public relations Archives - Michelle Rogers, Inc.

How I can help with your newsletter

Does your organization have a newsletter, or perhaps you’re thinking of launching one?

A regularly published newsletter — whether print or digital — is one of the best ways to effectively promote your organization and to connect.

Newsletters can be internal, such as one for employees or members. Newsletters can be external – for example, one that markets a company’s products and services; or helps a nonprofit tell their story and raise funds.

Whether your newsletter is internal or external, I’ve done them all. I got my start in my communications career as a newsletter editor and designer, and I’ve been at it ever since.

If you’ve ever tried to do a newsletter yourself or thought about it, you are aware of what a big job this really is. Writing, editing, photography, graphic design, printing, technology, distribution – not to mention your overall content and marketing strategy. Whew – who has the time or expertise to do all of that, or the personnel budget to hire and manage a different whiz for each of those areas?

The good news is, you don’t have to! With me, you get all of those professionals in one.

I am an experienced newsletter editor and designer, in both print and e-newsletter formats, and can handle the entire process from A to Z so you don’t have to. My services are tailored to your needs and budget.

So save yourself valuable time and money, and eliminate frustration, by contracting with me for your publication. Let me be an extension of your team, your partner. Contact me today for a complimentary consultation, and let’s get started!

Tips for being interviewed on camera

One of the professors practices being interviewed on camera in the studio — At the media training, a professor is interviewed on camera in the studio

Recently I arranged for some of the key researchers at the UNC School of Social Work to attend an on-camera media training at the TV news studio on campus. As part of that, we discussed some best practices when being interviewed by a TV reporter. Then the participants had the opportunity to practice being interviewed in the studio with the camera running. They were later provided with a copy of their interview so they could observe how they appear on camera.

Here are some of the helpful tips the media trainer suggested:

Try to find out what you can about the interview ahead of time so you can prepare message points.
Anticipate questions in advance. Have answers in mind. But don’t sound too rehearsed.
Avoid wearing white. Wear a solid color shirt. Nothing too busy. Good to wear a jacket. Think about it as a job interview. Most on-camera interviews are shown from the chest up.
No distracting jewelry, etc. You want people to focus on your message.
Eyes — no looking around. Focus on interviewer. “Lock in.” No over-blinking, be natural.
Don’t look directly into the camera unless it’s a remote interview.
It’s just a conversation, with a camera.
Message gets lost if you’re doing something distracting. Keep hands natural and expressive.
No rambling. Answer within 45 sec.
It’s okay to ask to start over if it’s a taped interview.
Have three key message points but don’t verbally number them.
What would you tell your neighbor about your findings? Keep it simple and relatable.
If reporter seems confused, try to reiterate any points you thought they might be unclear on (though don’t say they are confused).
Don’t make the reporter feel like an idiot. You could say, “That is a common perception. But in reality…”
Bring a cheat sheet of numbers, if needed.
Let the reporter be the guide.
Most chairs will be low back, and may be uncomfortable. Sit forward.
If a recorded interview, repeat part of the question at the beginning of your answer.
Follow up with an email to the reporter with additional details, if it might be helpful.

If you will be interviewed on camera, it’s important to prepare ahead of time. However, you don’t need a professional TV studio to do this. Anticipate several questions you might be asked, then practice with your computer’s built-in camera or any camcorder. Have a friend or colleague sit in as the interviewer, if you like. Review your performance, not just for what you said and how you said it, but also look for anything distracting in your appearance or mannerisms.

Just like giving a speech, the more you practice the more comfortable you will be when the spotlight is on.

Using video as a public relations tool to generate media interest

Filming the interview in the professor's office — Filming the interview in the professor’s office

There are many ways that video can be used in public relations and communications. Here I’m going to focus on one: A very effective strategy I use to attract media interest in my press releases is to include a video.

A perfect example of this is a recent UNC news release we did about a professor’s study that found promising results in a local domestic violence prevention program. To go along with our great article, I filmed an interview with the professor. I then went to Raleigh to film an interview on-site with the program’s coordinator, who is also an alumna of our School.

We captured about 90 minutes of video. I then reviewed all the footage, crafted how I wanted the story to unfold, selected the best sound bites, and edited the final cut down to about 3 1/2 minutes.

A video makes a news story come to life, and certainly makes it more interesting. But a big advantage of using it in public relations is that a news release with a video generates more media attention than one without.

In a video, media producers can see and hear how well someone presents himself — leading to increased confidence in booking them on air.

And this works not just for TV, but for radio as well. The professor and program manager were quickly booked by a radio station for an on-air interview in a news story, and were also featured guests on “The State of Things” on NPR for a show based on the topic of our press release. Another time, a radio station didn’t interview the professor but used an audio clip from the press release video I’d produced when they aired their news story.

The bottom line? In PR and communications, it’s always an advantage to show and not just tell.

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