Equipping Yourself to Engage with the Media

Equipping Yourself to Engage with the Media

Today s Discussion Why public relations (cost)? Value of advertising (with no brand, very little) Cost of public relations (inexpensive); Value of public relations (builds brand awareness and allows you to tell stories) What are can you do to prepare? What are best practices? Recommended approach Q&A

As We Go How to get started How to begin contact email, phone? Topics, tips, etc.

What PR can do for you Inform your target about your organization, league, special event, tournament, etc. Drive registration Impact your community Raise awareness (org, healthy, sponsors, etc.) Help your current sponsors see additional value Increase spectators

It can also PR can Generate goodwill and excitement about your event or organization Establish yourself in the community Promote your teams and athletes Highlight individual accomplishments

Get Started Read the newspaper, watch television and listen to the radio this will help you identify who within your local media to contact and what is going on in your area Help you determine what is newsworthy Place introductory calls to build your media lists Contact sports departments at local newspapers and find out who covers soccer or youth sports Contact local television stations and find out who covers local sports Contact local radio stations and find out if there are programs covering youth sports or community events

Interact with the Media When you contact media, state your purpose up front and ask if they have time to speak Don t expect them to be interested Ask about special sections, columns or beats for soccer or youth sport writers Find out their deadlines Determine their preferred methods of communication: E-mail Fax Phone

Inside the Mind of the Media Establish what information they want and how they want it Ask what is important Ask what are their objectives Members of the Media are busy people, help them by preparing information ahead of time: Schedule Rosters Player bios Statistics, graphs, charts, etc.

Youth sports and/or soccer news is not above the fold in today's sports landscape. Understand that a Thursday night league game will probably not yield media coverage. So what is interesting to the media? Human interest stories Play-offs Big events What else? Ask, they'll tell you... Reality Check

Connecting with media Develop a relationship with the media member who covers soccer or youth sports Find out what you can about them Where their interests lie What other sports they cover, etc. Be a resource to the writer Offer them the opportunity to contact you for background information, feedback, perspectives Know their deadlines

Connecting with media Find out their personal information When you feel you have developed a good relationship - ask if they have "another" e-mail address that they might prefer you send information to or a cell phone number that you can call with news and scores as soon as a game ends. Respect the media -They "don't have to cover your team/league" Remember, regardless of how comfortable your relationship becomes you are ALWAYS on the record

Now what? After preparing your media contact list, create a distribution list, either e-mail or fax-based, depending upon media preference, to send out information. Today most prefer email: quick and easy they can avoid errors

The Press Release The press release is a news story that puts an organization or individual in the best light possible, garnering media coverage What factors should be considered when writing? - Short - Sweet - To the Point

Headline Basic components a release The first opportunity to grab an editor s attention It should transmit the core news/message so that the editor immediately knows what the story is about. It should be informative, but not necessarily sensationalized

Headline tips Life is short, put some effort into your headline This is the first thing an editor is going to see and determine if it s worth their time to read Six words or less is ideal, but don t be scared of a longer headline to deliver a message Sometimes humor, puns, clever word play works Remember to lose the jargon ODP, MYSA, USYS, etc.

The Lead Leading off The most important part of a release is the lead paragraph The lead should answer 5 and if possible 6 questions: Who? What? When? Where? How? Why? Answer What happened? and Why should the reader care? in one or two short sentences. Remember, you do NOT have to explain everything in the lead. That s what the body of the release is for.

Basic Components the Body Make your case The body of your release should bolster and explain the points you made in the lead. Fully describe your story You might include a quote or two providing further definition or endorsement Define or remind writers who you are If you have a web address, remember to add The boilerplate should offer a brief description of your organization

Boilerplate Try to tell your organizations highlights in a few sentences. About US Youth Soccer US Youth Soccer The Game for ALL Kids! is the largest youth sports organization in the United States and member of the US Soccer Federation, the governing body of soccer in America. US Youth Soccer registers more than 3.2 million players annually, ages 5 to 19, and over 900,000 administrators, coaches and volunteers in 55 member state associations. US Youth Soccer programs provide a fun, safe and healthy environment for players at every level of the game. For more please visit www.usyouthsoccer.org.

Some keys to writing, distributing releases Try to keep the release to one page. Don t confuse background with the essentials Stay away from hype, keep the article factual. Avoid the superlatives and adjectives E-mail it, If your contact accepts e-mail to save time and avoid errors Other than in the case of trademarked names, never use caps. Editors have to take the time to convert all caps to regular type Always write from a journalists perspective. Never use I or we unless it s in a quote

Include contact information at the top of your release (cell phone, email are best) Follow up with a phone call within a day or two to confirm that the release was received Read good newspaper writing, such as the USA Today and your local paper to get a feel for good writing and what is newsworthy

Pitching tips What s in it for me? so what Customize your release to every outlet you pitch I know who you are. I ve read your magazine/paper. I know what you need. Here it is. Avoid using words and phrases that will anger editors excited, unique, greatest. Write like a reporter read the news and notice how reporters write about topics, products and services similar to yours. Sweat the details inaccurate info, spelling errors, incorrect grammar and other faux pas will put your release in the garbage and negatively effect your credibility.

Some keys to remember with photos If you have a photo to go with your story, make a note at the top of your release. PHOTO(S) AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST Ask the media outlet if they prefer digital or film photography If film and you want a photo back, include a self-addressed, stamped envelope If digital send photos in a JPG at 200 to 300 dpi resolution. If you re in doubt, call the publication and confirm their requirements.

What s your angle? You have your media lists You know what your press release must contain You know how to get it to the right person What are you going to write about?