The top 3 ways to get invited back.

One of the great challenges for any subject matter expert is to maintain momentum with the media after some initial breakthrough. If you’ve been asked to participate in an article, interview or a piece to camera and it’s seemingly gone well, what are the next steps? How do we make this a regular occurrence? How do we get the invitation back? And how do you make yourself a desired asset for the media?

The first, and naturally most obvious way to get asked back, is to excel in your media appearances. This means delivering your best performance, in line with the audience expectations of the platform your appearing on. You need to show some awareness of who the target audience is and be flexible with your delivery, for each particular media. If there is a call to have fun with it, deliver the fun. If it’s serious and straight, deliver the serious and if it is a mix of light and shade, follow the media’s lead and adjust as they do. Your ability to read the energy levels of the media, plus the mood and tone will quickly elevate you to a level which the media call “good talent”.

The follow-up is possibly one of the most underestimated actions you can make when wanting the media to engage with you again. The simple act of a thank you message or a small gift, is incredibly powerful in the eyes of producers, presenters or journalists. In recent times I have seen experts send over gift baskets, a lunch invitation, a bottle of wine or a very simple email, thanking the media for the opportunity. These small but memorable actions show you appreciate the chance you’ve been given and will likely earn you serious brownie points with the media.

Have access to great content and ideas and be willing to share them with the media. Particularly if you looking for regular segments or even a newspaper column, let that media know that you are more than a one-trick-pony. A series of content ideas with a range of topics and opinions can certainly help put you in the frame for more regular engagements. Media is always on the hunt for those that have a pool of content and broad range of subjects they can talk or write about.

It’s a particularly good time to put these three tips into play today.  It’s like anything in life – when you are looking to build a meaningful relationship you go out of your way to make the experience a memorable one for the other party – and in the media’s case it will be the small but powerful actions that will get you back for a second, third and fourth go.

By Nic Hayes, Managing Director, Media Stable.