Post by "Big Guy" on Nov 1, 2009 9:50:37 GMT -5
Okay, so do you need some publicity? Don't think small! You can THINK BIG here and get big results! It's called a press release!
Press releases are misunderstood by most folks. One of my Dad's businesses was the #1 radio station in NYC from the disco era to when he sold it and retired in the late 80s, and their news department loved and survived on press releases! In fact, they had a special fax machine just for them and a special editors PO Box.
They're easy to write and they do work! Editors are continuously looking for content, so why not help them out? The ones that work best are the ones that are easiest for them to use... like the AP; a pre-written story will almost always get picked up by some of the outlets you send it to.
Here's what to do:
1) Have an attractive/catchy title
"Scooters Take Over Small Town America"
2) Do it in the proper format
a) HEADING
PENNSYLVANIA TIMES NEWS
BOB HOROWITZ - EDITOR
########################
FOR PUBLIC RELEASE
NOVEMBER 01, 2009
SCOOTERS TAKE OVER SMALL TOWN AMERICA
BY: JOHN DOE
JOHN DOE'S SCOOTER CLUB
########################
b) Content (the announcement)
John Doe's Scooter Club of Anywhere PA announced today...
(some interesting history)
Scooters are starting to become a regular sight on PA roadways. This started in 2007 with the high gas prices and has developed into a social...
(who, what, when, where and why)
On November 12th, the JDSCAP will be...
(how readers/viewers can get involved)
For more information, visit their website at... or contact John Doe at...
3)CLOSING FORMAT
########################
CONTACT: JOHN DOE
ADDRESS HERE
CLUB NAME HERE
WEBSITE, PHONE AND EMAIL HERE
########################
The pound signs (##) are items for interest of the editor and should be in the release, top and bottom.
The idea of this press release is to WRITE the story for them! Read some on-line scooter stories and use them for content. If you have statistics, all the better! Especially talk about how the mentality and culture is developing here in the US.
4) Keep it short!
Short and sweet is the rule! The media is constantly looking for filler stories, and if you keep it to 3 or 4 paragraphs, they'll use it. Don't overwrite it though, many news outlets will copy, paste and edit the article, so you'll want them to be able to do that without making it too long. One printed page is the rule!
6) TIMING!
Timing is important! If you're having an event on December 15th, DON'T send it in November! A week before the event should be the perfect timing, where if they DO pick up the story, people won't forget it.
7) Send it out!
The media has changed over the years and there are new rules for PRs today. You want to visit the websites of all of the local and regional news outlets and look for links to, "Contact the Editor", or, "Send us your feedback" or the like.
Remember that almost all of these people are now on the go, and not reading a fax, so expect your PR to be read on an I-Phone or Blackberry, which means send it in plain text only. The heading WILL get it read!
Remember that local TV morning show are ALWAYS looking for local entertainment stories! It's a tough job and getting content is hard to do, especially feel good stories! I got interviewed on the morning news here for the Big Easy Weekender, scooter on stage and all! We also got news mentioned in five different local newspapers and the big regional paper as well.
What's better than supplying a news story to a writer/editor? With all the BS, crime and horror stories these folks have to deal with, they LOVE a good feel good story! But keep in mind, you DON'T want to SPAM them! Two or three PRs a year is all your club will need, and make sure the story is worth reading!
Oh, the NEVER section! I forgot! NEVER schedule an event near an election! NEVER schedule near ANY big local events. NEVER schedule in bad weather months (unless it's part of the theme).
Finally, one of the best ways to get press is to get involved in your community WITH your scooters! Here's one I have planned for next spring called, "Spring Scooter Cleaning":
I am organizing a rally to clean up the roadways here. We will have the old "paper boy" bags around our shoulders and a spike stick to ride down the roads and pluck up trash. I'll send out the press release a week before we do it and I'm willing to bet it gets picked up everywhere! Community service gets noticed here big time!
Get a "Scootin for the..." title for your event and donate proceeds! Here are a few examples:
Scootin for Kids (donate to the local Children's hospital)
Scootin for a Cure (Susan B Komen - Breast Cancer)
Scootin for LEO (donate to the local police vest program)
Scootin for Schools (raise money for a computer or whatever)
The list goes on forever!
GET THE BENEFICIARIES INVOLVED! They are press worthy! All hospitals, schools, police departments, etc., have PR people who will HELP you, give you ideas and can pick up the phone and get press! Use them!
Set up a SHORT ride and get SPONSORS! Ask them to sponsor you for $0.50 to a $1 a mile (25 mile max) and get out and have some fun! We did this here a few years back and called it, "Scootin for Puters".
We only had six riders, but we raised a bunch of money for the elementary school! The school Principal helped us make a sign up form for parents and they copied it and sent it home with ALL the kids in their parents folder. The child with the most sponsors got a brand new I-pod! Long story short, we got 305 $1 sponsors and 255 $0.50 sponsors - our six little riders raised over $11K and the school got a new computer lab!
There are TONS of ideas that can bring your club publicity, and press releases are the best way to go. When you combine a press release with community service, you get the best of both worlds. You meet new scooter folks AND do something you can be proud of!
