Don’t Forget Radio!

Top 6 Success Tips for Health Guests

by Wendy J. Meyeroff

Since I started providing expert editorial materials to my healthcare clients over 20 years ago, I’ve seen a lot of marketing changes. There are more TV options. There’s the Web. There are blogs and YouTube. Shall I go on?

Several times I’ve had to provide guidance to health pros who either might be assigned as a media expert or who I personally was engaging to be a podcast guest. (I created and hosted the “Piggy Bank Promotions” podcast for three years and was the biz co-host of another for over a year.) I started asking myself, “Why shouldn’t more reliable health experts take advantage of what can be the much lower-cost — and often more believable — publicity option: audio guesting?”

By audio I mean spots where one’s heard, not seen. Most podcasts still fall into this category. But it didn’t take long before I was surprised to learn that the media outlet that still outshines all the rest is radio.

That’s right. Radio. And of course that means any health professional interested in true exposure should learn to be a successful radio guest.

So here’s a simple 6-point checklist to make it more likely you’re the health information expert who lands spots speaking on chosen radio shows:

1. Find opportunities— Sounds obvious, right? But I can’t tell you how many in medicine overlook the value of radio as an extremely cost-effective effort. Just Google search “radio shows, CITY” (filling in any city that interests you) and you’ll find a list of local radio outlets.
2. Focus on smaller local markets — In number one I say you can search any city’s market, but I recommend starting on a smaller market near to you. It’s usually easier to get an appearance on these shows. Besides, the odds are you’re not ready to go national. Of course you want to be perfect, but even the experienced run into gaffes. There are points they forget to make. Anyone can be flummoxed (to use a clinical term) when a totally unexpected question comes at them, even if it’s a friendly one. So don’t worry if you “goof up” (so to speak), especially if you’re on a lesser-known program. See it as a learning experience and remember: even major film actors get multiple takes because of their own mistakes. Besides, most hosts are very understanding. You may even be invited back if your overall presentation goes well.
3. Only make contact through the requested method — There were times I let potential guests contact me directly, but only when some kind of unexpected news required finding and evaluating guests quickly. But that was rarely the case. Instead I only provided my email. Nevertheless, folks who figured they were such fun/innovative/inspirational (etc.) guests decided of course I’d love to speak with them. Folks, don’t assume any host will love a long chat because you’re pitching “amazing” health insights. Especially now; all shows are more overwhelmed than at the regularly scheduled beginning of 2020.
4. Clearly define your topic — I got too many calls with totally generic pitches, like, “We can talk about social media.” Yeah, so? Which aspect of social health media…and what makes your topic different? You can talk brilliantly about the coronovirus. Again…so what? Better if your research discovers a certain show has a parenting focus. Then you can pitch something specific like: “I can tell your listeners how families can stay friendly while wrapped up 24/7.”
5. Provide a backgrounder — I always sent upcoming guests an email reminding them of the show’s date and call-in info, but I also asked for a bio (short, 2 or 3 sentences), and a few questions they’d like me to ask. If a program doesn’t allow the latter, it’s smart to also send an FAQ sheet (Frequently Asked Questions) showing what you usually cover. Hosts may actually use some of your questions, or they might spark some specific ideas in their minds about what to discuss.
6. Do NOT bail out! — Once an appearance date’s been set, keep it. (Aside from emergencies of course.) Just because another show with a bigger audience calls and wants the same date/time, kindly refuse. Explain why. They’re likely to be impressed that others are calling you! Besides,you never know when a show’s audience will get bigger. (Oprah didn’t start as a megastar.) Piggy Bank Promotions grew by 300% after I launched it, especially in the Baltimore/DC corridor.

One more tip, and this is one that even those savvy enough to accomplish the steps above almost always overlook: it’s smart for any health pro to have a book, or at least an eBook. It puts you way above colleagues in terms of being seen as an authority figure.

Start with an eBook if you’re in a rush. There are significant savings in time and dollars to get the latter developed. And once it’s created, it’s not unusual to expand it later. Or it might work so well it could generate an ongoing shorter series.

The bottom line: No one should expect patients to just roll into any medical practice, or to suddenly become famous, thanks to radio. Still, this outlet can be an exceptional promotional tool…especially since it’s usually free!

BIO:

Wendy Meyeroff, the plain language leader in health and tech, has been a B2B and B2C communications provider for over 20 years. While based in the Baltimore/DC area, she’s worked with clients across the USA and beyond. Client list includes Dr. Oz, Merck, the NIH, the American Medical Association and CBS. She provides copywriting, custom content, eBook insights, and marketing consults to national/international health clients (small, medium and large), with a special expertise relating to “Baby Boomers.” See www.wmmedcomm.com and http://www.issuu.com/wmmedwriter.