You have to have a personal account on face book. You must be an administrator on the page you want to update.   To access the church face book page login to your personal account then click on account and select  use page as facebook.

If you what to update your status. Simply type in the box that asks “ What’s on your mind”  Church bulletin items make good face book status.  You can include hyperlinks to the church website page or blog in your status updates. If your status is over 400 characters you need to make it a note.  Items that make good notes are long bulletin item and newsletter articles.

Use Events to promote events at your church like choir concerts, bake sales and outreach activities that the community are welcome to add. To add an event look on the left side of the screen , click events. Then you will see the different events that have been created. On the top right side of the page. There is a button “ Create Event” click that to  post an event on face book. Now answer the questions “ When ?” use the  calendar to select the correct date and time for the event.  Next answer “ What are you planning “ The event title goes there.    Answer the question “ Where ?” That information should list the host the church name or organization./ ministry. You can add the street and address.

Under  “ More Info?” Include  a description and details about the event.  If you  have a  photo that goes with the event , it must be webpage ready click the “+ add Event Photo”.

Select your options , do you want to show the guest list for the event. Do you want non administer to be able to write  on the wall (make comments about the event). After you make these selections  click Create Event and it will display on your church/group organization page as well as on the walls of your fans.

Organizations  should hold a press conference when they have something they want to announce. When  you plan a press conference there  is no guarantee that you will get the amount of coverage you want from local television press.  Before you can send your media alert to  television journalist  announcing the press conference there are a lot of  factors you must consider.  Press conferences take planning and preparation, location time, and date are all key factors.

Use a media alert to let local television stations know that you are having a press conference. It is similar to a news release except a media alert is a  memo type document. Media alerts are generally emailed or faxed, because they required a prompt response.  They provide the press with information about the event and  a brief explanation about why it is important.  Keep the contain in the media alert skim-able so  you can attract the reader’s attention. Media alerts can be sent along with invitations  to the event or used  alone. They are usually sent as a reminder about an up coming event.

Media alerts and pitch letters need to use the” who , what , when,  where, why and how”, format to communicate. They  are brief, but  informative documents, explain each “w” with a short answer.

Pitch letters are more detailed, with a pitch letter just like with a media alert it’s essential to  know your audience. You want to communicate your story idea  in a way that your audience will understand.   The purpose of a media alert is  to try and get the media to come to you, the goal of a pitch letter is clearly and convincingly explain your story or segment idea.

You can  start your pitch letter with a straight forward approach, which is not very impressive or use a lead. There are several methods you can use for your lead paragraph.  One popular method  is  “Put a face on the issue with an anecdote.” This is where you open with one individual’s story.It humanizes the topic making it easier for the reader to relate to it.  Putting a face on the issue is a very effective story telling method.

Another  technique for the lead paragraph is to startle the reader with a shocking statistic or statement. This is another widely used technique among non-profits organizations.The last method is to pose a question  which almost any reader could relate.

The second paragraph,  tells the why and how.  If you didn’t use startling statistics in your opening , you can use them here.  The why question  explains why the work your organization is doing important and how does it affect the community.

Another difference between media alerts and pitch letters is that  in pitch letters it is okay to suggest other sources for the journalist, you can  provide them a list of resources. You should suggest other agencies that you partner with.

When you send a media alert it is understood that your organization is essential to the story, but when you pitch a story idea, you have to explain  why you are  the best source to tell the story.

Be visual in your explanation, since you are pitching an idea for television.  It is important to describe how your information will  be visual. If you can use props or video footage this is great.

Your organization can get local television coverage by writing a convincingly media alert or pitch letter.

The Publicity Hound

When I speak to groups of professional speakers, authors and small publishers throughout the U.S. and Canada, they look at me dumbfounded after I tell them the Number One thing they must do if they want more media attention for their books and programs. They must stop pitching the books and programs as story ideas. Immediately. With an estimated 175,000 news book titles published last year, and millions of presentations given by speakers and trainers, is it any wonder we’re turning off journalists by pushing our books and programs?

When I worked as a newspaper editor, we routinely hauled boxes of unsolicited new books to the local library or Goodwill. If we were in a hurry, we threw the books—complete with expensive, gold-embossed press kits—into the wastebasket.

I know this is painful to hear. But unless you’re contacting a book reviewer, few if any media people care what’s between the two covers of your book.

