Media, Marketing and Public Relations Firm in Washington , D.C. | Allen Media Strategies

What To Expect On A Nationally Syndicated Radio Interview

admin — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 07:06:39 +0000

What would it be like to be a guest on a top rated national radio program, like Sean Hannity, NPR’s All Things Considered, Howard Stern or Tom Joyner? Several Allen Media Strategies clients have recently appeared on the nationally syndicated Mancow Experience radio show. Based in Chicago and syndicated nationwide, Mancow has one the most listened to programs in the Midwest. Here are the notes that their show producer sent to us to share with our clients:

“Our team will call several minutes before interview time to ensure a good connection, and our studio can be reached at 312-XXX-XXXX or 312-XXX-XXXX as a backup. (Interviews are live, and are sometimes replayed later in the week.)”

“Mancow likes to move quickly between guests and topics (usually 4-8 minutes per interview), so we like guests to be prepared to hit the ground running. He loves to exercise a sense of humor and highlight unique details about popular topics. The more surprising details the better – Mancow loves the weird and unconventional.”

“Because there are many guests on the show, there may be a brief period of waiting while the previous guest finishes. At the close, if Mancow is unable to say goodbye, then our producers will do it for him.”

Of course, not every national radio program is exactly like Mancow but, most are looking for the same traits in their guests: surprising, weird and unconventional (what is your unique, compelling take on your subject of interest?) and 4-8 minute segments both in TV and radio, brevity and self editing is key.

You should always listen to audio of a show BEFORE you’re a guest there to get a feel for the host’s sense of humor, style and the rhythm and flow of conversation. Preparation is key!

One of the Top P.R. Mistakes

admin — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 06:29:20 +0000

It’s not the way the release is written; it’s not how you perform during the interview. It’s a simple…thank you. Thank you to the reporter who wrote about you; thank you to the radio host who had you on his or her show as a guest. Thank you to the cameraman from the TV station, who never gets any of the credit that gets gobbled up by the high profile anchor and reporter. Remember, reporters and show hosts don’t owe you anything; it’s a privilege and honor that you’ve been given, and should be treated as such. The media is a very transient business, and saying thank you to media pros in one market will often help you in another market somewhere down the road. Plus, it’s simply the right thing to do. To make your thank you really stand out, send a hand written note to the media pro.

Book Publicity Strategy

admin — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 06:16:40 +0000

Allen Media Strategies is proud to work with fantastic authors on their book campaigns. Often, we’re hired by both the author and the publisher. Why? Because book publicity is very competitive. With advances in technology, so many more new authors can now get their book into print, which means the competition for publicity and media coverage is tougher than it’s ever been. The power of P.R. to sell books via print and online coverage and radio and TV interviews is well documented. As such, thousands of authors and other guest experts are constantly gunning for media coverage, so getting media pros to notice you and your book is harder than ever. The number one way authors become successful is because they try, and you must try, with the understanding that book marketing is no different than any other very competitive industry. Making others aware of your book doesn’t happen overnight or because of one or two successful media hits. It takes time to achieve and sustain promotional momentum, and it typically takes at least three months to see book sales materialize from a P.R. campaign. The most successful authors we work with spend at least a year promoting their book in one way or another.

Questions You Should Ask… Before You Start Answering

admin — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 13:33:59 +0000

Anyone who appears in the media should be prepared to answer questions. But, you should also be prepared to ask questions before your interview. Here are three of the most important items you want to find out:

1) What’s the Format? For TV or radio interviews, you can learn the show’s target demographic audience to help you tailor your content. You can also find out if you’ll be live, taped, edited, etc. You can determine the length of the interview, and whether you’ll be on the phone, in studio, at a remote location, etc. For print interviews, this question can help you determine whether the journalist will just use a quote or two, or if they’re doing an in-depth piece on you and your area of expertise.

2) What’s Your Name? We recently spoke with a popular national TV show booker who gave us an inside secret! She revealed that guests who use the hosts name when answering the hosts questions always received a warmer on-air response. It also gives the impression of an “implied endorsement” from the interviewer, as if you appear to be pals having a conversation. You should also find out what news organization they work for and whether they cover a particular topic or beat.

3) When will it air (or be published)? You want to be prepared to share the coverage with your online followers by tweeting it, posting it on Facebook, etc. as soon as it comes out (with links to video, audio or text) as long as it’s positive coverage for you. If it’s a negative piece, be ready to issue a response if called for (sometimes, it’s best to just let it go if the media outlet has limited market penetration).

If we can assist you in preparing for an important upcoming media appearance, we’re always happy to help!

America’s Got Talent Winner Joins Allen Media Strategies Client Roster

admin — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 13:00:03 +0000

Allen Media Strategies is proud to welcome the winner of NBC’s TV’s America’s Got Talent to our roster of exclusive clients. Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. won the the nationally televised talent competition by a record viewer vote in front of an audience of over 14 million viewers. The talented vocalist and former car washer releases his debut CD on Syco/Columbia November 21st. Titled “That’s Life”, the album is produced by Grammy award winner Steve Tyrell, and is made up of the classics from the Great American Songbook including those performed by Landau on America’s Got Talent. The album is available now for preorder at www.amazon.com. “When I first heard this great singer from my hometown in West Virginia, I immediately became a fan not just of his talent, but also his perseverance and his message of never giving up on your dreams. Now, we’re extremely proud to be a part of the team that is helping to launch Landau’s career, along with my friend of three decades Attorney Bob Noone and the talented folks at Octagon Entertainment in London,” said Allen Media Strategies CEO Burke Allen. ”Landau fits nicely within our exclusive client roster, made up of a small group of very talented authors, entertainers and media personalities.” Landau has been quite busy in the past month, with appearances at Caesars Palace, the WV Music Hall of Fame induction, a national anthem performance prior to the WVU/LSU game and a homecoming celebration attended by over 5,000 proud West Virginians including Governor and Mrs. Earl Ray Tomblin. Upcoming media appearances coinciding with the album release include The Today Show, The View, Fox and Friends, CNN Showbiz Tonight, and a Madison Square Garden performance televised on ESPN as part of an NCAA basketball tournament.

