Dumb question about financial shows on TV/radio

[kcowan]

We have a friend who published a book. All the promotion fell on her shoulders and she was not a marketeer. She had to create a book proposal before publishing the book. The first choice was book-signings at the major book stores. Right behind that was reading clubs. She never got national exposure. The book, now out of print, was called Midlife Runaway.

I would think you could also get some expert advice from a book marketing consultant. After all, what do we know?

 

[Amethyst]

I think CNN does regional programming. Their D.C. bureau might be interested because of the large military presence. Your "early retirement" angle might be seen as new/interesting.


Amethyst

 

[Free To Canoe]

Why not give the reporters at the WSJ a shot at it (if you haven't already)? Seriously. Why not the best?
Another thought. Contact anyone who writes an article on ER or Military Finance and see if they are interested.

Free to canoe

 

[deserat]

AFRTS is not a joke - that's sometimes the only English language programming on the radio - they do interviews - and they will take snippets and re-air them in the different geographical areas (Benelux, England, Germany, Italy, Spain/Azores, Iraq, Afghanistan - and all of the Asian ones, too).

Pentagon Channel might have a book review show (don't know) or might interview you about your book and re-distribute the interview on the TV channels. Anything that will help a military person of their family is off interest.

MWR programs might sponsor you to talk about the book under financial planning or financial skills classes/programs.

Since your audience is assumed to be military, then using those communication distribution channels used by the military are probably best for now. Otherwise, you won't be targeting your assumed audience.

 

[Nords]

Thanks, everyone, keep 'em coming.

I'm putting together a list of the media that the publisher can contact for me, whether that's press releases or personally, and then I'll follow up. It beats the heck outta cold-calling, and I'm pleasantly surprised to get this extra help.

Impact Publications is already marketing the book on their own (website, catalog, job fairs) as well as through their distributor, National Book Network. NBN gets the book into military exchanges worldwide and does a little marketing along the way.

We're doing fine on the Web & print media. Some of you may remember that a WSJ journalist lurks here and posts occasionally, as well as a couple magazines & freelancers. The Kaderlis are giving the book a big boost through their contacts. Sydney Lagier mentioned the blog in her "Retirement: A Full-Time Job" blog, and I'll follow that to U.S. News & World Report as well as other magazines.

You're right, the military channels are the biggest bang for the buck. I'm already tied into LinkedIn's USNA & submarine networks, SailorBob.com, and a few other military sites. I guess I'll have to stop making fun of AFRTS, although the 1985 Azores station was like watching "WKRP Cincinnati". And I didn't even know there was a Pentagon Channel...

 

[Purron]

Don't forget the military based credit unions - Pentagon Federal, Navy and others. They have a huge presence on military installations here and abroad. I suspect they have relationships with media outlets that reach many of their members - particularly overseas. Plus, I bet they have lots of other contacts we'd never think of.

They might view this as a benefit to their members and an opportunity to promote the services and products they offer to support military retirees. Since credit unions are non-profit, they place the interests of their members first. No stockholders to whine about profits.

You can do a search for military based credit unions on the NCUA website here: Credit Union Online

Select "field of membership" then "military" and "multiple common bond - primarily military".

Also, there's this organization representing defense credit unions: DCUC| Welcome!

 

[walkinwood]

First you post a cutesy video on youtube that & hope it goes viral (oh, just to pick a random thought - say, your reaction to someone blowing their nose). Then the morning talk shows will invite you on. Then you spring the book on them.

 

[Texas Proud]

One other thing I would consider.... putting together a list of questions that the reporter can ask... so you already know the answer...

When I see an interview with an author (and I do not see many)... it always seems that the questions were canned... because the author has the exact number or reference memorized to 'correct' the wayward reporter...

And I doubt that any of the shows reporters are going to actually read the book before interviewing you...


So, make is simple on them... and you look like the all knowing expert...

 

[pimpmyretirement]

I'd second the USAA newsletter idea. The people I know who use USAA think very highly of the company and trust their advice.

 

[Telly]

Have you sent a copy to Scott Burns? It was via his column years ago that I learned of FIRECalc. And I think he mentioned this forum once too, back when Dory had it.

 

[Nords]

Thanks for all the websites and other references! Here's a partial list that I put together from the above responses and some other sources.

I haven't included Internet marketing. I'm all over that aspect (it's practically a separate thread), and I'm pretty good for print too (although I found a few more below). But TV & radio were big gaping holes in my knowledge-- there are a couple of names I've never even heard about until this thread.

I'd appreciate an "idiot check"-- for example if you know that the show is no longer on the air, or if the host might be hostile to the military. Of course I understand that the host might still be an idiot, but I'm more interested in their ability to generate publicity than I am in their intellect.

Any other national sources (or overseas military broadcasts) I might be missing?

TV marketing
AFRTS
Pentagon Channel ("The American Veteran" show)
Clark Howard (CNN's HLN)
Consuelo Mack WealthTrack
CNBC (Suze Orman, "Til Debt Do Us Part", Wall Street Journal Report)
Charlie Rose
CNN (Christine Romans' "Your Bottom Line" or Ali Velshi)
Bloomberg TV ("For the Record")
FOX Business (Gerri Willis, The Willis Report)
Jon Stewart (The Daily Show)
Stephen Colbert (The Colbert Report)


Radio marketing
Clark Howard
National Public Radio (Morning Edition, Talk of the Nation, This American Life, Weekend Edition, Maureen Corrigan on Fresh Air from WHYY, hard to figure out how or if they choose just one show)
Kim Komando (computers & lifestyle tech, military supporter)
Ric Edelman
Paul Merriman "Sound Investing" podcasts
Tom Keene on Bloomberg Surveillance (Sirius XM & podcast)
Bob Brinker (Citadel Media)
Phil Grande (Phil's Gang)
Ron Insana (Compass Media Networks)
Ray Lucia (Business TalkRadio Network)
Chris Markowski (Talk Radio Network)
Dave Ramsey


More print (in addition to WSJ, Forbes, Fortune, SmartMoney, USN&WR)
Stars & Stripes
Washington Post (Michelle Singletary)
Scott Burns
Rick Ferri (IIRC he's a Marine aviator)


Others (Educational materials)
USAA
Armed Forces Insurance
Navy Federal Credit Union
Pentagon Federal Credit Union
Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC| Welcome!)

