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Marketing for Success!
Have you ever wondered why some events, trainings, or publications are
so well received or attended, while others don't really make an impact?
The ones that are truly successful, usually have a good marketing plan.
However, most of us have not had formal training when it comes to marketing
our efforts at a local level. To begin your marketing efforts, start with
Targeted Communications Planning. Targeted Communications
Planning is a process that helps clarify who you are trying to reach, with
what message, and why. By using this, you can increase your chances of getting
media exposure and increase the effectiveness of the messages you send out
through the media.
Step 1: Develop a Media Relations Plan.
A Media Relations Plan has three parts:
- A target audience: who are you trying to reach? (students, parents,
and community service providers are examples)
- A communication objective: what is your purpose for accessing
the media? (to share successes, to profile a student, to advertise a training
- you may have more than one objective)
- A message to the media: what are you trying to convey? (you
need more support; you want people to come to your event - you must have
a clear idea of what you are trying to share with the public).
Step 2: Identify Your Media Options
In order to implement a media relations plan, your partnership needs
to identify all media options available, both locally and statewide.
- Media Directories. There a good chance that a media directory,
listing all media options in your local community, is already available
at your local library, your school's media center, a local newspaper office,
or local radio station.
- Use Your Knowledge & the Yellow Pages. Use your committee's
knowledge of media resources in your community and the yellow pages to
list all media resources you have access to. Examples might include daily
and weekly newspapers, radio stations, and TV stations. Call them to find
out who your contact would be, what opportunities are available for publicity,
and what the requirements or guidelines are for publishing or interviewing.
Step 3: Approach the Media
Different methods are typically used with different media resources because
each resource may have a different purpose for the material you are trying
to present. You may want to designate a team on your partnership to become
familiar with this area and to represent your partnership when negotiating
with the media. Then, follow these guidelines.
1. Look for the Hook: Each media resource has a different "hook."
The media thinks in terms of broad application, so your committee must think
of why the general public would care about what you have to say.
2. Give Them What They Want: Provide materials that are appropriate
for the medium you want to use. These include:
- News Releases: these might include organizational milestones,
community firsts, community forums, awards given, or local events. Anything
significant that members have done, especially anything for which they
have received recognition, are excellent items to profile.
- Media Advisory: a shorter, more concise form of a news release;
especially useful if a photo or TV appearance opportunity exists.
- Feature Stories: these can include stories about individuals
(students, teachers, families) and their hopes, dreams, accomplishments,
and challenges. Use a news release format to develop your story and include
a pitch letter ( a letter to sell the idea of using your idea) when submitting
your story.
- Interviews: interviews can be through radio, TV, or newspaper
articles. "Experts" or recruited by your committee should be
appointed to provide information and perspectives on the current issues
and events.
- Photos: photos with captions can be used to highlight and add
emphasis to your news release, media advisory, or feature story.
3. Check the Timing: Timing is everything. Editors and producers
have to fill space in their paper or on the air. They want information that
is current, timely, and relevant today. August, September, and graduation
time are good for stories about the new things schools are doing to prepare
students for productive adult lives. Appearances on TV or radio shows can
be timed to deal with such issues as local school board elections, a school
bond issue, or new state legislation regarding education that is being debated.
4. Have the Right Stuff: Contact the media to verify that they
will be interested in your material. Ask whether you should get a signed
photo release and information release from your subjects.
5. Keep it Going! In order to make your relationship with the
media successful, you will need to build on-going relationships. Submitting
an article once a year or contacting a key person every four months is not
enough to forge a solid, trusting, mutually beneficial relationship. Be
helpful - give them information they can use, that meets their requirements,
and is within their deadline. Help them do their job of getting information
out to the community. Be a resource that media can call on when they need
information. Give them names and phone numbers of individual "experts"
on your partnership and what the areas of expertise are.
6. Keep Good Records: Start a file of all articles, clippings,
interviews, broadcast appearances, or any other media contact and success
that you have had. Include a date and the name of the publication or show.
Share this with new and old members from time to time to serve as a history
of partnership events that will help you to educate others about your committee
and it's accomplishments.
Right now, you may be wondering where to start. Try starting small, with
one particular event or success story. Decide on one media resource such
as your local community paper and work with them to publish a story. As
your knowledge and understanding grows, your ability to access the media
will improve. Publicizing your activities will educate the community at
large and provide improved access to community support for your efforts.
Minnesota Education Services : CT IC Media Relations Kit
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