Press releases are tools to help the traditional media and its customers to know about you and the good your club and district does. So when should you release something to the press? What should you include? Who should you send it to? How do you write a press release?
Here is an article from a recent Public Image Newsletter that just may help you and your Rotary club increase your club's public image ....
Press releases are tools to help the traditional media and its customers to know about you and the good your club and district does.
So when should you release something to the press?
1. When you have a new board
2. When your club/district/member does something amazing.
3. When you need help (call to action). Send this about a month before the event/need.
What should you include?
1. A good active, high-definition photo.
2. The actual press release.
3. Your contact information.
Who should you send it to?
1. The reporters who cover your community’s good news.
2. Local radio, television, news, and web news outlets.
3. Your own social media sites and webpage. - A lot of my own club’s local press happens because of news outlets seeing something on our website and/or a member’s social media.
How do you write a press release?
That’s really the big question.
Luckily, Rotary has a lot of resources to help you out if you’re new to this.
In an earlier newsletter, we talked about writing press releases, but here is another resource about that.
Another interesting article about writing a nonprofit press release and journalistic style can be found here.
District 7910 has some lovely best practices on its site that I’ve pasted in here.
Develop a media list for press releases and keep it current.
When creating deadlines for press releases and media advisories, work backwards from your event date.
Send out event-related press releases at least one month in advance.
Make sure the first sentences of a press release have the most important information: who, what, when, where, and why, and most importantly, why a reader should care.
Most newspapers accept online or email submissions of press releases.
Do a Google search for the newspaper, and look for tabs or links for submitting your news.
Email each press contact individually.
End each press release with the ### symbol, which means the end of your document.
Include a description or “boilerplate” at the end of your press releases to describe your club and Rotary International.