Great marketing is golden. And when it’s free, it’s inlaid with diamonds. Recently, my good friend Daniel Johnson grabbed some primetime free TV advertisement. [RELATED: How to calculate your marketing cost.] He was featured as a guest expert on the local NBC News Station in Dallas.
The local TV station wanted to speak to a Plumber on Thanksgiving. The topic, “what to do if your drains get blocked on the busiest Plumbing Day of the Year.”
Daniel went into the studio and demonstrated how to un-lodge a garbage disposal. He had almost 2 minutes of face time to demonstrate his skills. This was great exposure for his company, Plumbing of Cedar Hill.
In this post, I’m going to give you a 5 step method to get you on the air.
This type of marketing is good for several reasons:
- Experts are highly valued. No one wants to do business with a knucklehead. So, when your face is featured on the local news, you must be smart.
- People are home on the Holidays. People love TV, and they love it even more on the Holidays. When you advertise on TV during the Holidays, you have a greater chance of being seen.
- You are serving, not selling. Providing a service, like educating your client, is a great way to serve. When you serve you build favor. This gift is a great way to sell without being “sellsy”.
You may be thinking, “I’d like to get some of that free marketing!” And, you are smart for thinking so!
Here is a method that will work for you. It only takes a little bit of work, but will produce a huge return.
A 5 Step Method to Free TV Advertisement:
- Create a list of your local TV Program Directors. You can find this on their websites, or by calling into the station and asking. Hang on to this list. You will need it later.
- Make a list of Special Events. These events need to be moments that you could offer your time as a local expert. Here are a few examples by trade:
- Plumbing
- Thanksgiving – Busiest Day of the Year – How to Clear Your Garbage Disposal
- Local Report of Water Pollution – How to assure your water is safe to drink
- Coldest Day of the Year – How to keep your pipes from freezing
- HVAC
- Hottest Day of the Year – How to keep your home cool. Save money. Etc
- Coldest Day of the Year – How to keep your home warm. Save money. Etc
- Start of Fall and/or Spring – How to keep your system running efficiently
- Electrical
- Christmas – How to safely install your Christmas lights
- Bad Weather –How to use your generator safely
- Hottest Day of the Year – What to do in a brownout situation
- Plumbing
- Create a script by Event. You need to be ready to go when the opportunity arises. A pre-written script will assure that you sound great, and capitalize on the opportunity. These scripts need to be short and modifiable. Aim for around 2 minutes of talk time. RELATED: Obliterate Objections Script
- Practice on Video. Your local news station wants to look good. That means you have to look good. Practice your scripts in front of the camera. You can even make a few videos of yourself as though you were presenting for the station. These can be sent to the station manager to prove that you are ready to go when needed.
- Contact the Station Manager. Now that you are ready, you need to get on the air. I recommend 2 approaches to contacting the station manager:
- Contact him/her in advance. Do this via an email, written letter, and a phone call. Share with the manager your talking points, and offer to show her/him your video.
- Contact the manager in the moment. The news business is fast paced. There is a good chance that you will be forgotten after your introduction. That’s why you have to be proactive. When an event is coming up, or is happening, contact the manager. You may very well be asked to be on the air.
This 5 step method will have you ready for success, and rake you in tons of free TV time.
After you get on the air, send me a link. I’d love to watch your performance and share it with readers.
HOW THERMAL EXPANSION TANKS WORK
