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Optimizing Press Releases: SEO is Now About Natural Writing, Social Sharing & Interesting Content

Preparing for Your Satellite Media Tour

Satellite Media Tours (SMTs) remain a cost-effective way to get your messages out to the media and directly to the consumers you and your clients are looking to reach. SMTs generally consist of a series of television interviews over a two, three or four-hour time period with your company spokesperson and the media. SMTs may focus on one spokesperson for a new product or significant event, such as a book release or movie premiere, or resources may be  pooled for a “Coop” SMT focused on a particular subject, such as fitness or personal finance. 

Bear in mind, not every story topic and every spokesperson is a good match for a media tour. Therefore, it’s important to consider a potential media tour segment wisely. Before scheduling an SMT, consider:

• Does it have wide news appeal? Producers want “news they can use,” with easy-to-understand consumer messages.
• Does the spokesperson have some level of media recognition/credentials or does he or she offer a truly unique perspective on the story?

Media tours have evolved significantly over the last several years. For example, in years past, a “traditional” satellite media tour (SMT) took place between the hours of about 6:00-10:00 AM ET and included interviews solely on morning TV newscasts. Now, SMTS are often extended to 11:00 AM ET or even Noon to allow for increased booking opportunities, as some stations prefer to tape a segment for later use.  Additionally, consider incorporating radio and online interviews into the tour, as these additional bookings mean significant added audience and return on your investment. 

Once you have decided to go ahead with your SMT, your MultiVu representative will work with you to coordinate all aspects of your media tour and will ensure that your SMT achieves optimum results. MultiVu will advise on tour date as well as coordinate all onsite logistics, whether at a studio or at a remote location.  We will also discuss key messages, create a one page media alert for use in pitching and determine the most effective overall strategy.   Pitching ideally gets underway a minimum of four weeks prior to tour date.  Strong, up-to-date media contacts mean everything when it comes to booking a media tour.  MultiVu maintains excellent relationships with individual producers at TV, Radio and internet shows who we know will be interested in your story. 

On the day of the media tour, plan to have talent arrive approximately an hour before the first interview, this usually means around 5:00 or 5:30 AM ET.  “Business casual” attire is generally most appropriate, and  spokespeople should not wear white or heavily-patterned shirts.  Once at the studio, the spokesperson will go into makeup and your onsite SMT producer will review the morning’s activities and ensure that all technical facets of the tour are set. If possible, sit the spokesperson down for a quick dry run interview before the tour gets underway.  TV interviews will typically be between 2 and 3 minutes long, radio and web interviews will typically be longer (up to 10 minutes.)  The spokesperson will be alerted beforehand as to whether the interviews are live or taped and where the interviews are originating.

The day following the media tour, MultiVu will provide a preliminary report listing airings, audience reached and equivalent advertising values, and if available, streaming video links to the TV segments.  MultiVu will also produce a DVD copy of the entire satellite media tour for your records, which can later be used to assemble a highlights reel.  

With the proper guidance, media tours can be a highly effective tool to convey your messages to the media as well as to the public at large.