Every now and then, nonprofits need help in getting their message out to the public. As someone who’s supported many causes, I’ve always felt that there should be more media coverage about the great work that the people behind these amazing initiatives are doing.
Here are 5 tips to help you get your nonprofit covered by a news journalist, and get more publicity for your cause.
1). Tell your story
Behind every cause is a personal story. One of the most effective ways to get your nonprofit in the news is to tell journalists the reason you are championing your cause. Everyone wants to hear about real people like them who are affected by an issue.
2). Find the right reporter
Journalists tend to only cover particular areas of interest, so make sure you have an idea of what beat they’re covering before asking them to write about you. Read some of the articles they’ve written, notice the types of stories they write and the people they write about.
3). Think like a journalist
When pitching your story to journalists, remember that they’re looking to cover stories that are newsworthy. Before sending your message, think about why this particular journalist would want to know about your story. How can they benefit from covering it? Why would their audience be interested hearing about your cause?
4). Keep pitches short and relevant
Remember, journalists are on tight deadlines and can’t afford to be reading long sets of emails. When you pitch, keep it short, but make sure you let them know why it fits in with the topics they cover. Also, it helps to link to a couple of related articles they’ve written, to show that you’ve taken the time to learn about them.
5). Be credible
When a journalist chooses to cover your story, they are publicly vouching for you. Would you support someone who doesn’t seem trustworthy? A well-written, engaging and frequently updated website, blog and social media presence is a great way for journalists to view you as an expert on yourcause and they’ll be more likely to cover your story. Once you do get covered by a journalist, follow up with a thank you call or email. Think about how you feel after someone thanks you for doing something?
This builds up your relationship for the next time you need your nonprofit to get your nonprofit into the news. Over to you now. Have you ever been covered by the press? What do you think about the tips I mentioned here?What methods have you used that worked, and what didn’t? Let’s start the discussion below.
Image Source : Street interview
Amit Verma 
Aline Hanle 
Aryani Dian 
Nancy Perkins 
Angela Paige 
