Over the past 18 months or so, I’ve had the great fortune to appear on TV, in morning news segments and other shows, quite frequently. I’ve shared my skincare philosophy, expertise, favorite DIY recipes, and even some homeschooling and work-from-home tips with regional and even national audiences. While I’ve benefited from many online, written, and even radio PR opportunities before that, appearing on TV always seemed to me to be like the final frontier. It seemed the most elusive and honestly, I was really intimidated. But I decided to go for it, and after only a couple of months of pitching regularly and following up, I landed my first spot on one of the largest regional markets in the country.
You might be wondering, why go on TV at all?
Let’s be honest–appearing on live TV requires a lot of effort for not a lot of on-screen time. Before the pandemic, it also required a lot of travel, which was at my expense. I’d pack suitcases of skincare ingredients, bottles, tools, and set props; book my hotel room, get in the car, and go!
I remember one time in particular, I had booked appearances on Good Morning CT at Nine (in New Haven CT) and Good Morning Washington (in DC) back to back. So I drove from Philadelphia (where I live) to DC for one overnight, did that early morning show, and then got in the car and drove straight to New Haven, CT; did that show the next morning, and then drove back home to Philadelphia.
Why do all that for less than 10 minutes total screen time?
Well first of all, I have to say I really enjoy being on TV. And as a work-from-home mom with two homeschooling teens, I really looked at as a fun adventure. It was great to get out of the house and do my own thing for awhile, while experiencing a small taste of different cities.
I also really LOVE being in the studio. Every studio I’ve been in, large or small, has an amazing energy. There’s so much going on, but it’s well-organized chaos and everyone’s so nice and supportive. It really reminded me of the backstage experience from my old theater days, and my girls’ ballet performances.
While it is WAY more fun to do TV in person, live in the studio, I have also enjoyed the flexibility that filming from home has allowed me. It’s been an amazing process to watch how the TV networks, producers, and anchors have had to adapt to filming and producing remotely over the past year.
I am so grateful that because I’ve been teaching online (and live) for 10 years and have been using Zoom itself for Create Your Skincare since 2014, I already had a lot of what’s needed for a home studio. That being said, I’ve also learned a ton about how to improve things like lighting, sound, camera angle, and so on.
Filming at home is still a lot of preparation. While I don’t have to travel or pack props, I do need to deal with things like bad lighting, and having other people home using the same Internet connection at the same time.
We also have the challenge of only having one camera (my HD webcam) filming me, so DIY demonstrations are harder to show.
For this reason, I’m often asked to send good quality close-ups of my ingredients and products, or provide other visuals that the editors can add to the segment to make it more visually engaging.
I am so looking forward to being back in the studio again, but until then, I am so happy I can still do regular TV segments from home!
As fun as being on TV is, that’s not the main reason I do it. I do it because it is part of my content marketing strategy.
In case you’re not familiar with the term, “content marketing is a form of marketing focused on creating, publishing, and distributing content for a targeted audience online,” according to Wikipedia.
In some cases, content marketing strategy involves creating written, video, or audio content (words, pictures, videos, etc) for your own platforms such as your blog, static website pages, email community, and social media accounts. This is very effective, because it allows you to create spaces for your audience/ideal customers/community to find you online, learn what you’re all about, and connect with you as a brand/expert and derive value from what you create.
It’s equally important to create content for OTHER platforms too, in your content marketing strategy. This means appearing as a guest on podcasts, summits, other people’s blogs, in print and digital publications (newspapers and magazines), and on mainstream TV and radio.
This type of content marketing strategy is really a form of public relations (PR). PR is especially important because nowadays, anyone can start a blog, podcast, or post on social media. Anyway can place an ad on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or Google.
PR is EARNED media.
When you appear on someone else’s platform, whether they are in your industry or mainstream, they vouch for your expertise and value. They share their platform, microphone, or stage with you. They send the message to their audience that they have vetted you, and chosen you to deliver your message because they feel it is valuable to that audience. They associate you with their own brand and reputation, and sharing you with THEIR audience. That’s a big deal.
Not anyone can appear on TV. There is a process you have to go through to be invited. You have to prove to the producers that you can deliver your message in a way that’s entertaining-yet-authoritative, professional, valuable, and concise in order to be invited back repeatedly. It’s the ultimate social proof.
The same goes for other people’s blogs, podcasts, and digital magazines and newspapers. You have to go through a process to be invited, build relationships; and show up and deliver when you are invited. It says a lot to be invited to be a repeat guest on someone’s podcast or blog, or to have freelance writers continually request quotes from you for their articles on mainstream sites and publications.
All of this should be part of your content marketing strategy for your skincare brand.
The best part about content marketing–whether it’s PR or your own platform–is that it’s free. All it costs you is your time.
Creating a content marketing strategy can be daunting, especially if you are just getting started, or if you are camera shy, don’t like public speaking, or don’t consider yourself a writer.
The great news is that whatever your strengths are, there is a content marketing outlet for you. The hardest part is coming up with the actual content (what to write, pitch, post, etc), and strategy (timing, distribution, etc).
I can help you with that!
Check out my Infinite Content Model Workshop for Skincare Entrepreneurs.
The Infinite Content Model Workshop for Skincare Entrepreneurs is a 3-part virtual workshop that helps you plan and implement a year’s worth of content to get fiercely loyal customers.
This proven system will take you from having no idea what to post to enough content to fill your calendar three times over. By the end of our work together, you’ll finally have content you can consistently share and post about your business and NEVER run out of things to say.
By the end of the Infinite Content Model Workshop for Skincare Entrepreneurs, you’ll know precisely how to endlessly create profitable content ideas for your business, and never worry about how to talk about your skincare philosophy, products, or services again.
Click HERE to get instant, and on demand access to The Infinite Content Model for Skincare Entrepreneurs.
