Other Sources of Coverage
Local Authority Community Magazines
All you need to do is submit a story either as some
editorial or press release, and possibly a photo too. You
need to be aware that these magazines are usually published
every 2 months or quarterly so your story mustn't look out
of date.
An ideal story for a council magazine could be about a group
or person being active in their community. You could also
use the magazine to gain publicity for a big event that's
coming up. If your story has a link with the council (e.g.
you were given a grant) you obviously stand more chance of
being printed.
(see media contacts section for details)
Other Charities/Voluntary Groups Magazines and Newsletters
Most groups publish a newsletter, and bigger organisations
like SAVO, Optua and Age Concern publish magazines. Can you
advertise your what's on in their publication?
Or maybe have
a feature about what you do, and in return offer to run a
reciprocal feature in your own magazine/newsletter?
Giving Talks
A lot of groups in Suffolk invite a guest speaker in once a
month. It could be the Lions, Rotary, or even a luncheon
club.
Is there someone in your organisation who could "give
a talk" about what you do? It's also worth remembering that
some organisations like to have "informal" talks from other
groups at their staff/team meetings. There is training
available on speaking and presentation skills through SAVO.
Parish Magazines
Most parish magazines are published monthly. Contact the
editor and ask if you can get your event included in the
What's On section, or maybe a short feature about your
organisation. Make sure you localise your story idea to the
parish.
If you aren't sure who to contact, look up the magazine
editor's contact details on
http://www.stedmundsbury.anglican.org/pages/search/searchpage.htm.
Blogs
(see also section on Media Law)
A charity’s guide to blogs by Sarah Hughes at Charity
21
What is a blog?
A blog is an interactive web journal or web log, hence the
shortening to ‘blog’. It publishes the thoughts and
commentary of its author together with reactions and
responses from readers. It is regularly updated to keep the
discussion alive.
Blogs are now being used in a wide variety of industries.
The kinds of people who blog tend to be those who represent
the ‘personality’ or expertise of their organisation. They
can have many motives for doing it. Generally speaking, the
aim is to engage a relevant audience with whom they can
build a rapport, and to enhance their organisation’s brand.
Of course, individuals blog too.
What can blogging do for my charity?
Blogging is a powerful communication tool in the right hands
and context. Charities should carefully evaluate why they
want to exploit it, who their blogger(s) should be, and
whether guidance about what topics to cover is needed.
As to why your charity might want to do it, the reasons
could be plentiful. Blogs work like a cost-effective
marketing tool. They can help to spread the word, build
reputation and brand, create a community or a professional
network. They can help with search rankings and enhance a
website’s freshness and appeal, in turn increasing new and
repeat visits. In other cases, blogging is used internally
to support or create unity among staff.
For fundraising charities, there is no reason why an
effective blog can’t enhance online donations. It can focus
visitors’ minds and bring to life mission and cause like
little else. Mostly, however, as blogging is still
relatively new, charities are tending to treat it as an
advocacy, awareness-raising and knowledge-sharing vehicle.
How do I go about setting up a blog?
Setting up a blog needn’t be painful. A lot of free software
is available and free advice can be sought on how to get it
and use it. The part that may prove more difficult is
selecting the person with the characteristics you want to
portray (charismatic, controversial, approachable,
authoritative) and supporting the dialogue it creates if and
when successful.
A simple Internet search will yield lots of possible
software, but a better option is probably to start with a
free charity web network (like ‘charitywebforum’ -
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/charitywebforum
or the voluntary sector ICT Hub
www.ictconsortium.org.uk,
or speak directly to other charities you know who
understand the process.
Are there some good examples of charity blogs?
A small but growing number of charities have already started
blogs. An extensive list is published at Open CharityBlog
http://open.charityblog.org.uk/blogroll.
Personally, my favourite examples are those where there is
an individual with a readily identifiable theme and
personality. So perhaps check out Jamie’s Blog Voice
http://jamiesbigvoice.blogspot.com
and John Burton, CEO of the Woodland Trust
http://www.worldlandtrust.org/news/blog.htm.
I am blogging on UK Fundraising
http://www.fundraising.co.uk/blogs/sarahhughes.
Not having a blog should not be an issue for charities. It
simply isn’t going to be appropriate for everyone. But not
having an interactive or feedback feature on your website is
– be sure it is possible for visitors to get into dialogue
with your organisation electronically and encourage them to
share their comments with you.
Email newsletter (e-newsletter)
An emailed newsletter
serves much the same purpose as a traditional newsletter.
Think of it as a short newspaper that relates to your
charity/voluntary group.
It can be circulated round your organisation if you set up a
group email, or you could try and get a wider audience by
offering it to people who visit your website through a free
subscription service. There’s more on how to write a
newsletter in the Tools section.
Community Radio and TV Stations
 Over the next few years there will be more and more
community radio and TV stations.
Like the bigger media
outlets they'll be keen for good stories, so make sure you
use them! (see media contacts section)
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