How To Maximise PR For Your Charity

Presented By: Paul AsinorGolden Stool Productions

‘’If I were down to my last dollar, I’d spend it on public relations.’’-Bill Gates, Microsoft

Founder

Session Outline

In this session we will cover:• What is Public Relations• Press Releases-Importance, SEO Techniques,

Distribution, etc• Targeting Various Audiences• Social Media and How It Can Be Used to Boost Your

Organization’s Profile

What is PR?

• Public Relations describes the way issues and messages are communicated between an organization and the public.

• It is the discipline that looks after corporate reputation.• It is the aim of PR to win understanding and support

from, and to influence the opinions and behaviour of an organization’s key audiences.

• Working to gain corporate sponsorship or creating excellent media relations to ensure good press coverage of fund raising activities eg. Live8, Make Poverty History

• PR must communicate to both potential and current donors, how donations are spent and also highlight past successes

What is a Press/Media/News Release?

• A release is simply YOUR news story , written in a journalistic style.

• It is extremely powerful marketing tool• Must be factual• Interesting• Timely• Newsworthy

Advantages/Disadvantages of Press Releases

Advantages• More valuable/ can be low cost• Can reach a wider audience• More memorable/ impactful• More credible than advertising

Disadvantages• Competition with other stories• Can’t dictate what is said about you• Sometimes difficult to evaluate

Why do 99% of releases end up in the bin?

Is your story good enough?

Tip 1

Think like a journalist and treat them like colleagues

Tip 2

Planning your release: 95%

Execution: 5%

It doesn’t matter how pretty your release looks like

You can spend hours stuffing releases when one email to the right target could get more results

Tips cont’d• Tip 3• Get yourself some media training, if possible• You’ll have a better understanding of the media and how they work• You’ll gain more confidence in how to deal with the media

• Tip 4• Convince yourself/ and or your boss• Would you be interested in the story?• Write a brief for yourself-objectives, key messages, headlines• Be specific• Keep it simple but smart-you should able to summarise it very

simply

Tips cont’d

• Tip 5• Journalists work to deadlines-make sure you meet them• Be opportunistic. The best coverage often times comes

from being opportunistic• Tip 6• Avoid sensationalism and puffery, words like leading,

top, etc

What Makes News News?• Identify a Hook for your story• A hook is an element of a story that attracts the attention of the

media. Answer the question, why should I care?

Possible hooks• Controversy-agreement, different point of view• Human interest-real people, their triumphs• Anticipating trend• Something new• Date-specific stories eg. Back-to-school ..a hook for swine flu in

children’s schools, Mother’s Day for breast cancer project• Special events-conferences, gatherings. Frame your story to

capture

the issue and importance

Hooks cont’d

• Give an old story a fresh angle. New research findings• Anniversaries/Milestones • Celebrity. They draw media attention• People… like community leaders, individuals having

interesting stories that tie in with your story• Anticipate trends. Stories that suggest new opinions,

patterns, behaviour

How to write Powerful Releases

• Headline• Lead paragraph (containing brief who, what, where,

when, why & how including key words, tags • Several supporting paragraphs including a quote or two

from key management• Concluding paragraph/Call to Action• Boiler Plate about organization• Contact details

Remember the inverted pyramid-reporters cut from the top

Edit story/Proof read

Media’s Changing

• Newspapers are going bankrupt• 24 hour media, cable, satellite, Internet

• But still, media, customers, partners, public want to know what’s going on

The way want their news has also changed. They want it :• Now• Direct• Ability to comment/ pass on information to others

How Do You Target Your Release for Maximum Effect?

• Local/National Newspapers, TV/ Radio stations• Trade Publications• Use press release distribution sites• Become your own media outlet

• Website (news page –information about your organization, history, number of employees, archived press releases, pictures, contact details)

• Corporate Blog• Social media networks using linked in, facebook, twitter,

engaging where customers, media are

Tips In Writing Releases For The Web

• Use keywords that are relevant to your target audience• Determine the theme and determine a list of keywords

that will represent it. • Identify two or three of the most relevant search items

that your audience is likely to use when searching• Write a keyword-rich thematic headline

– NB: Your headline is the most important sentence. Keep it keyword rich

• Utilize keywords in the lead paragraph and throughout the body of the release.

