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Media Relations and Press

Connect with Current Events for Nonprofit Marketing Success — Earth Day 2010

earthdayLeveraging a news item or holiday by connecting your org to its theme is a tried-and-true nonprofit media relations strategy that succeeds at little cost. (See PETA case study).

But there’s more than media coverage to be gained in connecting your organization’s issues with a major news event or holiday. Doing so links your org to what’s already in your supporters’ minds — like this year’s 40th anniversary of Earth Day — so works well to motivate them to give or sign a petition.

Here are just a few of the many strong models of nonprofit marketing campaigns around Earth Day 2010 (via my colleagues active on the Progressive Exchange list serv. Please join us.):

  • The Media & Policy Center’s “Growing Greener Schools” will air on PBS throughout Earth Day week (check local listings).  It’s supported by a terrific new network of green school activists and initiatives, and the community building is reinforced by an e-newsletter.
  • The Green for Life video series was launched by the United Methodist Church and an action alert of Six Things You Can Do this Earth Day shared by United Methodist Women.
  • The Nature Conservancy is organizing action around its Earth Day To-Do List and needs just 110 more signatures via Facebook to reach its goal for its “Be Part of the Solution” petition. Sign it now.

More great Earth Day-related nonprofit fundraising and marketing campaigns here.

Learn more by reviewing these examples of organizations connecting with a news event for nonprofit communications success, and one of a for-profit doing so and treading on your opportunity:

Please share your organization’s strategies for leveraging news events to boost your nonprofit communications in the comments box below at bottom or via email. Thanks much!

P.S. Get more in-depth articles, case studies and tools for nonprofit marketing success — all featured in the twice-monthly Getting Attention e-update. Subscribe today.

Nancy Schwartz on April 21, 2010 in Campaign Marketing Models & Tips, Media Relations and Press | 0 comments
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PETA’s Media Relations Win: Groundhog Day as Animal Rights Platform

PETA's Media Relations Win Groundhog Day as Animal Rights PlatformHere’s a a fantastic model of an organization linking its issues to a major news event to generate headline attention.

Shortly before Groundhog Day, PETA took on the Punxsutawney groundhog club, heralding its call for groundhog (and more broadly, animal) rights via a blog post and press release. And PETA advocates went one step further to suggest that Punxsutawney Phil’s annual weather forecasting responsibilities be taken over by a robot.

PETA says it’s wrong that Phil is subjected to the bright lights and crowds related to the Feb. 2 tradition. Event organizers downplay those concerns and insist that Phil is beyond fine, living better than other groundhogs in his climate-controlled environment.

An extremely active conversation blossomed in comments to the blog post. And, even more significantly, major news outlets like NPR, the LA Times and the Christian Science Monitor picked up on the controversy. At this moment, 9:23 am on Groundhog Day, a Google search on “peta ‘punxsutawney phil’ ‘groundhog day’” generates 43,000 results! PETA rules.

Kudos to PETA communicators for realizing there are few days (any others?) when animals are scheduled to make the headlines and acted on it. In connecting Phil’s rights with a national event, they secured widespread mainstream and niche media coverage of animal rights issues at little or no cost. Phil’s in good hands!

P.S. Get more in-depth articles, case studies and guides to nonprofit marketing success — all featured in the twice-monthly Getting Attention e-update. Subscribe today.

Photo: oygirl.files.wordpress / CC

Nancy Schwartz on February 2, 2010 in Case Studies, Media Relations and Press, Nonprofit Communications | 5 comments
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Here’s How to Measure Media Relations Impact

Several Getting Attention e-update readers had questions in response to this recent article: 11 Steps to Media Relations Success. This one was asked by several nonprofit communicators:

Q: What are typical objectives/measurable outcomes for media relations work?

That's the sticking point for us – with such little staff time and budget for our PR efforts, we want to be smart and targeted with what we do. But we find that we often don't hear back from the releases we send out, and don't have much time to do follow-up phone calls, etc.  So how can we measure our success?

–Kate Lucas, Grants & Communications Coordinator, Common Hope

A:  Here are key outputs to track. They'll enable you to stay the course, if all's well, or correct if you're not getting anywhere.

Track these outputs: Articles placed, links added, online mentions of your organization, number of requests for public appearances, incoming press calls, etc. For example, two articles or one letter to the editor a month, three incoming press calls or 10% increase in daily unique visitors to your website generated by links on other sites. As always, look for trending (steady increases) rather than absolute numbers.

In addition, Kate, tracking coverage helps your organization assess who is talking about you and how you can best respond proactively (before it’s a crisis, enabling you to keep the focus on your messages) rather than reacting in panic. In addition, it helps you gauge the ROI (return on investment) of your media relations work.

I suggest you create a media log to record media relations activities and results. It will assist you in evaluating the contacts/relationships you have with specific media outlets and reporters, and help you identify concerns with particular outlets/reporters so that you can address them (e.g. always misquoted, description of organization incorrect, inappropriate language to explain issue, etc.)

