Community Promotion

Be Media Savvy

Do:

• Be honest and direct.
• Follow up with reporters and other contacts a week after and say “I am (your name) from (name of your organization) following up on the news release that I sent you last week to ensure that you have received it. It is our hope that you will inform your readers about the Abraham Lincoln Day commemoration on February 12 and the programs available to them.”
• Be brief in conversation and voicemail messages, provide your name, organization, and phone number, and state clearly why you are calling.
• Be gracious. There is a fine line between being assertive and being pushy.

Do Not:

• Confuse publicity with advertising.
• Send your Abraham Lincoln Day materials to a media outlet without pinpointing the most appropriate reporters to receive them.
• Send your press release as an attachment to an e-mail (most reporters prefer e-mails with the content embedded in the message).
• Assume that the media will cover your programs. They have many requests for coverage on their desks and need to know why your program deserves attention.

Opportunities:

• Get information about upcoming public meetings (such as PTA meetings and school board sessions) and contact organizers to obtain time on the agenda to give a short public announcement about Abraham Lincoln Day.
• Use your press kit materials as the basis for information packets you may want to send to potential sponsors and partners and hand out at a program or event.