I must be watching too much TV lately but I’ve been intrigued by the publicists that so skillfully craft an image for a celebrity or politician and positively influence public opinion. It’s got me thinking about how great it would be if every nonprofit had its own publicist!
We’re all busy right now pursuing donors, searching for volunteers or recruiting new board members for our nonprofit organizations. Again and again, we hear that it is essential that we get the case for support for our nonprofit out to the community in order to get people involved with our work. But exactly, how do we do that in a cost effective and efficient manner? Good news-- tools do exist to help us!
Great publicists are great storytellers. They use stories to communicate an image and identity, and to influence public opinion and behavior. Nonprofits can take a lesson by sharing their own stories. Success stories that illustrate our work capture the attention of the reader and have a more lasting impact. Use of testimonials help document our community benefit and reinforce a positive image and identity. The more positive visibility we obtain, the more success we’ll derive from fundraising and volunteer recruitment strategies.
So, the first step is to begin collecting those stories and testimonials. Obtain written client permission to share clients’ experiences and use quotes. Weave these stories into your solicitation letters, brochures, website, and other communication vehicles.
And then, get these stories out to the media. A wonderful news release toolkit is available through Knight Communications and is in the NorthSky Resource Center. The toolkit walks you through the process of creating a news release and provides some practical tips.
Take advantage of a free webinar at TechSoup on Social Media and Storytelling and learn more about how you can become a great publicist for your nonprofit.
Share your experience and suggestions by joining our discussion…
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A brief but touching story can be your most effective marketing tool. Real People Media can help your organization with its video and web marketing campaign. Done correctly, video is inexpensive and effective. Real People Media producer, Rebecca Glotfelty offers an one hour class on "Interviewing for the promotional and historical video" for nonprofit organizations located in Northwest Lower Michigan. Glotfelty has been a producer/director for the last 15 years and helped produce numerous programs for the W.K Kellogg Foundation. Her program, The Four Direction and the Waganakising Odawa" was recently aired on six Michigan PBS affiliate stations. The program includes numerous stories told by Odawa elders. Her experience extends to filming overseas and conducting interviews with the aid of translators. For more information visit: www.realpeoplemedia.org
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