THE MEDIA AND ME GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP Amanda Gilmore KPLA Spring Conference 2012

Presenter information Amanda Gilmore Community Relations Coordinator, Boyd County Public Library Why are you listening to me? In my former life, I was an editor at The Independent, a daily newspaper in Ashland, Ky. I also spent more a dozen years as a newspaper reporter covering various beats, including the local library. So, I know a little bit about what the media wants, and how they want it, and am excited about being able to share some of that with you today.

Who? Are you? Take out your cell phone, please.

Polleverywhere.com

Why? are we talking about this?

Because…  Positive media relations is key to effective PR.  Competition for media’s attention is tough.  Advertising is expensive.  Free publicity is actually better than advertising.  Libraries are poor … FREE is good.  You can never have too many friends.  Handy in a crisis.

Cost analysis 2” by 5” ad (10 column inches) $30 per inch = $300 Free!!!! (zip, zero, nada) Newspaper ad10-inch story/colum

Changing media  Press releases  Pitch ideas  Good media relations  Press releases  Pitch ideas  Good media relations TraditionalOnline

Good media relations works no matter what media. My Point.

What they say… “We float in a sea of information, so those people making personal contact and ing direct get better results.” -- Dave Lavender, editor at The Herald-Dispatch in Huntington, WV.

What they want… “Working ahead of time getting press releases to us is a good thing. Also, giving me a call, to call my attention to a particular event that you’d like to see get extra coverage. Any time you can attach some high-resolution photos, that’s helpful.” -- Lee Ward, Lifestyles editor at The Independent in Ashland, KY

Step One.  Have a point person.  PR person  Director  Other staff  Make sure all staff knows who point person is.

Step Two.  Do your homework.  Know the publication – deadlines.  Know the reporter – invite them to programs.  Know how they want the information delivered.  Build a media list AND keep it current.

What they say… “First of all, establish a relationship with the right person. That starts by figuring out who that person is, and stopping by to introduce yourself. Send press releases only to that person. Sending to several people is counter-productive. Chances are no one will use it because they figured someone else did.” -- Cathie Shaffer, editor of the Greenup News-Times

Step Three.  Make the pitch.  Be creative, but not cute-sy  Use catchy headlines/subject lines  DON’T SHOUT!!  Proofread fer errors  Make it stand out – find a hook.  Follow-up – phone calls are the best.  Deal with rejection gracefully.

What they say … “ From my perspective, it’s always interesting to see what draws people in 2012 to their local library. What’s new? What’s now? What’s next? What have you done that was so successful the first time that it’s worth repeating? The proof is in the numbers.” -- Bill Murray, reporter/anchor for WSAZ Newschannel 3 in Huntington, WV

Tailor that pitch. Print Media:  Reporters are jugglers. Help them meet deadline.  Think visually. A good P1 photo beats P4 story.  Cater to their slow day(s).  Don’t forget the opinion page.  Weekly papers are more apt to use it all.  Magazine pieces need to have shelf life.

Tailor that pitch (cont.) Television:  Always think visually  Can you “give good video?”  They have slow days, too. Sundays?  Be short and concise. Radio:  Some still do hourly news  Keep it short. Think “community calendar.”  Go on the air (even if it’s in the car. Or at KPLA.)

Nice touches.  Be a trendspotter.  Say thank you.  is fine, but letter is better. “A thank you note is always nice. s are okay, but a written note to say ‘Thanks for all you do for us’ makes a nice impact,” said Cathie Shaffer.  Send a holiday card.  Give a library gift.

Don’t!!  Say something untrue.  Say no comment.  Say too much (it’s OK to tell your boss to shut up.)  Assume anything is off-the-record.

Use the F-Words (borrowed by Robert Bernaduci of Jessella PR)  Face  First  Finances  Front Door  Fix  Feat  Facts

 Everything! You have a great product.  Don’t keep it a secret.  Send monthly events listing.  Recognize the unusual in a big way.  Follow national/state stories. So… what can you promote?

 Announce a new product or service  Tie-in with a holiday or anniversary  Create a contest  Policy changes (big ones)  Staff achievements  First-person stories  Host a commmunity event – partnerships! Examples

 It’s not going anywhere.  A well-written one is a valuable tool.  Good press release = Good mannequin  Use journalistic (AP) style  Include 5 Ws and H  Write in the third-person  Inverted pyramid  Include website and way to get more info. The press release

What about online?  You can often post directly to local media’s online community calendars.  Have an online Press Room on your website  Community pages, such as AmericanTowns.com  Patch.com

What they say… “The best thing about Patch is you can basically bypass the editor and post all the content you want. For free. Register as a user and post to the calendar. You can also post under announcements. Patch loves bloggers, too. Each Patch also has a “town gallery” of user- submitted photos. All free. -- Karl Smith, regional editor for Patch in Pennsylvania (and college buddy)

 Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest.  Media uses this for story ideas.  Don’t depend on it. Enhance your other efforts.  Keep it fresh and current. And fun. Use social media

What they say about social media: “Libraries and almost any other organization would foolish not to use Facebook and Twitter. The trick is getting people to find out and get used to seeing you on those outlets. The only way to do that is to constantly update and put out fresh information. Keep it fresh, keep it snappy and keep it viable. I think all of us are still just touching the surface of what’s out there when it comes to social media. It has certainly changed how we do business.” -- Mark Maynard

Another thought on social media: “Facebook is fine for corresponding with the general public and a great “day of” reminder for folks, but direct, professional contact in the form of or a phone call still has more weight and is more effective.” -- Dave Lavender

Review: The 10 Commandments  Thou Shalt Be Professional  Thou Shalt Not Be Promotional  Thou Shalt Not Be Boring  Thou Shalt Be Brief  Thou Shalt Know Thy Recipient  Thou Shalt Use The Proper Tense  Thou Shalt Think Visually  Thou Shalt Tell a Story  Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witnesses  Thou Shalt Know Thy Limitations by Bill Stoller, publisher

Questions?  My contact information: Amanda Gilmore Commmunity Relations Coordinator Boyd County Public Library Ashland, KY