Blog Talk Radio is an inexpensive, efficient marketing conduit—free to listeners, free to members, and free for hosts. You reach people locally or on the other side of the world. Better yet, listeners may post comments and questions about your interview on Twitter. This adds new dimensions to your interview.
I like this format because it’s easy. Stephen C. Trevers lists the pluses of this format in his article, “Three Great Advantages of Blog Talk Radio.” Advantage number one: it’s a revenue friendly format. Advantage number two: Everything is for sale, including your book. Advantage number three: Every listener is a prospective buyer.
Although you may not make an instant sale, weeks from your on air appearance, a listener may remember the interview, and buy your book. I belonged to a radio interview service for a while. Since it yielded only a couple of interviews, I canceled my subscription, and started contacting program producers and hosts directly. You may do this too, and it’s best to contact only the programs that match your genre.If you write in several genres, your research will take more time. A basic umbrella genre may include several sub-categories. Nonfiction is my basic genre, but my books also fit under self-help, spirituality, and grief recovery. I contacted Open to Hope blog talk radio, and have appeared on Dr. Gloria Horsley’s and Dr. Heidi Horsley’s show several times. They’re wonderful interviewers and I’m grateful to be on their program.
Organizations you belong to may send out notices asking for blog talk radio guests. I’m a member of the Rave Reviews Book Club, for example, and was on its radio program. The show lasted a half hour and encouraging comments came in via Twitter. Prepare for your interview before it goes live. Here are a dozen tips from my radio experience.
1. Buy a headset, with an ear piece and microphone.
2. For clarity, use a land line phone. Some programs don’t allow cell phones.
3. Eliminate background noise.
4. Follow all instructions. You may be asked to submit questions prior to the broadcast.
5. If you wear a hearing aid or aids, put in new batteries beforehand.
6. Get a tall glass of water and drink some just before you’re on air.
7. Keep a copy of your book or books in front of you.
8. Put sticky notes on some selected pages so you can find them easily.
9. Make a list of the key points you want to make. The list should be short and help listeners.
10. Thank the interviewer for her or his effort.
11. Relax and have fun on the air. You want to sound natural and like a real person.
12. Email or call another radio host and set up another interview.