Using Free Publicity to Grow Your Non-Profit Many clubs & non-profits struggle with the problem of how to get new members. I was able to help a non-profit club that had a need to raise membership by capitalizing on free publicity.

In this article, I will share three keys on how to gain not only new members, but also gain media/press coverage for your worth-while charitable causes, services, and events. This free publicity will lead to more community awareness of your organization’s activities and can lead to more donations, volunteers, and increased membership.

Key #1 – Media/Press’s Weaknesses

The press (i.e. newspapers and magazines) and media (i.e. TV and radio) are constantly getting requests for coverage. In order to improve your odds of coverage, there are two time periods to keep in mind: Hot Times and Cold Times.

The first period is known as Hot Times. This is when the press/media are covering a juicy story and will print or air anything even remotely associated with the topic. For example, during the Michael Jackson case, any lawyer could have called into a talk radio show and asked to give their two-cents on the trial. At the end of the commentary the attorney could have mentioned his/her name, firm, and phone number. The benefit was not only attracting new clients, but that he/she could then put on their marketing materials “As featured on X show” for added credibility.

An example of linking a product or service to a hot topic is the story of a restaurant in Texas. At the time, Bill “Big Tuna” Parcells was announced to be the upcoming coach of the Dallas Cowboys. The creative restaurant changed the name of their entrée to “The Big Tuna”. They sent out a few press releases, made a few phone calls, and got literally tens of thousands of dollars worth of free publicity.

Another example was when I noticed that a contestant on Donald Trump’s The Apprentice was fired for poor presentation skills. I then sent out a press release that read “Don’t Get Fired for Poor Presentation Skills, Join Toastmasters”.

The second period is known as Cold Times. This time frame begins Thanksgiving and ends January 2nd. The reason why this period is called Cold Times is because the press/media lose approximately 25% of their resources since big business and the government goes on winter vacation. That means that they have more blank pages to fill between advertisements. Why not use your story to fill those pages?

You may be asking yourself, what do I do or say to fill these stories? There are two books I recommend to use should you not be able to link your story to a hot topic. Celebrate Today by John Kremer and Chase’s Calendar of Events. These two publications show holidays you didn’t know existed. For example, did you know that July 3rd is Air Conditioning Appreciation Day?

Key #2 – Killer Press Release

Once you have an idea for a story, it is time to type it up. It’s important that the press release be in the correct format. On the top right, it should read “News Release”, followed by your contact information. On the top left it should say “For Immediate Release”. The headline is the most important part of the press release. It needs to be juicy. The whole press release should be only 1 page and double-spaced. At the end of the page, put 3 centered # signs to signify the end of the release.

I highly recommend that you use a cover page that states that Rotary is a non-profit organization. The Radio Stations & Newspapers have to legally give Public Service Announcements (PSA). That is how I was able to get dozens of free newspaper articles and many free radio commercials on NPR & WMTR for Toastmasters.

Free examples of press releases can be downloaded at http://www.getfreeads.com.

Now you have your own press release in your hands, but what now? You need to develop a list of fax numbers. You can do that by going to your county library and looking in their reference section for the following books: Bacon’s, Gebbies, Editor and Publisher, and Broadcast and Cable Yearbook. There you will find a wonderful list of contact information for magazines, newspapers, TV & radio shows. I recommend that you create a word document with just the fax numbers and get a subscription to Efax (www.efax.com). This software allows you to send faxes just like email, so you can easily send dozens of faxes with a single mouse click once you have your distribution list created.

Key #3 – Eliminating the Middleman

Now, the person on the other side of the fax is known as the “Assignment Manager”. In a word, this person is BUSY. They are listening to nine Police Bulletin radios for stories, the phone ringing off the hook, the fax is printing non-stop, and it’s their responsibility to send a dozen news crews out to cover stories.

More than likely, the Assignment Manager will throw away the press release you sent. I don’t tell you this to discourage you, but rather inform you of the reality. Sending a press release is like sending a message in a bottle. You don’t know if it ever made it to them. To further increase your odds of coverage, I recommend you compile a list of publications and TV news stations you would like to appear on. You can then read, watch or listen to those to figure out what reporter would most likely cover your story. Reporters are like cops, they each have different beats. Some specifically cover homicide, while others just cover sports, still others cover community stories.

Before you pick up the phone, there is just one more thing to prepare….your pitch. Your pitch must be concise and to the point. For example, the civil war can be summarized in two sentences:

The North Fought The South. The North Won.

The reason why I share this with you is that reporters are busy and you need to be able to verbalize your story idea in under 30 seconds or less. Here is a sample conversation with a reporter:

“Hi John, you don’t know me. My name is Sam. I read your article on XYZ Topic and enjoyed it so much that it’s on my refrigerator door. John, I’ve been looking for someone to cover a story, and I hope I have found the right person in you.” At this point, then you would give your two sentence pitch.

Notice that I sincerely complimented the reporter. The fact that you took the time to research his previous work will endear you greatly. Should the reporter tell you that he is not interested, ask for a referral. Then, immediately call the referral and mention “John insisted that I call you”, then, pitch the referral. Mentioning John’s name makes you a warm-contact and they will be more open to your pitch.

The Publicity Blitz

The name of the game is perseverance. Although what I described in this article costs little, it will take time and effort on your part. Using this technique, I was able to help my Toastmaster club go from 1 guest per meeting to a high of 18 guests per meeting. That was how we ultimately went from 35 members to 50 members within 90 days.

In closing, it’s all about The Buzz. The juicier you can make the story the better. Reporters are people just like you and me. At the end of the day, they just want to do a good job and go home. You are providing them with a service by filling a need of theirs and in return, they will fill your need by giving your club free publicity.

Sam Santiago is the author of Secrets of Business Promotion Revealed and is a respected authority on teaching others how to get publicity for their businesses and non-profits.

Download the first three chapters of his e-book on http://www.getfreeads.com today.

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