I’ve been on both sides of the communication spectrum – from morning television news to public relations. I currently work for a large non-profit in the Washington, DC area. I’m always thinking of creative ways to get my non-profit’s story to the media, the people we help and donors that support us. Here are a few of my suggestions if you’re just getting started:
1. Get press. I know it’s not that easy. Media will cover your story or event if you have the right hook and contact. Having the right contact might seem elementary but researching the right person to pitch can make or break your story. Here are a few tips:
- For print media, google news your topic to find out who has covered it in the past or who reports on similar stories. Once you have names you can either call the appropriate news desk or send them a pitch via e-mail.
- For television news, identify if your story or event would be more appropriate for morning or evening news and then watch the show to get an idea of where it would be placed in the show. A story that has a strong news peg would be towards the front of the first hour in a morning show, but if it’s more fluffy then would probably find its way in the 2nd hour. Once you have identified the placement and have a solid hook, call the news desk and ask to speak to a producer (you may have to convince a production assistant that your story is strong enough to make air).
2. Build a base. You’ll need supporters and donors to continue your mission. Youth are a great place to start even if they aren’t big donors (but they will be!). Here are a couple of suggestions to get youth involved:
- Youth love advocating and competition. To engage and gain the support of youth you will need to have an advocacy message and use it to ask them to do something. Let’s take Oxfam’s recent campaign to support Ethiopian coffee farmers. Oxfam had several components to this campaign but one of the more successful ones was their flickr petition. They asked their supporters to post photos supporting fair trade coffee. [Flickr is a great place to post your photos - it's sort of like the YouTube in the photo world.]
- Be where youth are. Even if you’re not young you probably know someone in their teens or twenties. Find out what sites they’re on (e.g., Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, Ammado) and create a presence for your non-profit. Once you’re on these sites you will want to have new content daily. Fresh content keeps your non-profit top of mind and has a better chance of getting picked up.
3. Get your message out. Human interest stories and blogs can help connect your non-profit directly with donors and journalists. Successful blogging is an art. You will need fresh, interesting content written in a way people connect with and want to respond or share with others. It was a blog that got Kiva recognized – now it’s a major player among microfiance organizations.
There are many other options for getting your message out to interested stakeholders. You can start a podcast or have interactive components on your website (e.g., polls, questionaires, contests, etc.).
The key is to be flexible, open to new ideas and take smart risks. These will ensure your nonprofit is at the top when it comes to communication. If you have anything to add, feel free to comment with your suggestions!
