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You need to be aware that these magazines are usually published every 2 months or quarterly so your story must not look out of date.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 is 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 / Community 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 is 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 organisation?
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 cannot 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, organisations 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 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://www.charityblog.org.uk.

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 and voluntary and community groups. 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 voluntary or community 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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