A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SOCIAL MEDIA GEEK
Matt Navarra
Social Media Consultant & Industry Expert | Keynote Speaker | Clients: Google, UK Government, Meta & More | As Seen In… NYT, WSJ, BBC News + Netflix's Depp vs. Heard
A few people have asked me to explain more about my job and doing live interviews on TV for BBC News etc…
…So here’s a bit more info that hopefully answers some the most frequently asked questions I get asked.
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Days worked this week (so far): 2
Actual work completed: Very little
I spent the last 48 hours replying to journalists asking for quotes or comments for various stories they were writing up.
The two main stories journalists were looking to get a comment from me on where:
- Mark Zuckerberg launching Meta Verified subscription plan
- TikTokers playing amateur detective trying to solve the Nicola Bulley case… (the upset it’s caused, the role algorithms play in spreading controversial content, has TikTok done enough to tackle the problem etc)
In general… Media appearances do not directly generate me any income. I rarely get paid for them.
TV or radio appearances typical pay ￡0.
Some foreign channels pay around ￡150 for a 5-10 minute interview. e.g. Al Jazeera
BBC News occasionally pays around ￡75, if the producer is feeling nice (or desperate for a guest).
Quotes and comments for news articles is not something you get paid to provide, unless I’m invited to write a more substantial opinion piece (750+ words or more).
I typically try to say yes to most requests from major TV/Radio channels eg BBC, Sky News, ITV News, Channel 4 News, international channels such as Al Jazeera, CNN etc.
And I try respond to all request for comments from Journalists for major news publishers such as The Guardian, NYT, WSJ, etc… and all the top tech news publisher such as The Verge, TechCrunch, Wired.
I also tend to say yes to industry news publishers like Digiday, The Drum, AdWeek etc
I prioritise giving comments to journalists from Reuters, Press Association, and other news agencies, as all the major news publications/channels either syndicate their content or use it as a news source. For example, when I gave a comment to Press Association today, their article and/or my comment for syndicated or quoted in about 40+ articles for regional news publishers (WalesOnline, Manchester Evening News etc), and was picked up by The Independent, Daily Mail, Daily Express etc. it also led to calls from BBC News and Sky News requesting live tv interviews as their producers and guest bookers spotted my comment on their news wires. That one comment given to Press Association generated a LOT of other activity, hence why I prioritise requests from them.
Indirectly, these media appearances are all great free marketing for me and my consultancy. And likely lead to future new business / new clients who spot me on TV or mentioned in articles. It also leads to event speaking requests.
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And the more media appearances I do, the more other channels, producers, journalists discover me and my work. This generates new media requests from journalists or news channels I’ve never work with before. And it also increases the likelihood these channels / journalists will contact me again as they know in reliable and provide expert commentary or analysis they can quickly drop in to their story or that I’m likely to fill an expert guest spot on a tv or radio show at short notice.
Media appearances like these have also generated requests from documentary makers for Netflix and from producers for shows like Panorama, Good Morning Britain, and BBC Newsnight.
I have also appeared of some seriously obscure foreign tv and radio programmes in Singapore, Romania, Bulgaria, and other countries, where a translator is used. It’s very strange watching myself back in Arabic with someone else’s voice!
I often get asked if I get nervous doing live interviews on BBC News or other channels. In short, a little. But not so much any more. It’s just me sat at my desk talkikg into my webcam. It’s hard to feel nervous when there’s no sense of how many people are watching. The producers of the programme give you a cue to tell you how long until the presenter will be coming to you to start the interview. Then before I know it, it’s done. I just avoid watching it back as I find it all too cringe seeing myself on camera.
Having done this sort of work for some time now, I know a lot of journalists and tv producers. Many have become friends. So I will often tip them off to possible stories for them to cover… and they will drop me DMs or WhatsApp messages last minute asking if I can send them a quick comment or hop on camera to fill a TV News hit last minute. Or ask me whether I know someone else who can do it and if I’m not available.
My first ever tv news appearance for for BBC News and I looked awful and very nervous. I can’t bare to watch it. And no. I’m not telling you where to find it or which one I’m referring to.?
Not sure what else I can tell you. But if you have a good question, drop it in the comments and I’ll try and answer.
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Here’s the coverage from the last two days of media requests I completed:
Business Insider?https://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-deleted-post...
Two more articles being published this week will feature comments from me.
…And I’ve made one TV appearance on BBC News.
Content Creator | Helping you communicate with your customers | Marketing IS Business | Happy Person
1 年Fascinating Matt - and shows the real value of networking, building contacts so you can be seen as the expert in your area. Helps to be a nice persont to deal with too, so journos know they can relie on you - and you can leverage your exposure to earn the real money!
Web Designer, UX Designer, Σχεδιαστ?? Ιστοσελ?δων, Επεξεργαστ?? Εικ?να?
1 年You have a good TV experience!
Building Getsquirrel.co | Founder | Board Advisor | Journalist
1 年Agree. My experience is pretty much the same when doing TV and radio interviews. It’s only when a friend tells you you’re on the tv in their hotel room when they are on holiday that you sometimes realise the size of the audience
Director @ Snapify Marketing | Paid Ads Specialists | Google Ads, Meta Ads, etc
1 年Good luck trying to work the attribution out on that ?? P.S. very snide that they usually don't pay, IMO.