With BBC television programmes alone reaching over 376 million people each week, it is easy to see the statistical benefits of securing television exposure for your company but the reasons to seek out opportunities for earned media exposure (media exposure based on expertise or current newsworthiness) go much deeper than this.
Free television exposure is usually in the form of interviews for news or documentary purposes; this puts your message and brand directly in front of an already targeted and interested audience. On top of this, when your organisation is presented in the role of expert, by trusted television faces, you will see a massive increase in credibility and positive association.
The right kind of television exposure gives you opportunities to deliver key messages, expand your reach and add value to your brand but the question of how to get this exposure remains. Systems for pitching ideas are complicated and news channels have limited time in which to connect with experts. We have four key tips on how you get your company or organisation on television for free.
Be clear about your television exposure goals
It is important to view television exposure opportunities as potential marketing activities and, as such, give serious consideration to goals, success metrics and brand messages before taking steps to secure television appearances.
Quantitatively measurable marketing goals such as increasing sales and generating web traffic may not be as easily applied to television exposure as building authority, increasing influence and cultivating trust but all of these goals have recognised value.
Once you have set the goals you want to see met through television exposure, you can make some decisions about the messages, value and vision you want to communicate when the opportunity arrives. Work with a team of colleagues, who can represent different areas of company expertise, making sure that you;
- Actively encourage engagement with current affairs, particularly those with relevance to your company offering
- Discuss company standards regarding what to wear, what to communicate and how to respond to potentially tricky questions
- Consider broadcast training and make sure knowledge of company practice, advancements and planning is up to date
- Communicate television exposure goals
- Make sure your television representatives understand the guidelines around advertising and TV content
- Make the transition to TV representative as easy as possible by using self-operated cameras in convenient locations
Be prepared to address current and relevant issues
By far the most usual way to get free television exposure for your company is for one of your representatives to appear as a guest expert on a news or current affairs programme. This means it is in your interest to make sure your team is up to date, not just with what is happening in the news, but with how individual news stories might have resonance across your organisation and market.
This will be easier if you encourage a company culture of discussion around current affairs issues. By building news story debates into meetings, giving daytime access to news programmes, encouraging an outward-looking approach, and making sure that key statistics are readily available, this can go a long way towards making sure that your team are not only up to date, but ahead of the curve with answers during a television interview.
Make it easy for broadcasters to find you
You might be the highest authority on your subject but, if a broadcaster can’t find you amongst the mass of other ‘experts’, you are unlikely to be offered the opportunity to make a television contribution. A strong digital presence and expert SEO advice can bring you to the top of Google search engine page results but you might be surprised to hear that broadcasters often don’t even get as far as using the internet to find the experts they need for forthcoming interviews.
News stories move fast and broadcasters generally rely on connection services to link them with relevant experts. By adding the details and experience of your company experts to a searchable database of available commentators, you can make sure that your company is available for direct search as well as being included in bespoke lists sent out to broadcasters whenever a relevant story breaks.
Be sure to leverage all television opportunities
With recent massive increases in on-demand viewing, a television appearance isn’t over once the broadcast finishes and, if you maximise publicity efforts around the time of the broadcast, the same is true for the impact of that TV exposure. If you really want to make the most of these opportunities, you need to make sure your press and marketing teams are on top of the following;
- Press releases and lead stories related to the TV appearance
- Top notch web content in preparation for short-term web traffic increases
- An increase in inbound links for higher authority sites
- Updated social media presence to present company messages
- Immediate response to increased social media activity during and after a broadcast
Establishing authority on television has to be one of the most rewarding marketing activities in which any organisation can take part but time spent directly pitching ideas and making your presence known to TV companies via social media can often be wasted.
The Globelynx range of services and self-operated camera systems puts your information and expertise right under the noses of news and current affairs broadcasters, brings television interviews to your office or to nearby locations, and puts you in control of your live or web TV interview experience.
Our TV studio cameras can be portable, are known for their reliability, and have all been designed with easy-to-use interfaces that don’t require technical expertise. For a Globelynx interview, you won’t need a studio, will be able to operate the camera yourself, and will be able to take part in live and recorded interviews.
The time to take action is now, before you see your competitors establish themselves as the television experts in your field. Get in touch today to find out more about our live TV interview opportunities and in-house broadcast solutions.