more credibility?
Today's guest can help! Afterall, he holds the Guinness World Record in a publicity / public relations category.
In this episode with media expert Jess Todtfeld, you'll discover,
- How to write an email pitch letter to media that gets opened and read
- How to leverage being interviewed on TV, radio, and print, to increase sales
- How it can boost your credibility and visibility
- The best way to prepare for an interview
- How to respond when you don't know the answer
- How and why to send the host questions you want to be asked
- Getting booked: DIY, PR agency, and Jess's hybrid model
- Tips to improve your message and delivery
Jess Todtfeld has extensive experience as a TV producer for NBC, ABC, and FOX, having booked and produced over 5,000 segments, and is a leading communication and media training authority.
When I was in New York City lining up interviews prior to the release of my book, The Way Success Works, Jess was one of the people I turned to for guidance and training to become media savvy.
Use his ideas, tips, and hacks to improve your messaging anytime you're communicating about your side hustle.
What You'll Hear:
03:22 Jess holds the Guinness Record for being interviewed the most times in 24-hours
06:12 Remember to include calls to action in your answers, including micro ones
06:56 Get recordings of your interviews to share them with your audience to further your credibility
07:59 6 million viewers doesn't equal 6 million engaged, so take the clip and apply your own marketing
08:33 Why you want to put the effort into getting media interviews
09:04 How the sales decision-making process has changed
10:39 Going rate in USA for a publicist is about $3,000 to $5,000 per month with a multi-month commitment
11:20 Consider how much you have to sell to pay for a publicist
11:45 DIY options include buying media lists - work the list and follow through
14:45 Jess's hybrid PR agency, Media Ambassadors
15:50 Want interviews? You have to ask!
16:00 Tips for an email pitch that gets read
16:31 Why you want to have something that indicates if your sent emails are being opened
21:09 When sending a pitch email, use Jess's "above the line and below the line" strategy to increase open rate and promote engagement
22:26 Anytime you make a mistake in public, it's an opportunity to shine
24:26 Examples of what's "below the line"
28:16 You've landed the interview…now what??
28:30 There are 3 groups that have needs: the audience, the outlet, and you!
30:35 When interviewed, give great content, and plant seeds for learning more
31:33 Strategies for how to handle any question that's asked of you
33:28 How to respond when you don't know the answer
34:20 Tips on getting to the host, the questions you want to be asked in an interview
36:00 What works for a long-form podcast doesn't work in a 2-3 TV or radio segment
37:30 Find out the length of the interview so you can strategize and prep accordingly
39:00 If asked something you don't know, admit it, then say, "Something I do know is…"
41:36 How to control and guide the interview
43:12 How to prepare in less time with better results
43:15 Don't "fake it until you make it," instead, "act it and become it"
44:25 After an interview or event, ask yourself, "what did I like" and "next time, what can I do better?"
45:35 If you're buying lists, set aside time to really work them
Connect With Jess:
https://www.successinmedia.com
Connect with Joan:
https://www.instagram.com/joanposivy/
https://www.facebook.com/posivy/
Be on the show!
https://www.sidehustlehero.com/guests/intake/