I hope this gives you some ideas on how to build your club... good luck!
-Rich
Press releases are misunderstood by most folks. One of my Dad's businesses was the #1 radio station in NYC from the disco era to when he sold it and retired in the late 80s, and their news department loved and survived on press releases! In fact, they had a special fax machine just for them and a special editors PO Box.
They're easy to write and they do work! Editors are continuously looking for content, so why not help them out? The ones that work best are the ones that are easiest for them to use... like the AP; a pre-written story will almost always get picked up by some of the outlets you send it to.
Here's what to do:
1) Have an attractive/catchy title
"Scooters Take Over Small Town America"
2) Do it in the proper format
a) HEADING
PENNSYLVANIA TIMES NEWS
BOB HOROWITZ - EDITOR
########################
FOR PUBLIC RELEASE
NOVEMBER 01, 2009
SCOOTERS TAKE OVER SMALL TOWN AMERICA
BY: JOHN DOE
JOHN DOE'S SCOOTER CLUB
########################
b) Content (the announcement)
John Doe's Scooter Club of Anywhere PA announced today...
(some interesting history)
Scooters are starting to become a regular sight on PA roadways. This started in 2007 with the high gas prices and has developed into a social...
(who, what, when, where and why)
On November 12th, the JDSCAP will be...
(how readers/viewers can get involved)
For more information, visit their website at... or contact John Doe at...
3)CLOSING FORMAT
########################
CONTACT: JOHN DOE
ADDRESS HERE
CLUB NAME HERE
WEBSITE, PHONE AND EMAIL HERE
########################
The pound signs (##) are items for interest of the editor and should be in the release, top and bottom.
The idea of this press release is to WRITE the story for them! Read some on-line scooter stories and use them for content. If you have statistics, all the better! Especially talk about how the mentality and culture is developing here in the US.
4) Keep it short!
Short and sweet is the rule! The media is constantly looking for filler stories, and if you keep it to 3 or 4 paragraphs, they'll use it. Don't overwrite it though, many news outlets will copy, paste and edit the article, so you'll want them to be able to do that without making it too long. One printed page is the rule!
6) TIMING!
Timing is important! If you're having an event on December 15th, DON'T send it in November! A week before the event should be the perfect timing, where if they DO pick up the story, people won't forget it.
7) Send it out!
The media has changed over the years and there are new rules for PRs today. You want to visit the websites of all of the local and regional news outlets and look for links to, "Contact the Editor", or, "Send us your feedback" or the like.
Remember that almost all of these people are now on the go, and not reading a fax, so expect your PR to be read on an I-Phone or Blackberry, which means send it in plain text only. The heading WILL get it read!
Remember that local TV morning show are ALWAYS looking for local entertainment stories! It's a tough job and getting content is hard to do, especially feel good stories! I got interviewed on the morning news here for the Big Easy Weekender, scooter on stage and all! We also got news mentioned in five different local newspapers and the big regional paper as well.
What's better than supplying a news story to a writer/editor? With all the BS, crime and horror stories these folks have to deal with, they LOVE a good feel good story! But keep in mind, you DON'T want to SPAM them! Two or three PRs a year is all your club will need, and make sure the story is worth reading!
Oh, the NEVER section! I forgot! NEVER schedule an event near an election! NEVER schedule near ANY big local events. NEVER schedule in bad weather months (unless it's part of the theme).
Finally, one of the best ways to get press is to get involved in your community WITH your scooters! Here's one I have planned for next spring called, "Spring Scooter Cleaning":
I am organizing a rally to clean up the roadways here. We will have the old "paper boy" bags around our shoulders and a spike stick to ride down the roads and pluck up trash. I'll send out the press release a week before we do it and I'm willing to bet it gets picked up everywhere! Community service gets noticed here big time!
Get a "Scootin for the..." title for your event and donate proceeds! Here are a few examples:
Scootin for Kids (donate to the local Children's hospital)
Scootin for a Cure (Susan B Komen - Breast Cancer)
Scootin for LEO (donate to the local police vest program)
Scootin for Schools (raise money for a computer or whatever)
The list goes on forever!
GET THE BENEFICIARIES INVOLVED! They are press worthy! All hospitals, schools, police departments, etc., have PR people who will HELP you, give you ideas and can pick up the phone and get press! Use them!
Set up a SHORT ride and get SPONSORS! Ask them to sponsor you for $0.50 to a $1 a mile (25 mile max) and get out and have some fun! We did this here a few years back and called it, "Scootin for Puters".
We only had six riders, but we raised a bunch of money for the elementary school! The school Principal helped us make a sign up form for parents and they copied it and sent it home with ALL the kids in their parents folder. The child with the most sponsors got a brand new I-pod! Long story short, we got 305 $1 sponsors and 255 $0.50 sponsors - our six little riders raised over $11K and the school got a new computer lab!
There are TONS of ideas that can bring your club publicity, and press releases are the best way to go. When you combine a press release with community service, you get the best of both worlds. You meet new scooter folks AND do something you can be proud of!
I hope this gives you some ideas on how to build your club... good luck!
-Rich