• Be careful of ‘spam’ so don’t overdo it

Tips for Writing For The Web cont’d

• Write in a naturally flowing manner– The aim is to make your audience click through to

your website via a link at the end of the release. – The more natural and conversational your writing

style, the more likely they are to follow the link

Who Are Your Right Targets/Mix?

• Know your publics and where they go for information

• Is it trade publications that cover the industry?

• Is it the features editor at your local newspaper?

• Is it where your competitors are advertising?

• Is it the leading bloggers in your sector?

Next..

• Subscribe to these publications

• Review the masthead to build a master list

• Utilize search engines to find online editions of publications/relevant blogs…contact us, about us

Who Are Your Right Targets/Mix cont’d?

• Get target audiences in directories like BRAD, Willings Press Guide, Hollis Press, PR Annual

• Use a media base• Use a blog specific search engine such as Technorati (

http://www.technorati.com)• Google blog search ( http://www.blogsearch.google.com)• http://www.mediauk.com

Use Press Release Distribution sites

http://www.Bignews.biz

http://www.PRnewswire.com

http://www.PRLog.com

http://www.Pressreleasepoint.com

http://www.PRUrgent.com

http://www.PR.com

http://www.24-7PressRelease.com

http://www.PageRelease.com

Use Your Company Website

• Create a Press Page– Separate sections of your website where the media

can come for relevant but up-to-the-minute information,

– download images, watch videos, listen to podcasts, etc

– Organizational information-location, – When founded, past achievements, press releases,

contact details• Put information regularly

Why Corporate Blog?

• The original social media, the ultimate word-of-mouth technique

• A vehicle to post new link-worthy content• Keeps search engines coming back to your website,

improving your SEO• Helps to disseminate information quickly to the public• Provides feedback from customers

PR Through Social Media Networks

• LinkedIn-biggest business social media network where you can communicate with similar-minded professionals, form and join groups, publish articles, comment, broadcast events provided with 3 free backlinks

• Facebook-open a fan page separate from your personal page

• Twitter-a micro-blog using140 characters, good for summary, links to website, retweets, etc

• Del.icio.us• Digg• MySpace, etc

How To Do It/Rules In Social Media

• Get others to brag about your event, organization, cause• Repost, retweets, comments, invite others in your sector

to join• Online reach is significant• Retention high• Response potentially great• Consistency across channels• Choose friends wisely• Be social and personal, not private• Listen first, broadcast second

Twitter Do’s and Don’ts

Do:• Post links and retweet information that relates to,

parallels or complements your organization• Add value to others Twitter experiences• Be clear about the action you want people to take• Talk back and provide solutions to let tweeters know you

are listening

Don’t:• Promote shamelessly• Feel obligated to follow back• Ignore people or leave your account unchecked• Be indulgent and irrelevant

Some Twitter Applications

• TwitPic (www.twitpic.com): allows the user to post a photo and tyhen share the Twitpic link via Twitter

• Tipjoy (www.tipjoy.com): lets users send small amounts of cash to charities and businesses across Twitter and then tweet about the payment as another way to share news about donations

• TweetDeck (www.tweetdeck.com) : provides desktop software so that users can organize their tweets into columns such as @replies, direct messages, groups, etc

Summary

You should now be able to:• Understand the importance of press releases and how to

write them• Be able to use press releases to raise your profile and

promote your organisation• Understand how to use search engine optimisation

techniques• be able to use social media for your organisation

Thank You!

Paul Asinor, Executive Director, Golden Stool Promotions

Email: paul@goldenstoolpromotions.com

Personal blog: http://www.paulasinor.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/pages/Golden-Stool-Promotions

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/paulasinor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Paulasinor

For more information visit http://www.goldenstoolpromotions.com