 

[clifp]

A couple of local talk shows that occasionally have financial discussion and have a soft spot for the military are Rich Hamada and Mike Buck.

Hawaiian Telcom credit union has money talk show/infomercial on KHVH on Saturday afternoon. I think it would be a good training ground for you. I promise to call in...

 

[Nords]

A couple of local talk shows that occasionally have financial discussion and have a soft spot for the military are Rich Hamada and Mike Buck.
Hawaiian Telcom credit union has money talk show/infomercial on KHVH on Saturday afternoon. I think it would be a good training ground for you. I promise to call in...

Heck, you wouldn't be calling in, you'd be the second guest in the studio who explains why this ER thing works so well!

I haven't figured out the best way to approach this yet:
1. regional shows for every book signing, where I'd have a chance of being a guest or
2. national shows that would inspire buyers to go to an exchange or the website to buy the book, but where I'd have a slight chance of getting on the guest list.

It's odd-- I've seen both their names in local newspapers & ads but I've never ever heard their voices. It's just unfortunate that Mike Buck is too easily confused with Ed Buck of E.A. Buck...

 

[bright eyed]

I'd think #1 will get you more bookings - are you calling them yourself or your publisher? I've done that for work purposes and calling TV and Radio always makes me laugh. The TV people want you to talk fast - they only have 15 seconds so give them your best.

Also, make sure you reconfirm with the live person on the phone the best person to send the information to - there may be a separate scheduling producer, vs show producer, vs whoever and it changes often - get their contact info and send immediately - ask best method (fax, email or both)- they have short memory. The TV and Radio people also tend to call back at weird hours, so just be on alert and call them back asap before they move on to someone else.

 

[HawkeyeNFO]

Hey Nords, I think your best bet as far as radio is concerned is Clark Howard. He is very pro-military, and does not 'preach' or talk down to the audience in the manner that Suze Orman does. Dave Ramsey is a distant second to Clark. The main difference is that Clark Howard does not abide by 'one-size-fits-all' advice for people who write him or call his show.

Fleet and Family Support Center and their equivalents among the other services could certainly use your products, and they do a lot of financial training for every command.

 

[jimnjana]

You may want to give Clark Howard a copy along with your cover letter. Clark is a very pro military guy. Listened to him for years while I was in Atlanta and TIVO his show from time to time now. Last time I checked, he is a CPT in the GA State Militia. I think one of his TV shows this year was his appearance at Ft Benning he was in Uniform... Anyway Clark is a straight up guy and I think he'd be willing to give you some publicity either on the air or on his website.

 

[Pajaro]

Hi Nords,
AF (or Navy or Marine or Army) Times is a big source of military news for me and they are sold on every base every week. They have an "off duty" section in the back that reviews books and talks about military finance. Seems like a perfect fit.
Keep in mind that the local AFRTS affiliates now have their own morning shows. You can deal directly with the station manager if HQ AFRTS doesn't want to play. Since they are the only game in town, that is what is blaring through every workcenter on every overseas base (I can vouch for Iceland, Italy, Germany, Iraq...).

 

[DangerMouse]

Hey Nords

I just want to know that if you get on the telly whether your will be wearing long pants or will it be shorts with your rubber slippahs?

 

[Htown Harry]

Cue the ER.org bleacher bums...

(East Coast) Rubba!
(West Coast) Slippahs!
Rubba!
Shippahs!

 

[Nords]

Bright-Eyed, I'm hoping that the publisher gets me all the business I can handle. What you describe sounds a lot like military public relations (I know, oxymoronic) only with more organization.

Thanks, everyone, for all the feedback on Clark Howard and AFRTS. I noticed the uniform on his website but I never would've picked up on the strength of his military audience. And apparently AFRTS has gotten a whole, whole lot better in the last 25 years since I've watched it.

Fleet and Family Support Center and their equivalents among the other services could certainly use your products, and they do a lot of financial training for every command.

Not only them, but wait until you see what the TAP staff has waiting for you. Impact Publications is hoping for great things from bulk sales of the pocket guides.

Hey Nords
I just want to know that if you get on the telly whether your will be wearing long pants or will it be shorts with your rubber slippahs?

Well, gosh, I have an image to [-]project[/-] protect!

I'm going to be wearing my new surfing shorts ("black shorts" if you know what that means on the North Shore) and my favorite Tazmanian Devil surfing t-shirt with my best Longs $3.98 rubbah slippahs (the expensive ones with the pebbled uppers).

Crap, the publisher is probably going to want a photo. I'll send him this one:

 

[bright eyed]

Bright-Eyed, I'm hoping that the publisher gets me all the business I can handle. What you describe sounds a lot like military public relations (I know, oxymoronic) only with more organization.

Good - as I was writing it I was thinking - gosh this sounds an awful lot like WORK - why'd he want to do that!

I'm sure if you take all your calls or do a few youtube vids from the beach or on your surfboard you'll have people calling you and buying your book!