charity
Even though the media are more fragmented than ever, with many newspapers going out of business but online news sites flourishing, press releases can and should be a major component of your media strategy. Put your press releases online and draw not only the media, but also general readers, potential donors, and volunteers to your nonprofit website.
Write Press Releases Frequently
Take a page from the business public relations playbook, and write press releases frequently. In The New Rules of Marketing & PR, David Meerman Scott suggests that an organization develop a press release strategy, and send press releases at every opportunity. Here is a list of possibilities for a nonprofit organization.Send a press release when you:
- have a new take on an old problem
- develop a new program
- serve a unique population or mission
- have interesting information to share (nonprofits should think about any studies they do, or surveys they perform)
- if your CEO or other prominent staff or board members speak at a conference
- win an award
- produce a product or a helpful publication
- get a big donation or grant
- reach a goal in a fundraising campaign
- send volunteers to help with a crisis
- have expertise on a topic in the news
You can probably think of a lot more possibilities. If not, check out the online press rooms of some large national nonprofits to see what they are writing press releases about.
Press releases are not just for the press any more and both content and format are crucial. They can be posted on your website for all to read and to help optimize your site for the search engines.
Nonprofit Press releases will vary, but the standard format is usually similar to the example below.
Basic Elements of a Nonprofit Press Release
1. When the release can be distributed. Usually, the release will carry the words, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.
(This can be put above or below the headline and can be on either side of page)
2. Headline
(Centered across top of organization's letterhead or special news release stationary)
3. Organizational info:
(Can go above the headline or below. Usually appears on the left side)
* Name of Organization
* Address
* Phone Number
* Website URL
4. Contact information:
(Can go above or below headline; and on the right or left side of the page. Check out various samples to see the variety of formats)
* Name (can be a person's name or a generic place such as "the Public Affairs Department")
* Email address of person or department
* Phone Number (include office phone and cell phone numbers)
5. Place, day, date
(Start the first line of release.)
6. Body of release
7. Boilerplate information about the nonprofit organization
8. Repeat contact information
(And/or offer to provide someone to interview.)
9. ###
(These marks are centered just below the content of the release and signal the end of the release.)
Sample Nonprofit Press Release
Chances of getting your PSA aired are excellent. On the average, each station airs 205 PSAs a week. Overall, an average of 1 to 1.5 PSAs are aired per broadcast hour, making a total of 47 billion impressions on American television viewers. A study of 25 PSAs distributed between January 2005 and September 2006, and found that a 30-second PSA sent to 200 TV stations will average:
- Between 60 and 100 TV stations reporting usage
- 130-500 telecasts
- 20,000,000 to 45.000,000 households reached
- 54,000,000 to 121,500,000 impressions (at 2.7 per household)
