PR & Media Relations A Resource Guide for Rotary Clubs

Public Relations at its root level is all interactions that a Rotary Club has with both its members and the general public. There are four primary forms of PR communications. Internal Communications – Club Members External Communications – District & International RI – General Public Media Relations Social Media WHAT IS PUBLIC RELATIONS?

WHY IS BRANDING IMPORTANT? Rotary clubs have to maintain a united, consistent image if we every expect non- Rotarians to know who we are!!

USE THE RESOURCES ON ROTARY.ORG

USE THE RESOURCES ON DISTRICT5300.ORG

Public Relations Committee Chair – Oversees all committee members and execution of club PR efforts while ensuring brand consistency. – This person serves on the board of directors. Media Relations Coordinator (Publicist) – Handles all media inquiries, outreach, training, etc. Social Media Coordinator – Manages the club’s presence on all social media platforms. Website Coordinator – Manages the club’s website and ensures it is updated on a regular and timely basis. WHO SHOULD BE ON YOUR PR COMMITTEE?

District/RI Relations Coordinator – Manages all communications amongst the Rotary community outside of the the club. – Responsible for identifying opportunities to submit club news to district and RI websites, calendars, publications, etc.. Club Communications Coordinator – Responsible for creating club newsletter. – Creates and distributes flyers as needed. WHO SHOULD BE ON YOUR PR COMMITTEE? (CONTINUED)

If you don’t have… RECRUIT! Public Relations encompasses a lot of highly specialized fields that to be most effective, required specialized skills. If you feel overwhelmed… Don’t! Use these open positions as an opportunity to recruit members from the community to join your club! RECRUITING YOUR PR COMMITTEE

Rotary is a leadership organization. Made up of local business, professional and civic leaders. We meet regularly, get to know each other, form friendships, and through that we’re able to get things done in the community. Add your personal touch. –What makes your club different? –What causes do you support? SAMPLE ELEVATOR SPEECH

WHAT YOU WANT Increased visibility for your club. Promote your event. Increased attendance for your event. More advertisers. More readers, viewers, listeners, etc. VS. WHAT THE MEDIA WANTS The key is to show how your needs meet their wants! They get this by providing content that is timely, relevant and of interest to their readers.

WHEN TO SEND PRESS RELEASES & MEDIA ALERTS What is the primary purpose of the release? To Inform About Something That Has Already Occurred To Invite The Public To An Upcoming Event Invite Media to Attend & Cover an Event Not Open to the Public Press Release Sent ASAP After Announcement/Event Do you want media to also attend the event? Press Release Sent 3+ Weeks Prior & Media Alert Sent The Day Before & Of The Event No Yes Media Alert Sent Day Before and Day of Event Press Release Sent 3+ weeks before the event

THINK OF THE 5 W’s

SAMPLE PRESS RELEASE

SAMPLE MEDIA ALERT

Send in the body of release, not as an attachment. Spam filters often flag s with attachments, so your message may not be delivered. Rather than just typing “News Release” in the subject line, include what the news release is about. Take the time to find the appropriate person; your release directly to an individual reporter rather than to a media outlet’s general address. TIPS FOR SENDING PRESS RELEASES & MEDIA ALERTS

GET TO KNOW YOUR LOCAL MEDIA Best way to create a media list is to recruit a publicist into a leadership role with your club… But if you don’t have one: – Research “contact us” pages online. – Take a look at mastheads of print publications. – Connect with your favorite journalist on social media. Other ways to get the media involved with your club: – Take a reporter to lunch. – Invite a reporter/anchor to your Club. – Invite a reporter/anchor to host or emcee your event.