ForumsEvents

Interview prep can be a very involved process--we actually have training seminars prepared for clients that need expert preparation.
But, here are some good rules to follow:
1- Prepare your talking points and be sure you are relating how you want your business recognized
2- Keep answers short. Reporters don't have a lot of time to sift through notes/recordings or to prepare their stories
3- Try to relate how your business is responding to a need in the marketplace or, is part of an emerging trend or, is unlike anything we've ever seen before.
4- Don't let a reporter trap you into talking about something that reflects badly on your business or industry. that is not going to help you at all. you need to be able to deflect those questions without saying, "No comment".

Actually, radio advertising is more expensive than Yellow Pages. Radio is effective if you can sustain the message over a long period of time. Think about the Giant Glass guys in Boston who advertise on every Red Sox game. Who doesn't remember their phone number.
But, that takes a hefty budget.
Remember, too that advertising is paid placement and PR seeks free placements.

You should always expect a reporter to quote anything you say. Sometimes a reporter may say, "This is off the record," or "This is not for attribution." I always advise people to keep the entire conversation on the record so there is no confusion later on.

The press release needs to contain:
Who
What
Where
When
Why
It's kind of like a news story i that way.
But, unlike a news story it doesn't have to contain two sides of a story. The goal of the press release is to get the media interested in talking to you and reporting on your business.

If there's no specific timliness to the story, I recommend issuing the press release during the middle of the week--early in the morning if you can. You can send it by email directly to a news organization or utilize distribution services like:
PR Newswire
BusinessWire
PR Leap
The Open Press (this one is free)

Often times the media finds you when you don't want them. When such a situation arises it's best to already be prepared. That means having a "crisis communications" plan ready. Such plans should involve multiple members of an organization and address how you will handle media inquiries if something should happen.
There are usually ways to accentuate the positive and mitigate the negative but it's nearly impossible to do this without preparation.

Thank you for the opportunity to lead this discussion. I will keep an eye on future postings and try to answer questions from other members of the community as best I can.