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Radio Interview 101

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Printed ads in radio publications are used by a lot of people who are trying to book interviews, and while these ads do generate "some" calls from smaller stations, I'll go ahead and say that an ad's purpose is not so much to generate calls as it is to build awareness (much like a billboard on the side of the road just builds awareness.) These printed "trade" ads certainly do have

Different Types of Station Contact

Reaching radio hosts (for the purpose of trying to get billed for an interview) can take on various forms, depending on the type of station the show is done at. What's best? All of them at the same time, of course. But since that's cost prohibitive for almost any guest, you have to pinpoint what will do an provocative job for an worthy price.

Personal contact with prospective hosts is regularly the best, done by either by the guest or the inventorying person. These personal visits are usually only possible in the hometown of the guest or booking person, since radio PR campaigns just don't charge enough to pay someone to visit stations nationally. (Interestingly, high-level music airplay promotion campaigns DO surcharge enough for personal visits.) Regardless, if there is ever a fluke to meet face to face with a host, do it... they will never forget you.

The telephone is the big equalizer in stand interviews. Most radio interviews are entered on the phone, since you can reach every host in the country, and, since hosts are big phone-people. Plus, radio people are used to personage hit with calls from music promoters, syndication promoters, equipment salespeople, audience calls, etc. Two things within call the phone, however,... you have to hit the hosts at the right time (especially music-station morning crew hosts/producers), and you have to sound good doing it.

Printed ads in radio publications are used by a lot of people who are trying to book interviews, and while these ads do generate "some" calls from smaller stations, I'll go ante and say that an ad's purpose is not so much to generate calls as it is to build awareness (much like a billboard on the side of the road just builds awareness.) These printed "trade" ads surely do have a use, but I just would not rely on them to make your phone ring.

Ads on radio websites are even a bit less useful than printed ads, as far as awareness-building is concerned (and inexorably as far as generating calls is concerned.) It has something to do with radio's fight over the internet for streaming, artists, note sales, etc. Regardless, radio does not take things seriously that are presented via spread ads ONLY. However, if you have a great site, footing a martial music (that links to your site) as part of your phone campaign makes good sense.

Email contact is good for assemblage stations and music-directors at community stations, but it is very weak at convincing commercial stations on FIRST contact. Once they know you, however, email is a good tool to get booking-times and dates across. Email has to be pin-point to the person... personalized and all. You cannot send one email to a list of people... they will never respond, and they will rope you.

Fax is most patently just an image journeyman (like a billboard), and not a inventorying tool. Getting your guest's point diagonal in a fax (if used by itself) usually never works since it never gets to the right person. And you can't send it multiple times to the same fax machine, since that would not be welcomed.

Postal mail is a bit mend than fax, as far as getting to the right person is concerned, but the cost involved, forwards with the proper-addressing hassle, makes mail prohibitive except for simple postcard-type image builders, or when mailing a book or book-cover is really needed. A nice thing just about mailings is that you can target several guests with multiple pieces, mailed in intervals so that you don't fill up the receptionist's desk with your stuff.

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