Remember that outcomes (changes in action, awareness, understanding, attitude and/or behavior)of your media relations work are what's ultimately important Of course, these changes (other than action, e.g. driving folks to sign an online petition) are very difficult to measure. 

P.S. Get more in-depth articles, case studies and guides to
nonprofit marketing success — all featured in the twice-monthly Getting Attention e-update.  Subscribe today.     

Nancy Schwartz on January 21, 2010 in Media Relations and Press, Nonprofit Communications | 1 comment
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Reader Favorites to Power Up Your Nonprofit Communications in 2010

Reader Favorites to Power Up Your Nonprofit Communications in 2010This year saw the explosion of social media, online video and mobile content. We’ve friended, tweeted and absorbed more content on the web in 2009 than ever before. This means there’s more content competing for your audiences’ attention, so getting the basics right is an absolute imperative.

Take a look at this list of 2009’s most popular Getting Attention articles for insight into mastering your core marketing components in 2010 and beyond.

1. This Creative Brief Template Helps Ensure Powerful Copy and Design

Taking the time and energy to craft a thorough summary of your goals, preferences and needs for a writing or design project will save time and money, and ensure you get the results you envisioned.  This article and template give you everything you need to succeed.

2.  Nonprofits’ Most Missed Marketing Tool — Email Signatures

Crafting your email signature to feature key information about your organization is a simple and inexpensive way to communicate your message to your contacts. Read this article to learn what works best.

3.  How to Design an Effective Marketing and Communications Budget (Case Study)

More than ever, it’s vital to have a plan and budget to guide and support your marketing efforts.  Dive into this article to learn how to outline a budget that will help you accomplish your goals.

4.  5 Steps to Great Graphic Design for Your Nonprofit

Finding the right graphic designer or team is challenging. But now there’s help: This article breaks the selection process down into five easy steps for developing strong relationships with the right designers. This is a proven path to design work that conveys the essence of your org while captivating your audiences.

5.  How to Write a Letter to the Editor that Gets Published and Read

A letter to the editor is great alternative to a news story for nonprofits, giving your org the chance to state an opinion, offer an alternative viewpoint, or move someone to action, in your own words. Here are 10 proven guidelines for letter to the editor success.

P. S. Don’t miss out on in-depth articles, case studies and guides to nonprofit marketing success — all featured in the twice-monthly Getting Attention e-update.  Subscribe today.

Flickr photo: go-mel

Amy Kehoe on December 10, 2009 in Branding and Messages, Case Studies, Copywriting, Getting Attention, Graphic Design, Media Relations and Press, Nonprofit Communications, Planning and Evaluation, Recommended Resources | 1 comment
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Media Relations Planning — 11 Steps to Success

Media Relations Planning — 11 Steps to Success Media planning, like most planning responsibilities, is daunting and seems tedious.
  
It's hard to know where to start, how to allocate the right time and staff and, most of all, how to motivate yourself to dive in. So many of us just avoid it, as we do with other planning responsibilities.
  
But this 11-step process will ease your pain — carving out a clear, proven path to media relations planning success.
     
Dive right in. The water's fine.

P.S. Subscribe now to the Getting Attention e-update to get your free copy of the 2009 Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Report (due in late fall), filled with best practices, trends and a directory of over 2,500 nonprofit taglines.

Nancy Schwartz on September 8, 2009 in Media Relations and Press, Nonprofit Communications, Strategy | 0 comments
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State Department PR Expert Shares Steps to Media Relations Success

State Department PR Expert Shares Steps to Media Relations SuccessWords of wisdom on media relations from guest author, Todd Calongne, Public Affairs Officer, Secretary’s Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization, U.S. Department of State:

Relax. Being yourself is the straightest path to gaining a new friend in the media. 

Feel free to engage in conversation while sussing out how much the journalist knows about the subject or the field of interest, and her slant. It's media relations as media education.

Learn much more from Todd, who's a real success at developing those crucial relationships with key media, here.

Nancy Schwartz on June 8, 2009 in Media Relations and Press, Nonprofit Communications | 0 comments
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Sierra Club Earth Day Email Success — Upped My Awareness & Engagement in a Snap

Sierra Club Earth Day Email Success -- Upped My Awareness & Engagement in a Snap I received an email from the Sierra Club last week offering me seven easy ways to rock my earth day. Loved it. 

The email was short, to the point and helped me out hugely. You see our daughter Charlotte is the biggest reduce-reuse-recycler there is, and she's been asking me about what we're doing on Earth Day (4/22).

This succinct email made it easy for me to get a plan together, and feel very appreciative of the Sierra Club. Even more importantly, it's a great example of an org hooking its work into a news event (can be a holiday, an anniversary related to your issue focus, or an actual event like legislation passing or in the news.

Connecting your org's work with whatever's in the news or otherwise top of mind is one of the most effective (and easiest) communications strategies out there. So map out your editorial calendar for the next few months and piggyback away.

