Volunteer Alberta National Volunteer Week Components of a Media Campaign Media Campaign - Tips for an effective media campaign

n - Media Schedule - Key Messages Media Sponsorship - How to approach a media sponsor - Benefits you can provide a media sponsor - Sponsorship letter News Release and Backgrounder - Tips on writing - Sample news releases - Sample backgrounder - Tips on distributing news releases News Conference - Tips on planning a news conference - Design an interesting program - Sample media invitation Media Kit - Purpose - Contents Other Media Opportunities - Feature shows and interviews - Preparing for radio and television interviews - Arranging photo opportunities - Letters-to-the Editor - Proclamation Public Service Announcements - writing PSAs - sample PSAs - distributing PSAs - Fast Facts (for radio DJs and newspapers) Advertising - negotiating the best rates

Volunteer Alberta National Volunteer Week Tips for Producing an Effective Media Campaign Cultivate a good relationship with your local media all year round. Ensure that media outlets receive your materials in time for their deadlines. (see media schedule) Appoint an official spokesperson. Develop key messages: the most important points you want to communicate. Write them in concise, plain language (see sample key messages) Ensure your print materials are clean, attractive, and easy to read with lots of white space. Be consistent. Ensure that all of your print materials display your key messages, your organizations logo and contact information, as well as the Volunteer Alberta/Wild Rose Foundation joint logo. Media sponsorship Approach a publisher, public service manager or community relations representative about being a media sponsor for your communitys Volunteer Week celebrations. Media sponsors will give you intensive promotion on air or in print some will do this at no cost, most will expect you to provide some advertising dollars, but will then match or exceed your purchase with courtesy advertising. Some tips: - Demonstrate the benefits in sponsoring your event: logo on all promotional material, acknowledged at all events (verbally and in program), good will (giving back to the community), tax receipt for value of in-kind donation. - Prepare to put the request and benefits in writing (see sponsorship letter) - Approach more than one media outlet but DO NOT approach or accept two sponsors of the same type, e.g. one radio station, one newspaper. (You can; however, ask a competitor if the first place turns you down! - Ally with other community volunteer organizations in your region to attract a media sponsor theres unity in numbers and more bang-for-the-buck for them. Public Service Announcements (PSAs) PSAs are short announcements that go in the community calendar or event notice section of your newspaper, are aired on radio or TV community events programs/notice boards, or appear in the form of advertising (unlike advertising there is little or no cost attached). Writing. Writing PSAs for media event listings is straight forward; they should be brief and contain the most important points: who, what, when, where, why and how. Writing PSAs as unpaid ads can be a little trickier. You should be able to write the copy for a newspaper, radio (add sound) or television (add sound and visuals) ad without too much trouble, but you may want to leave production in the hands of a professional, e.g. graphic designer, production studio or your media sponsor. (public service announcements) Distribution. PSAs should not be sent to the news director or editor. Ask for the public service or promotions manager at a radio or TV station, and at a newspaper, look for the name at the top or bottom of the events notices section to see who you should it to.

Volunteer Alberta National Volunteer Week Fast Facts. Radio stations (and even weekly newspapers) will sometimes use interesting facts and stats related to your event, when they have space or time. Weve included a list of Fast Facts you may want to send to DJs or columnists. Add information specific to your volunteers or community at the top.

News releases Media are your conduit to the public you are trying to reach. A news release is a good way to give media information about an upcoming event or awareness campaign related to National Volunteer Week in your community. Some tips in writing media releases: - Keep the release to one page (two at most). - Put the release on your letterhead or create a letterhead. - Include the words News Release and the date of issue flush left. Below that write a heading for your article, use bold or larger font to make it stand out. - Write your release. Your copy should be brief, accurate and specific. Include key information: who, what, where, when, why and how near the beginning, but start the release in a way that will draw their interest, e.g. human interest or local angle, startling statistics. (see sample news releases) - End your release with a brief paragraph about your organization and contact information for the public (phone number, website). End with -30- centered on the page. (Its newspaper lingo for the end.) - Add a media contact person and his/her contact info (title, phone #, email) at the bottom of the release, stacked in a column flush left. - Add detailed information they may want in an attached backgrounder, e.g. brief bios of people nominated for volunteer awards, flyer on a community event, history of Volunteer Week in your community, mandate and history of your organization, history of Volunteer Week in Alberta, history of Volunteer Week in Canada (see sample backgrounder) - Ask someone else to proof your news release and backgrounder to ensure it is clear, understandable and free of spelling or grammar errors. Some tips for distributing media releases: - Develop a contact list of news media in your community and region. Update it every few months and make sure you include phone, fax and email addresses. - Send the release out 2-3 weeks in advance for a weekly newspaper, 1-2 weeks in advance for other media (dailies, radio, television). - Media prefer to receive the release by fax or as an email attachment. - Follow up with the news editor or manager a few days later to ensure the release was received; do not ask them if they will attend your event (they will if they can), but you can try and pitch an interesting angle for a potential story. - Dont be discouraged if one or more media dont pick up the story; they are inundated with story ideas and cannot cover everything.

