54: Landing, Loving, and Leveraging Media Interviews, with Jess Todtfeld

Interested in free publicity? Increased visibility? Building more credibility? Today’s guest can help! Afterall, he holds the Guinness World Record in a publicity / public relations category. In this episode with media expert Jess Todtfeld, you’ll discover, How to write an email pitch letter to media that gets opened and read How to leverage being interviewed on TV, radio, and print, to increase sales How it can boost your credibility and visibility The best way to prepare for an interview How to respond when you don’t know the answer How and why to send the host questions you want to be asked Getting booked: DIY, PR agency, and Jess’s hybrid model Tips to improve your message and delivery Jess Todtfeld has extensive experience as a TV producer for NBC, ABC, and FOX, having booked and produced over 5,000 segments, and is a leading communication and media training authority. When I was in New York City lining up interviews prior to the release of my book, The Way Success Works, Jess was one of the people I turned to for guidance and training to become media savvy. Use his ideas, tips, and hacks to improve your messaging anytime you’re communicating about your side hustle.   What You’ll Hear: 03:22 Jess holds the Guinness Record for being interviewed the most times in 24-hours 06:12 Remember to include calls to action in your answers, including micro ones 06:56 Get recordings of your interviews to share them with your audience to further your credibility 07:59 6 million viewers doesn’t equal 6 million engaged, so take the clip and apply your own marketing 08:33 Why you want to put the effort into getting media interviews 09:04 How the sales decision-making process has changed 10:39 Going rate in USA for a publicist is about $3,000 to $5,000 per month with a multi-month commitment 11:20 Consider how much you have to sell to pay for a publicist 11:45 DIY options include buying media lists -  work the list and follow through 14:45 Jess’s hybrid PR agency, Media Ambassadors 15:50 Want interviews? You have to ask! 16:00 Tips for an email pitch that gets read 16:31 Why you want to have something that indicates if your sent emails are being opened 21:09 When sending a pitch email, use Jess’s "above the line and below the line” strategy to increase open rate and promote engagement 22:26 Anytime you make a mistake in public, it’s an opportunity to shine 24:26 Examples of what’s “below the line” 28:16 You’ve landed the interview…now what?? 28:30 There are 3 groups that have needs: the audience, the outlet, and you! 30:35 When interviewed, give great content, and plant seeds for learning more 31:33 Strategies for how to handle any question that’s asked of you 33:28 How to respond when you don’t know the answer 34:20 Tips on getting to the host, the questions you want to be asked in an interview  36:00 What works for a long-form podcast doesn’t work in a 2-3 TV or radio segment 37:30 Find out the length of the interview so you can strategize and prep accordingly 39:00 If asked something you don’t know, admit it, then say, “Something I do know is…” 41:36 How to control and guide the interview 43:12 How to prepare in less time with better results 43:15 Don’t “fake it until you make it,” instead, “act it and become it” 44:25 After an interview or event, ask yourself, “what did I like” and “next time, what can I do better?” 45:35 If you’re buying lists, set aside time to really work them Connect With Jess: https://www.successinmedia.com https://www.bookjess.com Connect with Joan: https://www.instagram.com/joanposivy/ https://www.facebook.com/posivy/ https://www.joanposivy.com/ Be on the show! https://www.sidehustlehero.com/guests/intake/