Most local newspapers are looking for newsworthy stories. It is easier than you might think to get free publicity through the local media.
Here are some recommended steps:
- Prepare a simple ‘media kit’ that includes a brief overview of the church (it should tell an exciting story), a letter from the senior minister, and any first touch materials you have. You could create a special video that can be put on DVD that includes footage from previous events and a short introduction from the senior pastor. The DVD should function like a 60-second commercial. As an alternative, the video commercial could be put on your web site and referenced from the media kit.
- Get to know the editors and community reporters for each local newspaper. If possible, also get to know the programming director at local radio stations. Give them a copy of your media kit.
- Get to know the activities director and communications director of key local organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce, Home Owners Associations, etc. Most public organizations have an Activities and/or a Marketing & PR person. Give them a copy of your media kit.
- Maintain contact information for everyone in the community who has anything to do with marketing and PR (from steps 2 and 3 above).
- Prepare a press release for all community events and news worthy stories associated with the church. Be disciplined in this. Think of the collection of press releases as a history journal of the new church. Press releases can be as short as one paragraph. Send these press releases to all your Marketing/PR contacts. Most of these groups have a special fax or email for this purpose. Again, be diligent in this. It will pay dividends.
- Leverage your relationship with the people in actions 2 – 4 above. For significant events, call and talk them, or better, meet with them. Share the vision and help them see the value in reporting the story.
- Issue a press release for your opening services. Get a reporter to agree to cover the story. Ideally you would have a story run before opening day and one run after opening day.
Here’s a great tool that I found on the internet. If you submit the text of your press release on their web site, they will evaluate it and provide an effectiveness score. “This score is based upon basic factors from public relations experts including the language and content of the release, plus advanced factors from Internet marketing experts such as links and search engine optimization characteristics.”
Write on!
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