Many organizations hold events throughout the year for various reasons, including celebrating an accomplishment, recognizing members, giving awards, fundraising, educating the community, socializing, business networking or any other number of reasons to bring your community together.
There are many opportunities to have your event covered by some form of media, including print, online, television or radio. It is important to plan ahead for media coverage of your events; in some cases, the success of your event will hinge on your success in getting it covered.
For reasons too numerous to list here, you may not be able to secure media attendance at your event. But if you plan accordingly, you can still ensure some level of coverage, both before and after.
Here are three tips to get the best media coverage for your events.
1 Send press releases. Send a media advisory or press release to your target media list announcing the details of your event. Be sure to highlight key people who will be speaking or in attendance. Your media contacts may want to secure an interview, either before or right after your event. Media advisories should be sent about two to three weeks ahead of the event. Post-event press releases are great for a summary and wrap-up of any news or announcements made during the event.
If you have not confirmed a reporter or photojournalist to attend, then it will be important to ensure proper and professional photography of your event. These photos may appear in print, so it is important to hire a professional who can ensure the proper formatting, resolution and lighting. Once you have sent your release and photos, it is important to follow up with the appropriate contacts.
2 Use calendars. Most media outlets offer the opportunity to post your events at no cost on a community calendar. These calendars give you free coverage ahead of time and help to secure greater awareness for your events. Some calendars require a small fee, however, so plan your budget accordingly, especially if that calendar reaches your target audience.
Sometimes the calendar will appear in print and online. Be sure to check back and make sure your event information is listed properly with the correct phone number, e-mail address or web site for registrations.
3 Promote media sponsorships. Create a media sponsorship package that will offer your media partners the opportunity to get in front of your event attendees and increase awareness for their publications, shows or web sites in exchange for some amount of advertising or editorial coverage. Be sure to plan ahead to find the right point of contact for each media outlet and submit your sponsorship proposal.
Keep in mind that media sponsorships are ideal for larger community events that are open to the general public or some particular segment that would be of key interest to your media partners (e.g., business leaders, women, etc.).
These are just a few ways to ensure media coverage for your upcoming event. Brainstorm others, and make sure your event is on everyone’s calendar and at the top of everyone’s mind.
Shara Darden is the principal of Firefly Markting & PR in Ellicott City. She can be contacted at 443-420-8359, shara@soarwithfirefly.com, Twitter @soarwithfirefly or via www.soarwithfirefly.com.
