Material can also be found on page 37-40 of 2007 FGS Syllabus
Introduction
II. Setting promotion goals
a. Pitch (see III)
b. Target audience(s) (see IIIa)
c. Methods
d. Use any notes in planning and organization
i. Use previous if available
ii. Don’t forget to make your own
iii. Keep notes for future use
e. Assign duties (if group) or schedule calendar
|
o Types of PR to complete (use separate paper for list) o assignments (use separate paper for list) o research: who to send it to and in what format (use separate paper for list) o date to complete PR ________________________ o date to send PR __________________________ o verify delivery/receipt o follow up o Check with volunteers about future wishes (make separate checklist): for each volunteer would they like to continue with report, next round of PR, new event, etc. |
III. Preparing your pitch
a. 5 W’s
i. Who
ii. What
iii. Where
iv. When
v. Why
vi. How – if not covered above
b. Keep It Short Sweetie – help the editor:
The Local County Genealogical Society met at the local town public library in the town, state. The speaker for the Local County Genealogical Society monthly meeting was Ima Lecturer… (181 characters/29 words)
OR
The Local County Genealogical Society met at the library in town. Ima Lecturer gave the program for their monthly meeting… (121 characters/20 words)
c. Contact information: Use as much information as possible while not giving contacts that are not preferred. For instance, if the group doesn’t maintain an office, but has provided mailing and email addresses, personal phone numbers need not be provided in the release. Note: PR provider phone number should still be used in the PR cover letter/email preface.
d. Software selection to scale (Microsoft Office examples)
i. Wordpad for straight composition
ii. Word for “mail” merge
iii. Publisher for easy graphic design
iv. FrontPage for websites
v. Access or Excel for press kits
vi. Etc.
e. Graphic design/theme/name brand recognition
i. Plain text is expected for press releases
ii. Flyers and posters need “oomph”
iii. Use logos, colors, and themes if you have them
IV. Press release
a. Adapting pitch to outlets
i. Local
ii. Regional
iii. National
iv. Historical
v. Genealogical
b. Who to send it to
i. Media
o Newspapers
o Radio
o TV
ii. Internet
o Periodicals
o Bulletin Boards
o Classifieds
o Calendars
o Bogs
o Etc.
iii. Organizations
c. How to send it
i. By hand
ii. Mail
iii. FAX
iv. Email
d. Should answer “Why should I care?” for the reader
e. Additional basic elements
i. Headline
ii. Hook – attention grabbing first sentence
iii. Caption for any photo/illustration/figure
V. Events:
a. Work to promote
i. Press Release(s)
ii. Postings (calendar, Usenet, enlist, bulletin boards)
iii. Brochures/flyers/handbills (post and mailing list)
iv. Posters
b. As promotion tool
i. Networking
ii. Membership Recruitment and Enjoyment
iii. Education
iv. Preservation
VI. Other options
a. Direct mailing
b. Paid advertising
c. Website
d. Networking
VII. Continue to network and integrate (conclusion)
a. Network, Network, Network
b. Integrate PR into all facets
c. Recognize PR accomplishment
d. Realize PR is not self-sustaining
Sources and Resources
Resources for this presentation included more than a decade of practice and observation as well as assorted texts and articles. Don’t limit your research into good press relations to books about PR. English reference; writing and journalism are often overlooked. Many volunteers don’t consider looking toward marketing for helpful information. In today’s fast paced society, unless you use your library regularly, it is overlooked as a resource – including the reference librarian. Below are basic Dewey decimal areas to search as well as some resources I found this year on my local library shelves.
070 – News Media, Journalism and Publishing
650 - Management and Auxiliary services
770 - Photography and Photographs
810 - Literature and Rhetoric
Beckwith, Harry, Selling The Invisible A Field Guide to Modern Marketing, Warner Books, New York, NY, 1997.
Cassara, Lou, From Selling to Serving The Sessence of Client Creation, Dearborn Trade Publishing, 2004, Chicago, IL.
Gross, T. Scott, Outrageous! Unforgettable Service… Guilt-Free Selling, Amacom, New York, NY, 1998.
Lant, Dr. Jeffery, Cash Copy, JLA Publications, Cambridge, MA, 1989.
McKinney, Don, Magazine Writing That Sells, Writer’s Digest Books, Cincinnati, OH, 1994.
Stott, Bill, Write To The Point And Feel Better About Your Writing, Anchor Press/Doubleday, Garden City, NY, 1984.
This speaker wishes all the best for every promotional program and also welcomes comments. Feel free to contact her by email...
Page Last Updated August 23, 2009