Succeed As Your Own Boss

ENDING SMALL BUSINESS FAILURE

  • Home
  • About
  • Book Melinda
  • Consulting
  • SBL Store
  • SmallBizLady University
  • Free Tools
  • Podcast
  • #Smallbizchat
    • Be a #SmallBizChat Guest
  • Blog
  • Contact
    • We’re Hiring!
You are here: Home / 31 Ways to Boost Your Small Business / How to Get Your Product on TV in 2013

How to Get Your Product on TV in 2013

December 15, 2012 By Melinda Emerson Leave a Comment

Feel free to share...Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on google
Google
Share on linkedin
Linkedin
Share on pinterest
Pinterest
Share on reddit
Reddit
Share on email
Email
Share on print
Print

Steve GreenbergEach time after I appear on television or speak to group– inventors, small business owners and PR professionals hunt me down and ask if I can put their product in my next TV segment. I honestly appreciate hearing from people who have innovative new products. Over the years, that’s how I’ve found some of the best gadgets for my segments.

But those same people need to understand that not every product pitched can make it into every segment. And there are things you can do to make your pitch more powerful for me or really to anyone who does TV/Radio/Print/Internet.

First, get to know who you’re pitching. Watch their segments, read their articles—see if your product truly fits what they are about.

For a television gadget segment, I’m looking for products that are fun to demonstrate and are easy for viewers to instantly understand. I only get about 15-30 seconds to showcase a product. If the pitch you send me takes three paragraphs to explain what the product does, then it’s probably a product I have to pass on. When I email TV show producers about my segment, I only get one line per product to WOW them.

If they are not WOW-ed, the product is dropped.

Even print reporters want the pitch short and sweet. All of us get dozens of pitches each day. We can’t spend a long time going through wordy complicated copy. If we want or need more information, trust me, we will ask for it.

When pitching your product, include a low res photo, your contact information and just a few sentences about the product. Is it the “world’s first ever” or the “smallest” or maybe the “least expensive” whatever? Give me something that makes this product “news worthy.” What’s the “Wow” feature? What problem does it solve? Why would viewers care about it?

Also make the subject line interesting. Something like “Double Your Closet Space For Under $20” will catch my eye. Don’t waste the subject line with “Hi” or “You really need to see this.” And I would suggest that you include the product’s price and where consumers can purchase the product.

And since my medium is television/video, I gravitate towards products that are very visual and fun to demonstrate. Products that move or let the hosts interact with them usually go right to the front of the line. If your product has an easy to demonstrate feature–let me know that–send a photo that shows it being demonstrated or an even better idea would be to send a link to a SHORT (under 1 minute) YouTube clip so I can see your product in action.

All of my television segments, articles, and blogs have a theme. One week it could be bathroom gadgets, the next week it might be garden gadgets. Usually the producers pick the theme. The themes change and finding the right products for each theme is part of the challenge. There is no way I can remember every product that is pitched to me. It’s just impossible. Years ago I used to create paper folders and email folders, but lots of great products slipped through the cracks.

To solve that problem, I post my current gadget theme on 4 venues.

  • I tweet about it at @stevetv
  • I post it on Facebook at www.facebook.com/stevetv
  • I post a query on Profnet.com
  • AND I put out a request on HARO

If you follow me on one or more of the above venues—you’ll know what I’m looking for at any given time.

If your invention/product FITS that theme—let me know—contact me through my website www.stevegreenberg.tv

But please be realistic. If the theme is car gadgets, don’t send me your toilet bowl light.

I’m well aware that my segment is only as good as the products in the segment. If I have fun, interesting products then my segment will be fun and interesting. If my segment is entertaining and informative, then I’m invited back to that show.

So please help me help you to help me.

Steve GreenbergSteve Greenberg is the author of Gadget Nation and co-host of Food Network’s Invention Hunters.  He contributes to the Miami Herald and can be seen routinely doing gadget segments on NBC’s Today Show, The Dr Oz Show and various other TV shows.

Day 15: 31 Ways to Boost Your Small Business in 2013This article is from the SmallBizLady special blog series: 31 Ways to Boost Your Small Business in 2013. #Boost2013

[button link=”https://succeedasyourownboss.com/31ways-week1/” size=”med” bg_color=”#850726″]Week One Posts of 31 Ways to BOOST Your Small Business in 2013[/button]

[button link=”https://succeedasyourownboss.com/recap-of-week-two-31-ways-to-boost-your-small-business-in-2013/” size=”med” bg_color=”#078566″]Week Two Posts of 31 Ways to BOOST Your Small Business in 2013[/button]

Feel free to share...Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on google
Google
Share on linkedin
Linkedin
Share on pinterest
Pinterest
Share on reddit
Reddit
Share on email
Email
Share on print
Print

Filed Under: 31 Ways to Boost Your Small Business, Branding & Marketing, Guest Articles Tagged With: @stevetv, #Boost2013, small business marketing, Steve Greenberg

Fix Your Business Now!

Order SmallBizLady's new book Fix Your Business, 90-Day plan to Get Back Your Life and Reduce Chaos in Your Business. It includes the 12 Ps of Running a Successful Business and readers will finish the book with a new strategic plan to take their business to the next level.

