One of my biggest passions outside of my job at Jaybird Communications has always been interviewing celebrities. It began years ago with the opening acts at tours I was attending, and more recently has expanded into the television and film world. I’ve gotten to talk to some amazing talent like the cast of Amy Sherman Palladino’s Étoile (cancelled way too soon), the stars of Zombies 4 for Disney Channel, Joy Sunday from the Netflix smash hit series Wednesday, and the iconic Michael Cyril Creighton from Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building. In order to land these opportunities, I use a variety of strategies that are direct lessons from the PR best practices we use at Jaybird. So I thought it would be cool to take a closer look at how those overlap with the following tips:

Keep requests short and to the point

From my unique position at Jaybird, I see firsthand just how busy inboxes can be on both the journalist side and the publicist side. So it’s important to keep any pitches or requests I send out as brief as possible to be easily skimmed for the best chance at getting a response. This is typically two to three short paragraphs max. I want to avoid the recipient having to scroll, and make sure it is very clear what the specific request is so that they can easily say yes.

Hook their interest

Whether it’s writing a press release for a client that I hope will get picked up in outlets like Billboard, or making the case for why I should receive a coveted interview slot for a popular show like Only Murders in the Building, I always make sure to start off with impactful sentences that will hook the recipient. To a journalist, it might be something like, “I saw you recently wrote an article about x, so I wanted to make sure you saw what my client is doing in that area.” To a publicist, I might say, “My outlet wrote a blog post about x show on your network and it got great engagement, so I wanted to check in about featuring interviews with the cast.”

Collect clips

Organization is key when it comes to keeping track of all previous coverage so that you can use it to support future pitches. At Jaybird, we keep meticulous records of every media placement our clients have been featured in, so that we can use them to land future coverage, speaking engagements, list placements, etc. In the entertainment world, I keep a detailed list of every past interview I have done over the years, and I am constantly swapping them out so the most relevant ones are always included in my pitches targeting similar shows.

Stay on top of calendar dates

The old saying that if you’re on time you’re late couldn’t be more true when it comes to staying on top of industry schedules. At any given time at Jaybird, we’re looking at the industry conferences and events that are six-plus months down the road to line up the best possible opportunities for our clients. When it comes to landing entertainment interviews, I am constantly reviewing the release schedules for each of the networks and streaming services to make sure I get any requests submitted at least four weeks ahead of the premiere date. These opportunities can fill up quickly, so it greatly helps to send requests early on.

Prioritize Relationships

A huge factor behind the success we’re able to achieve for our Jaybird clients is the trusted relationships we’ve built with journalists and outlets over the years as a reliable partner. In the same way, I aim to build a trusted reputation with the publicists at each network. I make sure that my interview questions are relevant and well-researched, that I create a comfortable and fun environment for the talent, and that my coverage is always published promptly and cross-posted across platforms for maximum reach. This reflects well on both me and the outlets I represent, making it even more likely that publicists approve us for future requests.

Here are just a few of my favorite interviews I’ve done so far, with more to come soon for the fall premiere season!

Étoile Season 1 red carpet interviews

Only Murders in the Building Season 5 interview with Michael Cyril Creighton

The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder Season 3 interview with Bruce W. Smith & Ralph Farquhar

Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires cast interviews