One suggestion though; make sure the timing is a bit more aligned than was the Sierra Club's. I received its email on earth day more than two weeks before the day itself. Earth day had just floated across my lens at that point and I'm sure was not on those minds without a mini eco-powerhouse in the house. An April 15th release would have been better timing.

P.S. The right messaging is critical to the success of every nonprofit campaign! Download the free Nonprofit Tagline Report for must-dos, don't dos, case studies and 1,000+ nonprofit tagline examples!

Nancy Schwartz on April 15, 2009 in Email and E-Newsletters, Media Relations and Press, Nonprofit Communications | 1 comment
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How to Finesse Incoming Media Calls — Even When You’re Sweating Hard

How to Finesse Incoming Media Calls -- Even When You're Sweating HardEven in today’s social media world, one of the key ways organizations get their messages out to key audiences is through the traditional news media.  And even with the downsizing of news organizations and mainstream journalism’s shift to the Web, traditional media relations remains vital.

Of course media relations is only one element in your org’s communications agenda, but it can be one of your most valuable, cost effective, and efficient strategies — if done right.

But one of the trickiest aspects of media relations is handling the press. Follow these three guidelines and you’ll come out strong!

  1. Be prepared — Know your messages and topic cold, and feel comfortable talking about them. Prep your organization’s team on how to answer media calls, how to traffic them, key issues.
  2. Complete your assignment — If the call is scheduled, know the reporter’s take on the issue and what others have to say as well. Then practice responding to the three questions that would make you most nervous.
  3. Stay the course and document the conversation — It’s a reporter’s job to get at the essence at the story. Nothing personal. Your preparation will ensure you’re ready to deal with these questions most effectively. To make sure you’ve done so, document the conversation as much as possible as you’re having it.

Read this article to learn more about what’s involved in each step and how to implement them to finesse incoming media calls. Manage the media; don’t let them manage you.

P.S. In most cases, a powerful tagline is the critical success factor in bringing your organization’s messages to life. Download the free Nonprofit Tagline Report for must-dos, don’t dos, case studies and 1,000+ nonprofit tagline examples!

Photo: Flickr PFV

Nancy Schwartz on March 5, 2009 in 09NTC, Branding and Messages, Media Relations and Press, Nonprofit Communications | 0 comments
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Make Your Web Site Press Friendly, So Journalists Cover Your Org

Make Your Web Site Press Friendly, So Journalists Cover Your OrgWeb usability guru Nielsen’s latest Alertbox post emphasizes the imperative of press area usability for journalists, finding that plenty of the Web sites reviewed don’t provide adequate info for media (traditional or “citizen journalists”).

He cautions that poor site usability and missing info in online press areas can turn journalists away from covering your organization or force them to get their information from third-party sources (definitely not your messaging and likely to be incorrect). A shabby online press area is a lost PR opportunity.

Once journalists get to your site (you have to make sure they can), they need access to:

  • Easy-to-find online newsroom: Make sure you have a clean site with a clearly-labeled section called “Press,” “Media” or “News,” where journalists can get quick answers to their questions.
  • Press contacts: Being able to contact a real human being is essential for journalists researching stories. Deadlines mean that information is needed within hours or minutes, so most people would be reluctant to use an email address or contact form with no guarantee of a speedy response.
  • Basic facts: Reporters often need to confirm dates, spellings and more. To help reporters get that information quickly, make sure your sections are clearly labeled.
  • Your org’s perspective and actions on your issues: This is the stuff that differentiates your organizatons from colleagues and competitors. Make it easy-to-find, succinct and clear.
  • Financials: A core credibility meter.
  • Images to use in articles: Also, video and audio for online media. This is the stuff that enages readers which is a journalist’s ultimate goal.

Learn more here, then get to work:
10 Ways to Make Your Online Press Room Perform for Your Nonprofit

P. S. Don’t miss out on the in-depth articles, case studies and guides on key nonprofit communications topics featured in the Getting Attention e-alert. Subscribe today.

Photo: Thomas Hawk

Nancy Schwartz on January 28, 2009 in High-Impact Websites, Media Relations and Press, Nonprofit Communications | 1 comment
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Just Launched: Guide to Powerful Nonprofit Press Releases

Just Launched Guide to Powerful Nonprofit Press ReleasesThanks to the Knight Foundation for launching this step-by-step guide to crafting clear and effective news releases.

Building out from four basic steps (nothing new there, but a review is always useful), the guide will highlight what works and what doesn't by dissecting model news releases, comparing well and poorly written headlines and providing tips on drafting effective quotes.

In a list of "what to avoid," you'll be steered away from jargon, a pitfall for many nonprofits that address complicated issues (and others!), and get a checklist that'll help you polish your releases. Finally, you'll learn to to put Flesch Scores to work to maximize your release's readability.

P.S. Yes We Can! When a powerful tagline is joined to a compelling mission…nothing is impossible! Download the free Nonprofit Tagline Report for must-dos, don't dos, case studies and 1,000+ nonprofit tagline examples!

Nancy Schwartz on November 19, 2008 in Media Relations and Press, Nonprofit Communications, Recommended Resources | 0 comments
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