Free Publicity for Non-Profits? It Does Exist.
With budgets and the economy tighter than ever, many if not most non-profits will freely and openly tell you they have virtually no PR budget. If they don't have a public relations person on staff or haven't already eliminated a similar position due to the economy, odds are a non-profit has little money for outside public relations help.
So what is the best way for a very deserving not-for-profit organization to get free publicity and public relations help, especially around a particular campaign or event? We've compiled a few tips that we hope will be helpful.
1. Ask a local PR agency (or two, or three if necessary) if they do pro bono work. Even if they say no now, they may say yes later. Build those relationships early.
2. Get to know your local media and keep their contact information on file. Send them a letter introducing yourself and ask for time to meet one-on-one to talk to them about what your organization does. Plant the seed of knowledge in their heads. The more personally you get to know them, the more likely they are to turn to you when it's time to do a story related to your cause.
3. Approach a college communications or public relations department to request help or inquire about interns.
4. Write and post online articles and press releases to some of the thousands of online article sites to get your organization's name and purpose more in the public eye. Here are some of the top article sites, and here is a link of 500+ online article sites. Don't forget to add a link back to your own website.
5. Host a Media Tour or Media Day for your organization. An especially good time to host this event is around a fundraising campaign or event that either takes place once or on an annual basis.
6. Invest time - an hour or two a day - in social media. Create a Twitter profile and interact with other local organizations and entities. Create a Facebook fan page and invite others to join. Establishing a social media presence is key for non-profits, and it's free PR at your fingertips. Click here for some great slides on getting started.
7. Don't be afraid to pick up the phone and call the TV newsroom (ask to speak to a producer) or radio station (ask to speak to a program director). Tell them about your non-profit and your event and ask if there is opportunity to talk about it on-air. The worst they can do is say no, and let's face it, people feel bad when they have to turn a non-profit down.
Check out the Main Street Non-profit PR blog for many more informational tips.
So what is the best way for a very deserving not-for-profit organization to get free publicity and public relations help, especially around a particular campaign or event? We've compiled a few tips that we hope will be helpful.
1. Ask a local PR agency (or two, or three if necessary) if they do pro bono work. Even if they say no now, they may say yes later. Build those relationships early.
2. Get to know your local media and keep their contact information on file. Send them a letter introducing yourself and ask for time to meet one-on-one to talk to them about what your organization does. Plant the seed of knowledge in their heads. The more personally you get to know them, the more likely they are to turn to you when it's time to do a story related to your cause.
3. Approach a college communications or public relations department to request help or inquire about interns.
4. Write and post online articles and press releases to some of the thousands of online article sites to get your organization's name and purpose more in the public eye. Here are some of the top article sites, and here is a link of 500+ online article sites. Don't forget to add a link back to your own website.
5. Host a Media Tour or Media Day for your organization. An especially good time to host this event is around a fundraising campaign or event that either takes place once or on an annual basis.
6. Invest time - an hour or two a day - in social media. Create a Twitter profile and interact with other local organizations and entities. Create a Facebook fan page and invite others to join. Establishing a social media presence is key for non-profits, and it's free PR at your fingertips. Click here for some great slides on getting started.
7. Don't be afraid to pick up the phone and call the TV newsroom (ask to speak to a producer) or radio station (ask to speak to a program director). Tell them about your non-profit and your event and ask if there is opportunity to talk about it on-air. The worst they can do is say no, and let's face it, people feel bad when they have to turn a non-profit down.
Check out the Main Street Non-profit PR blog for many more informational tips.
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2 comments:
Its #6 that scares nonprofits the most. Its hard for them to justify the time with shrinking staffs.
We would agree to this. When writing the post, we felt compelled to include social media, but thought about how wide open and involved that category is. It can truly suck away precious staff time and energy. So that brings up a new question - how much time should non-profits put into social media, if any? Is it a passing fad?
Thanks for the comment. ;)
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