How to Prepare for a Print Media Interview
Print media has been, and continues to be, an important communication tool for businesses and organisations. Although it can be seen as a lesser tool than broadcast media, this is a mistake when it comes to planning your PR and media strategy.
Media Training for Print Media
Interviews in newspapers, magazines, and industry specific titles are a great way to get your message out, but as with all other forms of communication with the media, it has to be well executed! Media training for your team is the best way to ensure your message is always on point, fresh and delivered effectively every single time.
Print Communication is Important for Businesses
Print media provides a tangible product that people can hold, touch, and keep for future reference. This creates a lasting impression and can help to increase brand recognition. It is also often seen as a credible source of information, thus increasing the credibility of your message.
Print media allows businesses to target specific audiences through niche publications or direct mail campaigns. This can be more effective than general advertising methods, such as TV or radio and can be more engaging than digital media, as readers tend to be more focused and less distracted.
How to Give a Good Print Media Interview
While print media interviews do not have the immediate worry of being live on camera, they do need to be taken seriously with good preparation. Print interviews tend to last a lot longer than broadcast media as there are not the time same time constraints and so can often be more detailed and in depth than other media interviews. Here are some top tips to make your print media interview successful.
- Know Your Audience: Before the interview, research the publication and its readership to understand the type of audience you will be speaking to. This will help you tailor your responses to be more relevant and interesting to the readers. You should also review previous published interviews by the reporter so you can get an idea of their style.
- Be Quotable: Think about what you would like to see yourself saying in print and then formulate some quick quotes that represent your message well that can be highlighted in the publication.
- Be Concise: Newspaper interviews often have limited space, so it’s important to be concise and to the point. Try to keep your answers brief and focused on the main topic, while still providing enough detail to be informative.
- Use Analogies and Examples: Use analogies and examples to help illustrate your points and make them more interesting and engaging for the readers. This will also help the readers to better understand the topic and your perspective.
- Avoid Jargon: Avoid using technical jargon or acronyms that the readers may not be familiar with. Instead, use simple and easy-to-understand language that the readers can relate to.
- Be Prepared: The mainstay of all media interviews is to be prepared, this includes having regular media training to keep your skills on point and doing the research required to be able to answer the questions well and in line with your message and brand.