This tip sheet was developed by Stephanie Redman and me for our Advanced Organization Academy series of workshops. This handout was provided at our session "Main Street PR and the Information Age" at the National Trust Main Street Center conference in Chicago, IL. The complete presentation, in PDF form is available on the Advanced Organization Academy blog www.advancedorganizationacademy.blogspot.com.
Top Ten Things to Remember about
Public Relations for Main Street Organizations
10. Don’t rely on just one form of media for your P.R. effort. Mix up your Public Relations activities to reach a variety of audiences and age groups. Incorporate verbal, visual, and written P.R. tools, and use electronic tools – even if you personally don’t find them appealing. Post your newsletters, annual reports, press releases, and media kits on your website. Post appropriate press releases to your blog or your MySpace or Facebook page. Use active presentations to keep key groups informed about Main Street. Call local reporters to “pitch” story ideas rather than just emailing press releases or waiting for their coverage.
9. Don’t send out a poorly written press release. Releases should be engaging, informative, and succinct. Learn to write a good press release, or find a volunteer who can.
8. Get to know local reporters and editors. Get acquainted with your local and regional media contacts. Watch the local news and/or listen to local radio so you know who should be on your media contact list. Read local reporters’ stories so you can comment about their work. Call them regularly to pitch Main Street story ideas.
7. Compile an up-to-date list of Main Street contacts. During a crisis or even the regular course of events, you must have current contact information for board, committee, and staff members’ phone, fax, cell, email, and home addresses – as well as contact information for your attorney, accountant, and insurance agent. Keep a copy in the office, at home, and in the glove compartment of your car, and make sure all board members have the same information.
6. Produce a newsletter and make the most of it. Post your hardcopy newsletter to your website; post stories from the newsletter to your blog or MySpace or Facebook page. If you use an electronic newsletter, send individual stories out more frequently at a lower cost than a printed newsletter.
5. Be prepared for the hard questions. Every time you talk to a reporter (really, every time), ask yourself “What would be the worst question they could ask, and how should I respond?” By thinking this through before you make the call, send out a press release, or respond to a reporter’s phone call, you will be more confident and persuasive in your interview. And if you need more time to develop a response, just ask if you can call them back in 10 or 15 minutes.
4. Be prepared to pay for publicity. Good relationships with area media will generate a lot of coverage, but not everything you want to publicize is coverage-worthy. For example, a retail promotion event won’t likely be covered as a news story. Buy some advertising from your local media throughout the year, even if they are co-op ads volunteer thank-you ads. A little “give” to your media helps to ensure their continued good will.
3. Use your press releases in many media. “Repurpose” your press releases in various ways to capture more attention for the Main Street. Revise the release and post it on your blog. Make it into a bulletin for your MySpace and Facebook pages; “recycle” the release in your printed newsletter. Post your news on your local Craigslist Groups section.
2. Have a Public Relations plan and actually use it! Follow the steps outlined in our presentation and handouts to develop a P.R. Plan for Main Street with your Organization Committee. (Promotion can also develop a P.R. plan for the district). Then work the plan! Even if you only conduct two or three P.R. activities regularly, your organization will be more visible and credible.
1. Make sure Public Relations for Main Street is someone’s job. No matter the size or maturity of your Main Street effort, P.R. needs to be someone’s responsibility. Whether coordinated by staff or a volunteer(s), P.R. must be a priority for the organization and thus be delegated to a person or group of people – likely the Organization Committee – to implement.
Contact us to learn more about our Advanced Organization Academy trainings, consultations and workshops: donna@heritageconsultinginc.com or stephanie.redman@gmail.com