Volunteer Alberta National Volunteer Week News Conference Only hold a news conference if you have something to unique to give media that they couldnt get from a news release, e.g. special event, opportunity to listen to/interview a celebrity or volunteer award winners, mayor signing the Volunteer Week proclamation, opening of a new volunteer centre. Some tips for holding a news conference: - Create a plan for the event at least four weeks ahead. If the news conference takes place the week before National Volunteer Week, you will get the most coverage. - Develop a written program for the event. Keep the program short, 10-15 minutes, and make sure each speaker presents a different story and knows how long they should speak. Its a good idea to send each speaker a confirming letter or email. - Make sure your program includes an activity with visual appeal to attract television or newspaper photographers, e.g. displays, demonstration, ribbon cutting, activity, etc. Avoid talking heads nothing but speakers. - Add a human interest angle, e.g. communitys oldest and youngest volunteers, volunteer who has donated the most hours. They do not have to speak, but can be acknowledged and available for individual interviews. - Invite media in writing; send a written media invitation by fax or email; follow up with a reminder phone call to key media. (see media invitation) - Allow time for media Q & A and individual interviews at the end. - Choose an interesting setting, e.g. outside city hall for flag raising, inside community center for running event (with runners in background) and invite others to attend so you have an audience. - Ensure the site has enough space for speakers, guests and media, including room for taking photos or filming. Arrange for a podium, microphone, chairs and light refreshments. (In larger centers, you may want to add a media feed.) - Choose a good time for media: early in the week works best (MondayThursday) for day; mid-morning or early afternoon works best for time. - Prepare a media kit (see media kit) and distribute to media as they arrive. After the conference, deliver the kit to key media who do not attend.

Volunteer Alberta National Volunteer Week Media kit A media kit is useful to give to media at a news conference, in advance to interview or feature show hosts, or to media sponsors, i.e., any media who wants to give National Volunteer Week more intensive coverage. Contents of the media kit can vary, but usually include: - news release - backgrounder - fast facts - facts sheets - program or flyer highlighting the weeks activities - program or flyer for a special event, e.g. Awards Night - list of partners and sponsors - brief bios on award nominees, entertainers or other persons of note - your latest newsletter - fact sheet or brochure about your organization - a list of story ideas and related contact information - other contact information (your board, volunteers willing to be interviewed)

Volunteer Alberta National Volunteer Week Other Media Opportunities Feature Shows and Interviews. Be proactive with media; besides sending out a news release, try to arrange for an interview on radio, television or with your local newspaper. All it takes is a media contact name and number, a friendly phone call and a follow-up email. Though you should have one principal spokesperson, make sure that there is an alternate should he/she not be available for an interview request, e.g. chair of Volunteer Week, chair or manager of your local volunteer center, and also have an additional 1-2 people who might make interesting guests on a show: winner of the previous years Volunteer of the Year or Leaders of Tomorrow awards, longest serving volunteer, volunteer with most hours, etc. Studio interviews. A radio or television station may agree to a feature show and want you or other guests to come to the station for a live or taped interview. The producer or host will tell you how early to come and how long your interview will be. Television contacts can give you advice on how to dress. A radio host may open the line for commentary, e.g. Q & A or comments and stories from the public. For more tips, go to radio and television interviews. Phone Interviews. Radio and newspaper interviews may be conducted over the phone. In that case, you can have notes in front of you that contain your key messages, contact information such a phone number or web address, and other pertinent information. Phone interviews are usually short, 5-10 minutes. A newspaper reporter may request an inperson interview, which generally takes longer, 15-30 minutes; make sure you meet in a suitable setting. Newspaper photographers may want to take a photograph so brainstorm some good ideas for photo ops in advance, e.g. Strathcona Countys promotion resulted in a newspaper photo of a utility worker volunteer in a service bucket hanging banners along the light posts. Another idea is a volunteer in action, e.g. a hospital volunteer delivering flowers to a patient. Make sure that verbal consent is given in advance and a signed consent given during the shoot. Other newspaper opportunities. You can also write a letter-to-the-editor to your local newspaper (see sample letter-to-the-editor) or see if they will print a proclamation signed by your mayor, reeve or other official (see sample proclamation); the signing of the proclamation can also be used as the occasion for a media conference.

Volunteer Alberta National Volunteer Week Advertising Advertising copywriting and production will be similar to the steps described under Public Service Announcements. Enhancement Funding provided by Volunteer Alberta and the Wild Rose Foundation can be used toward paid advertising. Try to negotiate the best deal you can so your dollars can stretch further: your charitable status and number will get you the lowest possible rates (often 25-50% off). Also ask about matching ads donated for each ad you pay for, ask about deals/packages for booking multiple ads, and ask about media sponsorship. Since television advertising is very costly, it is recommended you go for radio and newspaper (weekly newspapers are less costly than dailies you will be able to get a small ad for $200-300).

Source: Volunteer Alberta, April 2005 www.volunteeralberta.ab.ca