irish sailing association - how to promote your club/organisation
TRANSCRIPT
National Conference & Awards Dinner 2010
www.sailing.ie
Promoting Your Organisation
Markham NolanFreelance Journalist
This is what we’re up against
Where is your organisation?
• What percentage of your locals know the club/school exists?
• How many could give directions to it?• How many have been inside the building?• How do you reckon they’d describe it?• How would you LIKE them to describe it?
GOALS
“Without goals you’re just kicking a ball down a big
grass rectangle”
GOALS
• Keeping Sponsors Happy
GOALS
• Keeping Sponsors Happy• Promoting Own Events
GOALS
• Keeping Sponsors Happy• Promoting Own Events• Celebrating Achievements
GOALS
• Keeping Sponsors Happy• Promoting Own Events• Celebrating Achievements• Lobbying for Interests
GOALS
• Keeping Sponsors Happy• Promoting Own Events• Celebrating Achievements• Lobbying for Interests• Attract new Members/Clients
GOALS• Keeping Sponsors Happy• Promoting Own Events• Celebrating Achievements• Lobbying for Interests• Attract new Members/Client• Mobilise/retain existing membership
BECOME THE NEWS
OLD MEDIAv.
NEW MEDIA
OLD MEDIAv.
NEW MEDIA
(Old doesn’t mean bad, by the way)
What’s the difference?
OLD• One-way• Shotgun approach• Struggle• Expensive• Finds the target
NEW• Interactive• Sniper-like• Simple• Free• Target finds it
Tried and Tested
88% of Irish adults read a newspaper
(That’s 3.1 million people)
Stop Press
“It’s not about getting into the newspaper.
It’s about getting into the journalists’ heads”
Old Media Rule #1
Journalists are lazy gits DEAL WITH IT
Old Media Rule #1(Journalists are lazy gits dealing with it)
Provide the kind of content they like/needPics Good/Bad/Ugly Good Press ReleasesBe available for commentResults, results, results ON TIME PLEASE
Old Media Rule #1(Journalists are lazy gits dealing with it)
Don't expect them to come out to youNever snort at a phonecallAlways have contact details availableGive notice
Old Media Rule #1(Journalists are lazy gits dealing with it)
Make it easy for them to find youAll information online, up-to-date, relevantMaps where possibleGoogle Small Business Centre
Number one, loads of info…
..and we didn’t pay a penny
Old Media Rule #1(Journalists are lazy gits dealing with it)
Make it easy for them to find materialPut photos onlineCaption the photosResults online
Old Media Rule #2
Know who you're pitching to
Old Media Rule #2(Know who you’re pitching to)
Do your homework on who does what in a paperNews v SportYou can be both, not at the same timeKnow the deadlines and working hours Don't be afraid to ask when is good
BECOME THE NEWS
Old Media Rule #2(Know who you’re pitching to)
Tailor your content to the outletWrite a good press releaseRemember the local media
Old Media Rule #3
EVERYONE LOVES FREEBIES
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Old Media Rule #3(Everyone Loves Freebies)
• Honorary memberships• Burger me senseless• (Open Days/fun regattas)• Be creative
Old Media Rule #4
Keep Holy the Sabbath
Old Media Rule #4(Keep Holy the Sabbath)
Monday's paper is written on Sunday
Nothing newsy happens on Sunday
GET IN THERE
THE PRESS RELEASE“Message for you, sir”
YOU ARE NOT WRITING A NOVEL
"From here you will be treated to a spectacle that will take your breath away. When all fifty yachts round the windward
mark and hoist their magnificently kite-like spinnakers, you will be met with an
eruption of colour, which will be etched in your memory for ever.”
