California Family Health Council (CFHC) recently had ABC7 pick up a story about a new text messaging program called Hookup due to steady and persistent promotion. Broadcasted to thousands of viewers, the story included an interview with CFHC President and CEO Margie Fites Seigle and CFHC Director of Clinical and Community Health Programs Maryjane Puffer.

Thanks to the ABC7 coverage, the Hookup has been featured on YouTube and, in addition to being passed around by thousands through cyberspace, is now prominently displayed on the CFHC home website (www.cfhc.org) as well as the CFHC website focused towards teens (www.TeenSource.org).

Tips on Increasing Media Awareness

Busy non-profits perform many important services within the course of a year. The idea of spending time and money on efforts to increase awareness of services is daunting. However, there are many free ways to educate your community about the great things that you do. Attracting the media’s attention can greatly increase the scope of your message.

Share!

Distribute updates to your affiliates via email, Facebook, Twitter, at conferences and meetings, and when you speak with them on the phone. The more people know about what you do, the more people will learn about what you do, and buzz creates news stories.

Meet the Press.

Contact your local news station and meet the reporters in order to establish yourself as a source. Update the reporters with events and products at your organization, and contact them whenever you have comments on issues in your community that are relevant to your organization.

Make your Website Reporter-Friendly.

If you have a website, create a page especially for the media and update it regularly with press releases. Include the phone number or email of a person at your organization that the media can contact with questions.

Participate in Current Events.

Encourage your Director, President, CEO or other key people in your organization to submit opinion pieces or letters to the editor of local or national news sources. If your organization employs experts in your field, encourage them to offer their expert opinions or advice on current events or subjects of interest in your community.

Find Your Story.

Look for the human-interest aspect of what you do. Who has been positively affected by your services? Is there a yearly event that you host, or a charitable cause to which you contribute? You know that your organization has value because you see it every day. How can you portray that value to the media?

Want to Learn More?

Check out the collaborative website CFHC has designed with STD Control Branch for a helpful toolkit entitled Youth Social Marketing Toolkit:  A Step-by-Step Guide to Social Marketing for Community Groups Who Work with Youth.

A wonderful resource for publicity is Joan Stewart at The Publicity Hound. You can find her articles online on a variety of subjects.

Network for Good is also a good source, and provides trainings on fundraising and spreading your story. .

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