(How) Publicity Works!
Many people use the terms marketing and publicity interchangeably, so it is important to understand the difference. Marketing is an umbrella term for all outreach methods, such as advertising, newsletters, websites, sponsorships, and finally, publicity. Ideally, all of these elements should work in concert to reinforce the overall messages the organization is trying to communicate. Publicity is getting the word out to your audience using the editorial press, including print media, radio, television, and websites. To wage an effective publicity campaign requires understanding your organization s goals and then creating a plan to make them happen.
GOALS OF PUBLICITY
Everybody claims that they "just want more publicity," but to be effective you must have a message that the press will find newsworthy and timely. The word "message" sounds very big and daunting, but do not worry. The message can be as simple as announcing a gala screening, or as grand and complex as raising awareness of the value of arts education in public schools. No matter what the message is, it must be timely and newsworthy to garner press attention. And you have to be confident in your message and let it lead your efforts at all times. Event-based publicity is somewhat easier to do, given its short-term nature. Getting broader, organizational attention is a much tougher achievement. By doing a good job with the short-term goals, you can develop the relationships necessary for the long run, when you will need deeper, harder-hitting stories.
Most organizations seem to be able to get the word out to their basic audience. The challenges lie in looking beyond that - for example, convincing a viewer who has never looked beyond a multiplex or a Blockbuster video store to try something different. Use publicity not just to get that person to see something new and edgy, but to understand how vital a complex and varied arts culture is to society. Or use publicity to build your audience and to get new funders and government agencies to support your mission.
UNDERSTANDING THE PRESS AND YOUR AUDIENCE I think many of us in the nonprofit arena have an idealized vision of the press as objective reporters of truth - and many of them are. However, as we all know, the press is a for-profit business, one with conflicting goals of reporting the news and making a profit at the same time. For example, newspapers must sell ads to survive. To get good ad contracts, they must keep their circulation high. To keep circulation up, they feature sexy stories and heart-rending tragedies. In the arts, of course, coverage is often celebrity-driven. Plus, at most papers, budgets and staffing are being slashed, requiring fewer people to do more in less time. This harsh reality really hits home when you are trying to get attention for an event that doesn t involve a Scorsese or a Spielberg, or are promoting the importance of arts education in economically-disadvantaged neighborhoods. Since the press likes to focus on the sexy and the tragic, they only tend to notice nonprofit arts when a filmmaker gets into Sundance or when one of our organizations is in danger of closing or eviction. It doesn t help matters that when we ourselves are overworked, we often go with the easiest angle.
When we are constantly confronted by this vicious cycle, how do we get the more substantial coverage that we need? How do we rewrite the narrative that the media is creating? And how do we compete with for-profit behemoths backed up by big PR firms and bigger budgets? The tough answer is that you have to make increased publicity a priority and create a strategy to make it happen.
It is imperative to consider all forms of media when devising your press strategies and campaigns, and to understand that everyone interacts with the media differently. Some people prefer newspapers, others radio, and still others websites. I m still a print junkie, and I watch a little news on TV in the morning, but I rarely listen to the radio. A younger friend of mine never looks at newspapers, and my partner s aunt only listens to public radio and never watches television. And, believe it or not, one event-going, donation-making friend of mine is a self-proclaimed Luddite who does not own a computer and has never used the Internet.
PLANNING A CAMPAIGN
Okay, a commitment has been made to get more and better publicity to increase awareness of the organization s mission or upcoming events. Now it is time to make a plan of action.
First, identify the audience and relevant media outlets. It helps to keep a database of important media outlets, as well as key editors and writers who will be interested in your news. Remember to think broadly. If you focus on just one or two major outlets, you might be disappointed to discover that all you get is a listing. Include neighborhood newspapers, college radio stations, and every other outlet you can identify. Also, look beyond the arts-writers to reporters who cover education, technology, or other relevant areas. If your message is specifically related to target audience, target the appropriate media. To publicize, say, a Russian film, make sure you know which media the local Russian community is paying attention to.
