Telling your story on local media

You are present on social media, your website is active and up-to-date. You are calling, visiting, emailing donors and potential donors. Good work!

You still want to interact with traditional media. No, it is not as effective – or easy – as it once was. No, not as many folks are reading a local paper, watching a local TV channel, listening to a local radio program or even picking up a community magazine, but there is still an audience there. Use it.

And when you do get coverage, use your social media to let your followers know. So they can watch, listen, read about the good work they made possible.

So how do you connect with traditional media?

Make it personal – like all your other communications For press releases – which can go to news organizations, TV and radio reporters, and magazine writers and editors - , you want to be personal on three sides: 1. Personal in its effect of the people served: Tell the story of a life changed. Mention the data, and make clear the need for local support to continue the good work. 2. Personal in its need for the reader's support. (Can't change lives without you. You (the donor) make the difference.) Locate the story based on the outlet. For instance, if you’re contacting the local paper, frame it as a program serving the people in their town or county. If it goes to a local TV station, frame it as serving their county and state. 3. And personal in your approach to the media outlet. You can do this in five ways: a. Ask the contact person for advice. "Are you the right person to contact? Is this your preferred format?" b. Look for times the outlet needs a story. You may ask if they have a calendar of days to cover, like Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Cinco de Mayo, Earth Day, Take your Daughter to Work Day. Those times where an outlet needs a story, and you can offer something fresh.

c. Look for ways to make yourself personal to them. I used to say, "I just moved here (in MT I would say from NC. In NC I would say from MT) and I am so impressed with your paper, website, station. d. For the media that would have the most impact in your area, go to their website and research their reporters. Look for hooks - things they have in common with your mission - or with you. Personalize your story pitch to them: "I wanted to share this with you because I see you have 3 school age children, an interest in the arts, were a science major - - e. If one of your board members or current donors is a big advertiser with that media, ask them to follow up on your submission. They can email or call the editor or station manager and say, "I'm on the board for this organization, and our Director of Communications just shared with me that she has sent you a calendar notice and a press release. I am so excited. When should I look for those to come out?" Then, when it is published ask your board member or donor to call or email the media again and say, "Thank you! I was delighted to see this coverage. You do so much good in our community!" Keep in mind that what your organization or your board wants in the news may or may not have real news or feature story value. For instance, so often organizations want to publicize that it’s their 5th, 10th, 50th year in existence. Unless you can come up with a better story that includes that, the fact that you still exist has little news value to most of the community. So find the story. Make it personal!

One last thing, research calendar sites where you can register your organization and then post events yourself. Local magazines often let you do this. Local papers will occasionally. And city and county departments occasionally have community calendars - also the local Chamber might. It's nice to have places where you can put items yourself. Then you know it will be done and done in a timely fashion.