It may not be true that ‘all publicity is good publicity’, but most of the organsiations with whom I work have some fantastic stories to tell that would help to promote their work and encourage support, particularly in their local media.
Too often, however, they don’t get heard. Here are just three reasons why that might be::
- 1. Sometimes we don’t really trust the media to report what we want to say. It is true that there are horror stories around about churches and charities coming a cropper when trying to tell their story (I have a couple of my own). However, my general experience is that most journalists, particularly local ones, are very happy to hear from you and engage with your news; after all they need a regular source of good stories and you can help them.
- Sometimes we don’t know who to talk to. Check out the web sites for your local media and give the journalists a call, they may be busy people with tight deadlines but they know the value of building good local relationships and networks and will generally give you a very positive response, even if you have to ring back after they have met a deadline.
- Often we are unclear or fearful about how to actually tell our stories. Writing a good press release or doing an effective radio interview can be intimidating, but there are skills and techniques that can be learnt and it might even be fun!
If you want to get your (positive) story heard and could do with some help, please contact me