RESOURCES...
How to get better press coverage for your philatelic society
1) Make a file of local press contacts:
Look at your local newspaper's website. Work out which reporter covers the area where you meet, or writes the regular column or corner where you're most likely to get coverage. If it's not clear, ring the newsdesk and ask. Once you find out, take any opportunity to make friends with them.
Collect phone numbers and email addresses, and find out what days deadlines fall on.
Don't forget about local TV and radio.
2) Write a great press release:
A regular 'what the society did' write-up is unlikely to get in, unless your paper often covers similar stories, or has a dedicated column for it.
So first of all, you need a news angle - an exhibition at the local library, a fundraising idea, Smilers for your society. The annual cup might just cut it.
Put this angle in the first line of your press release. Don't think about what you write from a collector's viewpoint, think about it from the public's point of view. What's the most unusual/rarest/most valuable material in the display? Are you raising money for an important local charity? Are you representing your town on a national or international stage?
Keep it brief and to the point. At the end, state where and when the society meets, and 'for more information contact...' Make sure the person named as the contacted is happy to handle enquiries from the general public.
3) Include a relevant photo:
Everyone in it should be looking towards the camera and smiling. Show them doing things: pointing out something in a display, holding the Smilers, handing over a cup. Consider what appears in the foreground and background. You may have to do retakes! Everyone shown should be named in a caption.
Digital images are best, at a resolution of 300dpi (there should be an option on your scanner/camera).
4) Phone the press (not on deadline day):
Sound enthusiastic, tell them briefly who you're calling from and why: 'I'm from Anytown Philatelic Society and I want to send you a press release about our special event'. Be prepared to answer questions.
Then send the press release, by email if possible. The phone call means your email won't just be one of many that gets binned.
5) Hope:
A lot of things govern whether or not your press release gets into print. Keep an eye on the papers, and if does get in, cut it out, with the date, and stick it in a scrapbook.
6) Thank the reporter:
Journalists like to be appreciated. A short 'Thanks for the coverage, it looks great' means the reporter will think kindly of you next time you contact them.
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