(Actual press release to Afloat magazine)
YOU ARE NOT FUNNY, EITHER
(nor should you try to be)
Press Release Elements• Snappy, informative
headline (subject line)• All text in body of email,
NEVER just in a Word Doc attachment
• Punchiest, most sellable point of information up front
• Attributable quotes
• Clear detail on dates, numbers, any costs, etc
• "For more information" phone number
• Background info last thing of all
• GOOD picture if you have one (.jpeg format >500KB filesize)
BECOME THE NEWS
Embargoed PRs• PR people think placing an embargo on
something makes it seem exclusive
• Journalists think placing an embargo on makes the PR person FEEL exclusive
To Hire a Pro?
• For MAJOR events only• Hire someone with a journalistic
background if you want into the news• Shop around• Don’t go for a buddy - this is business
PERSONALISED PRESS RELEASES
• Only if you know the journalist, or have an idea that they might be interested
• Don't mail-merge it• Follow up with a phonecall
Sending In Pictures Is it an action shot?
Are faces visible in it?Does it include a caption/names?No head/shoulder/trophy photos?
Is it bigger than 500KB?Is it in .jpeg/.jpg format?
What makes this a good photo?
Space to lay text over it
<Rul
e of
th
irds>
Faces visible Lots of colour
Action fills the frame
Why is this a bad photo?
OVERWHELMINGLY GREYTiny area of action
Very far from the action
One face, partly visible
To Hire a Pro?
• You will get great quality shots• No need for them to be a marine photog• Opportunity for members’ vanity shots• Be clear RE: re-use rights, press use• Be clear about what you want• Cover as much ground as possible
Make pics available
• Post them online using free sites:– www.flickr.com– www.pix.ie
• Encourage members to add to galleries
WHAT ABOUT VIDEO?
Great for newcomersGives great idea of what goes on
Sign up for Youtube
It’s freeIt’s simpleEveryone knows itEncourages sharing
Using Video
• Simple camera• Prepare the subject• Keep it brief• Keep it light• Go close up• Think of background
WHY PUT ALL THIS MATERIAL UP ONLINE?
• 905,980 people in Ireland on Facebook. • 612,380 people aged 25 + (67%)• 399,440 people are age 30+ (44%)• 134,660 people are age 40+ (14%)
Stats as of August 2009
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Your members are already on FacebookThey are sharing videos on FacebookThey are sharing pics on FacebookThey are organising events through FacebookThey are joining groups in Facebook
Should they be sharing YOUR videos, YOUR pics?Should you be announcing YOUR events on Facebook?
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• Set up a week before this pic was taken
• Nationals being organised through the site
• Boats being sold in the discussion forums
• Journalist (me) using it to find contacts for a story for Afloat
BE CONSISTENT
• www.facebook.com/markhamnolan• www.flickr.com/markhamnolan• www.youtube.com/markhamnolan• www.linkedin.com/markhamnolan• www.twitter.com/markhamnolan• www.slideshare.com/markhamnolan
BE CONSISTENTWORKS FOR ORGANISATIONS, TOO
• www.twitter.com/AfloatMagazine• www.facebook.com/AfloatMagazine• www.youtube.com/AfloatMagazine• www.afloat.ie
WEBSITES ARE EASY
This is not good enough
Look down here(and it’s not even a link tothe actual website)
Just like MS Word…
Golden Rules For Websites•All material nice and fresh
(use it or lose it)•Contact details on every page
•Contact details up to date•MAKE IT RELEVANT
•MAKE IT EASY•USE FREE STUFF & INTEGRATE
Want to know [email protected]
[email protected] 2570 320www.expad.ie
www.slideshare.com/markhamnolan
3 Park Road, Dun Laoghaire
Co. Dublin, Ireland
T: +353 (0)1 280 0239 F: +353 (0)1 280 7558
E: [email protected] W: www.sailing.ie
www.sailing.ie
Sport for all, Sport for Life
Contact Jennie Newitte: [email protected]
t: 01 271 0111
Good Online resources
Damien Mulley on Communications Bibles:http://tinyurl.com/mulleybible
Journalists on Press Releases:http://tinyurl.com/weckreleasehttp://tinyurl.com/scanrelease
More ideas on promoting sports clubs:http://tinyurl.com/growclub
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