Showing some Love for Outreach Geek

A good friend of mine, Jennifer Armitage, has made a niche for herself as a resource for all things public outreach for nonprofits. Often nonprofits don't have the PR support they need, so I admire Jen's efforts to offer them a free tool with her site, Outreachgeek.com. I had the pleasure of writing this guest post for Jennifer's site. I hope it's useful. 

Guest Post: Make Your Media Coverage Count

We’re all guilty of it: We think our cause, event or company update is exciting and potentially newsworthy. And sometimes, it is. Most of the time, however, the media doesn’t think your organization is as big of a deal as you do. I don’t say this to be harsh, but when navigating the world of media, organizations must understand that quality media coverage is more important than quantity. One well-placed, newsworthy press release will take your media coverage much further than dozens of releases distributed to the wrong people for the wrong reasons.

When you inundate a news outlet with press releases or media advisories every week, the news desk will start to recognize your name for the wrong reasons. They’ll associate your email address and organization name with spam or irrelevant chatter. Try to create a positive name for yourself with a clear media strategy that focuses on getting news coverage only for key milestones and time-sensitive events. Not only will you look good in the papers or on TV, but you’ll look good to the media who covers you.
Always strive to share only newsworthy, timely pitches, and follow these guidelines:

DO pitch:

• A heartwarming success story about someone who made great strides as a result of your organization’s activities

• An annual event, such as a run, walk, or special fundraiser

• A major accomplishment, such as an award or major grant received

When you pitch these, however, realize that they’re not relevant for every outlet, every time. For example, a grant received for a Sacramento nonprofit may be interesting news to the Sacramento Business Journal, but Good Day Sacramento really won’t see a story for its audience there. Learn your outlets before you pitch them.

DON’T pitch:

• An internal announcement that only affects your organization

• A general release about nothing in particular just so you can get your name out there

• A release that has no local angle for the media you’re trying to pitch (no one in L.A. wants to hear about an event in Sacramento)

These few guidelines really only scratch the surface of media relations and press release pitching, but they may help you stand out from the crowd in a positive light when it comes time to make headlines.