Second, consider the deadlines. Monthly magazines often have very long lead times. If your news is happening in September, plan to approach monthlies as early as June. Because of these lead times, it often makes more sense to focus on faster-breaking outlets like daily and weekly newspapers, radio, and the web. Television outlets have wildly varying lead times. News broadcasts often make their decisions on the day of an event, whereas magazine-style shows sometimes plan weeks in advance.
Third, prepare your materials. Write a press release that includes all the important and relevant information, including a release date and a contact person. Have at least two or three good images to supply to the press. (If these are .jpeg files, make sure they are at least three-by-four inches in dimension with a resolution of at least 300 dpi. Always ask permission before e-mailing a large .jpeg file.) If a film or video is involved, make screeners or B-roll footage available to the press for check-out or for specially scheduled screenings. If there is time, expand these materials into a complete press kit, which might also contain supplemental materials, fact sheets, reports, or any other relevant information.
One surefire simple and inexpensive method is to send out Public Service Announcements (PSAs) to television and radio stations on a regular basis. Keep in mind that most PSAs need to be received at least four-to-six weeks ahead of your target date. If you have the resources, you can also film a short PSA for television or provide clips for them to use.
After all of this, you are ready to send out the materials and do the all-important follow-up. For budgetary and strategic reasons, you probably don t want to send everything to everyone. Often a press release is all that is needed to whet a reporter s appetite. Send out the press release, make follow-up calls, and then send out photos and full press kits to people whom you entice to cover the news or event.
LONG-TERM PLANNING
Creating a long-range plan is very important. Without one, you are randomly trying to pitch the same types of stories and events over and over. Think about the different areas your organization might need to promote and give each a special window of time during which you try to get coverage.
For your long-term planning, accept that results don t have to happen overnight. Think in terms of what you want to accomplish over the next year or two. Focus on developing relationships by the end of the year with one or two important writers or editors in your town. When you see an article that you admire, e-mail the author and let him or her know. This is a big job, so delegate the work. Perhaps assign each principal at your organization one or two key media relationships to develop. Find an intern who can focus on developing materials - a company-history fact sheet, headshots, a press room on your website - to support your publicity efforts.
By planning in advance, you can figure out where connections might be made. For instance, maybe you want to promote a program that brings artists and curators into high schools. Find out when the school budgets are due - because arts funding is always at risk - and pitch your program as a solution to the budget crunch. By allowing more time for planning, you are giving yourself many more options.
MAKING IT HAPPEN
Publicity is all about the follow-up calls. Writers get so much information dumped on them each and every day that a follow-up call is absolutely necessary to get your announcement or pitch letter noticed. Your call could be the start of a beautiful relationship! Remember, in the end, the relationships you ve taken time to develop are the ones that really pay off.
That first call can be a tough one. Don t start off by asking, "Did you get my press release?" They probably did, and they probably don t remember it. Have your press release in front of you, ready to be faxed or e-mailed immediately if necessary. When telling them your news, have two or three good hooks that might engage them. I also let them know about any resources I can provide: images, interviews, screener tapes, etc. Keep your call short and to the point, and finish by letting them know what actions you will take and when you will follow up with them again.
Learn to be a resource to writers. If they only have a press release on their desk (among a few dozen other press releases, most likely), they may overlook it. If they have a press release, a good photo, a screener tape, and a fact sheet, then you are helping them get their job done. All they need is a follow-up call and an offer to provide additional resources - maybe an interview if relevant. As they come to know you as a reliable source of good materials and information, on a regular basis, you are well on your way to a good relationship.
The good news is, once a relationship is set up, writers often call you when they receive your press release because they know you to be dependable. Don t be afraid to work with junior reporters, either. These people are often tomorrow s editors.
There is so much to say about nonprofit and issue-oriented publicity that one could write a book about it. And in fact there is a terrific book for those who want to go further. I highly recommend SPIN Works!, a pragmatic guide published by the San Francisco-based Spin Project . I ve read a couple dozen books on publicity, all of them very out of touch with the nonprofit world. This is the first book I ve come across that says it all, from how to write a press release to thinking strategically about your message.
COREY EUBANKS is a freelance arts publicist specializing in nonprofit arts and gay/lesbian media.
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