About Melinda Emerson

Melinda F. Emerson, “SmallBizLady” is America’s #1 Small Business Expert. She is an internationally renowned keynote speaker on small business development, social selling, and online marketing strategy. As CEO of Quintessence Group, her Philadelphia-based marketing consulting firm serves Fortune 500 brands that target the small business market. Clients include Amazon, Adobe, Verizon, VISA, Google, FedEx, Chase, American Express, The Hartford, and Pitney Bowes. She also has an online school, www.smallbizladyuniversity.com, that teaches people online marketing and how to start and grow a successful small business and publishes a blog SucceedAsYourOwnBoss.com. Her advice is widely read, reaching more than 3 million entrepreneurs each week online. She hosts The Smallbizchat Podcast and is the bestselling author of Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months, Revised and Expanded, and Fix Your Business, a 90 Day Plan to Get Back Your Life and Reduce Chaos in Your Business.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Let’s Connect

  • facebook
  • instagram
  • tiktok
  • pinterest
  • linkedin
  • twitter
  • youtube
  • feedburner

Sign up for the SmallBizLady BUZZ Newsletter and be the first to receive updates and details about upcoming events:

We’re proud to be part of the Mediaplanet Empowering Small Business campaign! The COVID-19 pandemic brought hardship and ruin on the nation’s small businesses, but there’s now reason for hope. Learn about the resources, support, and tools available to help your small business bounce back and grow stronger than ever by picking up a copy of the campaign in USA Today and reading it online here.

Get a FREE Chapter of SmallBizLady’s Book,
"Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months, Revised and Expanded"!

Become Your Own Boss

Most Popular Posts

>Seven Ways to be More Profitable in Your Small Business
> 7 Ways to Attract Customers to Your Small Business
> 6 Tips for Managing Small Business Finances
> How to Run a Successful Multilevel Marketing Business
> 10 Ways to Grow Your Small Business With Instagram
> How to Sell on Facebook
> How to Get Over the Fear of Starting a New Business

Featured Videos

Bloomberg News Interview
How to Support Small Businesses During the Holidays

National Speakers Association
Winter Conference

Fox 29 Philadelphia
'Small Biz Lady' gives best advice for starting a new business in the New Year

Fox Business
Starting a Business

MSNBC
The importance of job mentoring for women

#SmallBizChat Live
National Small Business Week: Q&A

Good Day Philadelphia
Expert Shares Tips on How to Become Your Own Boss

Testimonials

Become Your Own Boss is a must read if you’re thinking of launching a business of your own.
Jean Chatzky, Bestselling Author of Money 911 and Financial Editor of NBC’s Today Show
Great step-by-step advice for anyone looking to start their own business.
Andrew C. Taylor, Chairman, Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Melinda Emerson has written a remarkable book. It is essential reading for anyone seeking to make the transition from working girl to successfully working it, as an entrepreneur.
Cynthia McClain-Hill, Past President, National Association of Women Business Owners
The perfect companion for those planning to go out on their own. Melinda delivers firsthand practical advice on how to be the successful entrepreneur. Read it if you want to get it right the first time.
Kenneth L. Shropshire, Professor at the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania
If you are looking for a versatile speaker who can talk about how to grow small businesses or get started with social media, look no further.
Heather Van Sickle Executive Director, National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE)
Her wit and depth of subject knowledge were entertaining and empowering. Melinda is definitely on our short list of seasoned entrepreneurs and business leaders we look to invite back in the near future.
Tennille M. Robinson Senior content & Event producer for Inc. magazine
Melinda Emerson, “SmallBizLady,” is an engaging and witty speaker and a great addition to any conference. Her terrific presentation and compelling delivery give people the information they need and want to become their own bosses and grow success… Read more
Laurie Dalton White Conference Director, Pennsylvania Conference for Women
Melinda Emerson has been a fantastic small business and social media resource for the Pitney Bowes team. Not only is she personable and easy to work with, but she also has an innate understanding of the small business audience. My marketing programs … Read more
Justin Amendola, Former VP, Global SMB Digital Strategy, Pitney Bowes

Latest #SmallBizChat

The SmallBizChat Podcast: How to License and Sell Your Content with Mitch Axelrod

In this episode, Melinda Emerson welcomes Mitch Axelrod to discuss the intricacies of intellectual property (IP) licensing for small businesses. Mitch shares his personal journey in the licensing field, offering insights into identifying and protecting IP effectively. They explore common pitfalls in licensing negotiations and provide practical tips to navigate these challenges. Mitch Axelrod is […]

Fix Your Business Q&A Video

Recent Posts

  • The SmallBizChat Podcast: How to License and Sell Your Content with Mitch Axelrod
  • What KPIs Should You Track In Your Small Business?
  • The SmallBizChat Podcast: If I Had to Do It All Over Again with Melinda Emerson
  • How to Develop a Business Launch Timeline, Part II
  • The SmallBizChat Podcast: Hit It and Quit It with LaTanya White, Dov Gordon, and Anisha Robinson Keeys

#SmallBizChat

  • SmallBizChat Archive
  • @SmallBizLady

Business Advice

  • How to Start

SmallBizLady Store

Products

Free Chapter

Get In Touch

  • FAQ
  • Be a #SmallBizChat Guest
  • Contact Us
Copyright © 2025
Quintessence Entertainment, Inc
PO Box 280
Drexel Hill, PA 19026
(610) 352-0680
Privacy Policy · Refund Policy

Let’s Connect

  • facebook
  • instagram
  • tiktok
  • pinterest
  • linkedin
  • twitter
  • youtube
  • feedburner