The Media Coach | 16th February 2024 |
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| Building and Protecting your Reputation |
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| Hi John,
Thank you for the kind messages after last week's revelation that there have been over a thousand issues of this ezine.
It's nice to know someone reads it!
By the way, I'm heading towards a thousand editions of my web radio show, so if you'd like to appear as a guest, drop me a line.
And you can also get in touch if you're interested in some speaker coaching, or my new service for authors - The Author's Talkthrough, where your book turns into a series of podcast interviews, to help people appreciate it even more. |
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| Last weekend, we went to the Royal Festival Hall to see a brilliant group of musicians from Scotland and the USA who call themselves the Transatlantic Sessions.
Ably led by Jerry Douglas and Aly Bain, they played nearly three hours of dazzling music to an enthusiastic crowd.
One of the highlights was Carlene Carter, the daughter of June Carter Cash and stepdaughter of Johnny Cash singing the song her mother wrote and her father sang - Ring of Fire. I know I bang on about it a lot in this ezine, but if you want to feel great, go and see your favourite music. |
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| My guest in the radio show this week is one of my favourite musicians, Simon Stanley Ward.
Simon has been performing almost non stop since his teenage years. Over the last decade, Simon has been playing his original music with his band The Shadows of Doubt in pubs, music venues, theatres and festivals in London, across the UK and in Northern Spain.
Described as a country singer at heart with a streak of the surreal running through him, his live show is engaging, energetic and constantly evolving. At it's best his performances can be gut-wretchingly moving and moments later silly, self deprecating and hilarious. His influences come from far a wide and include Elvis, Bob Dylan and John Prine.
Hear our chat in the in the radio show. |
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And there's a song from Simon Stanley Ward's new album. |
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| MediaMaestro, MediaMug of the Week |
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| The MediaMaestro is radio DJ Steve Wright, loved by millions of listeners. Steve sadly passed away this week.
Steve helped to redefine the role of a disc jockey when he established his BBC Radio 1 afternoon show in the 1980s. To the usual formula of linking almost back-to-back music, he added gossip, trivia, guests from the world of entertainment such as Paul McCartney and Warren Beatty, and a general feeling of chaos that became known as the “zoo” format.
It made him the most popular UK radio presenter of the era, with audiences of more than eight million.
It's been clear from all the tributes from his colleagues how much he was admired on a professional level. His astonishing work ethic and longevity may never be equalled in his profession. |
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| The MediaMug of the week is a careless RSPCA officer.
He set up his phone to film an animal rescue, but a curious fox snatched the device and ran away with it while it was still recording.
Animal Rescue Officer Ben Fitzcosta said he responded to a wooded area in Bagshot on a report of a fox with an injured leg.
The video shows the fox setting the phone down under a nearby bush and giving it a sniff, managing to take a selfie video in the process.
Mr Fitzcosta catches up to the animal and manages to get his phone back, saying: "I can't believe that just happened." |
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Speaking Tip of the week - Leave a lasting impression |
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| A great speech is about more that the time you spend on stage. It's about what you leave behind. That may be a change in personal behaviour, a change in attitude, or a change in business practices. Leaving a change of some kind is essential, otherwise everyone's time has been wasted. Here are some ways to make sure that your message stays around after you've spoken:
Have a single, clear and actionable message (I know, obvious isn't it?) Check with the organiser that your message is appropriate State your objective clearly at the start Re-state it strongly at the end Ensure that your stories are relevant to the objective Check with audience members after your speech that the message hit home Offer to return to run seminars and workshops to consolidate the message Monitor post-event social media chatter Engage on social media after the event Provide extra material - videos, books, articles, online learning Every event organiser wants to see lasting results. That's what makes audiences return. Not only that, it gets you re-booked as well.
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Media Tip of the week - Think like a reporter |
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| If you want to see your name, or your company name in print, ask yourself the question "If I was a reporter, would I run this story for my audience?", then ask yourself "If I was a viewer or listener, would I think this story had any relevance to me?" Only if the answer to both questions is a resounding "yes", do you have any chance at all of achieving your objective.
Even if the story fits perfectly, it may be the wrong time, there may be too much other news, or a similar story may have run recently. That's the way it goes. You won't be successful every time
In order to think like a reporter, you need to study what reporters do. Read articles to see how a story develops, and how it links to the interest of readers. Watch TV news bulletins to see how the key points of a story are illustrated and conveyed in a matter of seconds. With video in particular, you need to use it to make the audience feel part of what is happening.
An exercise that I often do with clients is to give them a video camera, and ask them to imagine they are a reporter delivering a story. Alas, they often stand in front of the camera just and tell the story. That doesn't work. You need to use set-up shots, voice overs, and pieces to camera to engage the viewer. Try it yourself. If it works, you'll know you have a good story to pitch to a journalist
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Social Media Tip of the week - Brand yourself from the start |
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| Why is branding so important online? A lot of it is to do with consistency. What you do online should reflect the way you are offline, or people will notice the difference. Many of our contacts and clients know us in both the real and the cyber world, and will be quick to spot any inconsistencies.
Take your avatar, for example. Does it look like you now? (be honest). I've seen several which look as though people's children are running their Twitter feeds - not because they are, but because a 20-year-old photo is the avatar. The way that you write online should be the way that you speak, since social media is conversational. Adopting a more formal, or more informal style will make it appear very odd.
Make sure that you fill in your profile details too, at least as far as your business is concerned. Any contact details that appear on your printed material or your website should also be in your social media profiles, since it's already public information (and presumably you would like prospective clients to get in touch).
Branding is all about trust, and the best way to build that is to be open and consistent at all times.
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Looking for a speaker coach? |
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The information in this ezine may be freely re-used in any online or offline publication, provided it is accompanied by the following credit line - "This information was written by Alan Stevens, and originally appeared in "The MediaCoach", his free weekly ezine, available at www.mediacoach.co.uk." |
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