I rarely EVER go it alone.
And by going it alone, I mean doing an event without knowing I will have a TV partner with me on the day of an event.
And I'm talking about FREE media, or 'earned media,' as we call it in corporate America, not paid media or media buys.
So how do I get earned media for almost every event that I do?
Back in the day when I was a reporter at the Business Journal, I used to also read the business news on WBT-AM with Mike Collins, a former weather guy for WBTV. I asked Mike over lunch one day, 'How do you get a TV personality to show up at an event?'
Mike said, 'Just pick someone in TV who you would like to meet and email them. The worst they can do is say 'no.''
So I started doing that.
The best part about asking one TV personality to come and emcee your event, announce something at your event, or do something fun at your event, is that a TV camera almost always comes along. It isn't a guarantee, but it is as close to a guarantee as you will get in the TV news business.
You are also doing your TV partner a favor; they love coming to community events and that helps them promote their station. It is a win-win.
Your event will make one of that evenings' newscasts.
Even a verbal commitment from a TV personality to emcee your event will make your sponsorship efforts easier. Sponsors like to be associated with events that are going to be seen on the evening news.
It almost goes without saying that if your event is scheduled for the morning, ask someone on the 5 or 6 pm news; if your event is in the early evening, ask someone from a morning show. Also, give them a month or two of notice. Don't ask if your event is just one or two weeks away; you'll look unprofessional.
In Part 2, I will share some other strategies I've used with great success to get earned media.
