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You are here: Home / Archives for tips

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.

 

Filed Under: Blog, Featured, Tips Tagged With: media, public relations, television, tips, training, video

Think creatively first. Edit later.

It’s a misconception that creativity always comes quickly and easily for creative people. In reality, it can take a significant amount of time and work to arrive at the best ideas.

And work it is. Researching, brainstorming, drafting and endless editing can put your mind on overdrive. At that point you’re at risk for becoming overwhelmed and drying up the creative well — compounding the problem. To truly be “in the zone” creatively, you need to be able to set aside this stress so that ideas can flow freely.

Here’s a great infographic from Copyblogger Media with tips anyone can use when pondering creative solutions:

How to Break Out of a Creative Rut

 

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: creativity, tips

Five mistakes organizations make with their Facebook pages

Facebook and other social media are powerful tools for effective marketing communications. But are you getting the results you’d like from your organization’s Facebook page? Be sure you’re not making these five common mistakes.

1. Too much selling. Are you providing a nonstop stream of boring sales messages? Or — are you providing interesting and informative content people want to read, such as helpful tips and news related to your product or service?

2. Not keeping up with site changes. Facebook in particular is notorious for changing features on their site, sometimes with little notice. Page layout, administrative features and analytics are but three of the major areas Facebook has recently changed for brand pages. Are you putting in the research time it takes to keep up with current and future changes, and are you taking advantage of new features as they become available?

3. Forgetting that social media is a visual medium. Are you posting enough photos, graphics and videos? Are your page’s profile image and cover photo inviting, attractive, memorable and appropriate to your brand?

4. Not interacting with your readers. Do you respond — and in a timely manner — to page posts and inquiries by your readers? Do you thank people for their comments? Facebook and other social media have become major vehicles for customer service.

5. Not promoting your page. If you’re not getting the number of followers you’d like, perhaps you’re not effectively promoting your page. Be sure to include links to your page on your email signature, website, ads, business cards, brochures and newsletters. You might also consider purchasing Facebook ads and its related product, paid promotional stories, which can be targeted to the demographic you seek.

While I’m using Facebook as the example in this article, these principles also apply to Twitter, Google+ and other social networks in general. Also, I should point out this list is simplified and far from exhaustive.

The overarching theme here, essentially, is time. Facebook and other social media may be free to use, but for this medium to truly be effective for your organization you do need to make an ongoing investment in time — learning, interacting, promoting.

If you don’t have the available time or expertise to do this, it may make sense for your organization to hire or outsource social media to a professional.

 

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: facebook, social media, tips, twitter

How to create a QR code

You’ve seen these curious-looking barcodes, called QR codes (“quick response”), popping up lately, especially on advertisements. Have you ever wondered how to create one of your own? Wonder no more.

I created this one online using a free code generator, and it couldn’t be any easier. Two to try are ZXing or Delivr. You simply select what type of code you want to create, fill in the blanks, and voilà! — a code graphic is instantly created for you. You then save the graphic for your own use.

While I’m not wanting to plaster these things everywhere, I have integrated QR codes into a few recent projects:

  • On a business card: A code embedded with my contact information, that when scanned adds me to their phone’s address book.
  • On a nonprofit’s donation solicitation: A code labeled “Scan here to give online” takes the user directly to the organization’s “Make a Gift” webpage.
  • On the back cover of a magazine: A code placed beside a screen shot of the magazine’s website takes readers to the site.

Cool as it is though, this technology is still new. Many people do not yet know what these codes mean or how to scan them. Be prepared to explain that they’ll first need to install a free QR code reader app on their phone.

If you’re using a QR code on marketing materials, I suggest including a brief text explanation under your code graphic, such as “Scan with a smartphone to see a video of our product in action!”

And be sure to think through the user experience and the location of the code.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: advertising, marketing, new technology, QR codes, smartphones, tips

MICHELLE ROGERS, INC.
P.O. Box 343
Efland, NC 27243

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