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Tips and Advice for Publicizing Your Program
 Congress is listening! Elected officials and their staff regularly watch local television reports and read local newspapers. Getting your program in the public eye is an excellent way to make sure those same officials understand the value of your RIF program. Plus, it’s not just Congress that’s listening; by starting a publicity campaign you will also get the attention of people in the community interested in volunteering, donating, or advocating on behalf of RIF.
To help you as you plan and carry out your publicity campaign, we’ve put together these resources and tips. You may use these resources to publicize a book festival, celebration, reading motivation event, or other activities that highlight your program.
Publicity Resources:
- Tip Sheet: Ten Steps to Publicizing Your RIF Program
Getting publicity requires a little planning and some effective contact-building. Follow these ten steps to develop a system for keeping in touch with the local media.
- Press Release
Draft press releases to let the media know something is happening or has happened recently.
- Backgrounder
Give reporters the facts about RIF using a backgrounder—sometimes called a fact sheet. This one-page document will inform the media about RIF and how it impacts your local community.
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Media Advisory
Use the media advisory to invite local media to an event, such as a book distribution, a motivational activity, or special recognition ceremony.
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RIF Talking Points
Not sure what to say? Put together a list of talking points ahead of time to ensure you don’t leave anything out when giving interviews or making pitch calls to the media.
As you plan and carry out publicity campaigns, keep in mind two basic principles:
- Long-term relationships get results.
One of the most important tenets of publicity is to develop relationships with members of the media. Don’t wait for an event to introduce your program to the media—offer yourself as a resource from the very beginning. Start a dialogue by sending your media targets an introductory letter and a backgrounder about your RIF program, and then contact them periodically with information and updates. You can also develop long-term relationships with the media by inviting them to participate in your RIF program’s motivational activities or even to help plan and direct committees.
If you live in a metropolitan area and have difficulty getting the attention of the major news outlets, look to other smaller outlets such as the local weekly community papers, talk radio shows, and cable access programs.
- Three words: repetition, repetition, repetition.
The more often you send out information about your program into the community, the more likely your audience is to tune into what RIF is doing for the community. The media will be more likely to cover your events and issues. And as a result, your program will gain important name recognition and begin to build a solid, supportive network within the community. |
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