Burke Allen featured in Insights Magazine

admin — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:31:42 +0000

Allen Media Strategies CEO Burke Allen was recently featured in a cover story for INSIGHTS Magazine. In the feature he shares strategies from various insiders on media, marketing, public relations, crisis management, and more culled from his three decade career in front of the camera and behind the microphone.

Click here to read the article!

State of the Media 2011

admin — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 08:32:55 +0000

With hundreds of thousands of television, radio, print and online outlets, are you wondering where to focus your media and P.R. Efforts? Here’s some new data courtesy of the experts at media monitoring service Vocus: TV wakes up earlier, radio continues to put record cume numbers on the board, and the world of print is still seeing declines.

Radio: Keep in mind that when we refer to “radio”, we mean all audio platforms…AM, FM, satellite, podcasts, streaming audio/web only radio, etc. Overall radio listenership continues to increase, but is more fractured than ever. 70% of radio listening happens in the car. Maximize your radio appearances by remembering to include additional content for station’s web presence.

Print: The Audit Bureau of Circulations reports U.S. magazine sales dropped 7% in the second half of 2010 following a 6% drop in the first half. Even the top title — AARP The Magazine — was off 3%. Mobile platforms are the fastest growing obsession in the magazine world; look for an explosion of magazine apps this year. For newspapers, the trend is also online; 18 of the 36 newspapers that launched in the past year are online only, while hyper-local news sites are catching on. AOL.com’s Patch.com service alone launched over 700 sites.

Television: In TV, additional pitching opportunities are coming in the form of many stations expanding their morning news start time even earlier (in some markets, as early as 4am) and their expanded mobile and digital presence. Also, look for continued strong Spanish language TV growth.

On-line: The big trend is for traditional media outlets like newspapers and radio stations to focus on their “on-line brand”, with reporters filing web columns, and air talent supplying video content. Online video is big: In January 2011, 83.5 percent of the U.S. Internet audience, or 171 million Americans, watched online video, according to a report from market research firm comScore. Google sites, driven by YouTube, were the top providers in January with 144.1 million unique viewers. The report also says Americans watched more than 4.3 billion video ads during the month. Do you have video as part of your online media kit? If not, you should…and, if you don’t have video for your site, contact us and we can help get you produce a clip.

Listen and Learn

admin — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 08:26:51 +0000

Allen Media Strategies head Burke Allen has dusted off his microphone to host several free informational interviews recently with successful media experts at http://podcast.guestmatch.com. His most recent is with Bill O’Hanlon, who gives excellent advice on how to get a book publishing deal (Bill has authored and published nearly 30 books) and how to score the really big media interviews. Bill has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show and many more. These are FREE resources, so be sure to check ‘em out.

Develop and Maintain Media Relationships

admin — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 23:16:17 +0000

The media has always been a very transient profession; television, radio, print and online folks move around A LOT, and the moves might surprise you. This is another reason for you to continue doing interviews for small market media outlets; you never know when one of those folks is going to move up into a bigger, better position.

Here are a few examples; we’ve deleted the names to protect their anonymity.

-A local TV reporter we know who worked in the very small Panama City Florida market just last year is now a national correspondent for FOX NEWS CHANNEL

-A print reporter for the New Orleans Times Picayune now hosts a radio talk show in Mississippi

-A producer for left-leaning MSNBC has now crossed over to produce and book one of the top rated shows at conservative FOX NEWS

-One of Burke Allen’s former interns at CBS Radio Las Vegas is now a successful on-air host and radio station programmer in Memphis

Keep track of the contacts you make, because when they switch to a new outlet, that can mean fresh opportunities for you.

AMS Client Success Stories

admin — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 23:15:29 +0000

Congratulations to these Allen Media Strategies clients on their big media successes:

-JC Davies, whose new book I GOT THE FEVER was featured on National Public Radio and the syndicated Mancow show

-Homer Hickam’s latest novel THE DINOSAUR HUNTER scored a stellar review in THE WASHINGTON POST

-Andrew Klavan for his thriller THE IDENTITY MAN receiving a terrific review in CHRISTIANITY TODAY

-SOUTHERN EXPOSURE documentary filmakers Stan Wald and Jerry Misner scoring ink in The Washington Times and appearing in studio on the G. Gordon Liddy show

-Richard Lustig from www.winninglotterymethod.com who has racked up appearances on The Today Show Australia, GMA, NPR, Curtis Sliwa in NYC, Sirius/XM and more

-Jim Lange from www.retiresecure.com whose Lange Money Hour show can now be heard weekly on Pittsburgh’s KQV Radio