How to do a Radio Interview
Like many things, if you’re not prepared, a radio interview can be extremely daunting. Make sure to take advantage of the opportunity to voice your key messages and reach a larger audience by following these tips to nail your next radio interview.
Adoni Media’s customised radio interview training helps you identify what makes a great interview. “It’s just like having a conversation” is what many journalists may tell you to put you at ease ahead of your interview but it’s important to remember you will need a lot more than a conversational tone to ensure you stand out.
Know who you are talking to in your radio interview.
Knowing your audience can be a massive step in the right direction when doing a radio interview. To allow your key messages to be heard you need to make sure you are speaking to them rather than at them.
Each radio station and its respective programmes have a different target demographic they are speaking to. You need to make sure to find out what that is before the interview. Understanding the tone of the programme and tailoring your message accordingly will help connect with the listeners.
Understand the message you are trying to get across in your radio interview.
The advantage of doing a radio interview is that it can be done anywhere and anytime. The first step to a successful radio interview is knowing what your key messaging is because let’s face it if you don’t understand then how will your audience understand? Go into the interview with a few key points or phrases that you want to talk about in front of you in case you get stuck.
When writing your key messages keep in mind the following;
- Does it make sense?
- Is the message being understood?
- What is the purpose of the message?
Recap your message throughout the radio interview.
With radio, many people who listen to the start of your interview may not be there for the end and vice versa so be sure to keep repeating your message in different ways frequently to make sure it’s heard and you’re making the most of the interview.
Make sure to keep your energy consistent.
Sound consistent and unrehearsed and keep what you’re saying as natural as possible, the worst thing you could do is sound fake and not genuine. That’s when people will switch the programme off. Try to sound as passionate as you can, it’s a performance! Keep up the energy in your voice, since it is a radio interview the audience is unable to see your facial expressions and hand gestures so your voice has to do everything.
Everyone makes mistakes, Keep talking.
If you miss something or make a mistake keep going, and bring the conversation back to cover what you missed. Stick to the message that you want to get across, take a deep breath and focus on your key points to get you back on track. It will sound a lot worse in your head than it really is!
If you would like advice on what you can do to better prepare for an interview, contact us here