What the media do care about, however, is what’s between your two ears. They want to know about your expertise. They want to tap into your brain. They’re overworked and underpaid. And they’re eager to know how you can help them do their jobs more easily.

• Can you help them write a good story?

• Can you give a lively radio interview without constantly hawking your book?

• Can you offer free advice for their audience?

• Can you create a clever quiz on your topic of expertise for a national magazine? (See “Briefs, Fillers & Quizzes: How to Write Them and Why Editors Love Them”.)

• Can you talk in pithy sound bites that will make their viewers smile? (See “How to be a TV Talk Show Host’s Dream Date.”)

• Can you take a strong position on a controversial topic that will make their readers angry?

• Most importantly, can you offer solutions to people’s problems?

If so, and if they cover you, guess what they’ll probably mention in their article or on their program? Your book, of course.

While other speakers are zigging, you should be zagging. So position yourself as a valuable source that reporters flock to again and again. The following strategies will really catch the media’s attention.

Promote your expertise

Media people seek out, interview and want to stay connected to experts.

Yet many authors are either reluctant to position themselves as experts, or they call themselves experts when they really aren’t. Read the excellent White Paper titled “The Expertise Imperative” written two years ago by five members of the National Speakers Association, some of whom are authors. It outlines the six levels of expertise and what you need to do to get to the next highest level.

You’ll see that expertise isn’t only about how much you know, but how much you do.

Once you become an expert, tout it in your email signature file, your media kit and on your other marketing materials. Make sure the homepage at your website states your expertise.
For example, my homepage has this statement at the top: “Publicity expert Joan Stewart shows you how to use free publicity to establish your credibility, enhance your reputation, position yourself as an expert, sell more products and services, promote a favorite cause or issue, and position your company as an employer of choice.” When a reporter Googles “publicity expert,” my website is usually at the top of the list.

Go deep, not wide

Too many authors make the mistake of playing the lazy numbers game. They wimp out and waste money by relying only on blast fax services to distribute their news to a gazillion media outlets. Truth is, blast faxes are effective in only a small percentage of cases.

Why? Because when you send them, you treat the media like cattle—herding them all into the barn at the same time, force-feeding them from the same trough, then herding them back out again, all with the same story.

You must convince each media outlet that your story is customized only for them. But you can’t do that if you’re targeting 3,000 media. So start by hand-picking only 20 or 30 newspapers, magazines and TV stations. I call this creating a Top 20 Media Hit List.

Let’s say you’ve written a book on customer service. Choose 20 metropolitan newspapers and write a news release that’s almost identical for each newspaper. But in the release you send to the Chicago Tribune, name three Chicago companies that you think treat their customers like royalty, even if those companies aren’t mentioned in your book. Mention three San Francisco companies in the release you send to the San Francisco Examiner. And so on.

Each newspaper will immediately notice “the local angle.” And that makes your story stand out from the rest. (See “Special Report #35: How to be the Local Angle to National Stories.”)
http://www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-tapes/30secondpitch.htm

Ask the magic question

While lots of other authors are trying to cram their books down the throats of talk show hosts, assignment editors and beat reporters, you will stand out if you take a different approach.

Start by developing a relationship. Call a media contact, introduce yourself and explain your areas of expertise. Then ask the most important question you can ever ask someone in the media. “How can I help you?”

Repeat after me: “How can I help you?”

Media mutts never ask that question. Publicity Hounds always do. Pay attention to what the journalist tells you, then help however you can.

When I worked as a reporter, my best sources were those that would let me call them at home late at night, when I was on deadline, to ask a question about a complicated topic I didn’t understand. Other golden sources let me check in with them every few weeks and pick their brains about trends they were seeing within their industries. Position yourself as a valuable source and the media will come back to you again and again.

Publicity Hounds use these other magic phrases to build the media relationship:

• “What kinds of sources are you looking for? Perhaps I can help you find them, even if the story doesn’t have anything to do with me.”

• “If you have a last-minute cancellation, call on me to fill in as a talk show guest. I’ll move a mountain to help you.”

• “On a slow news day, call me if you’re desperate for story ideas.”

• “If I find articles in my trade magazines that I think would help you cover the banking industry, is it OK if I send them to you?”

Create your own holiday

Pick a day and make it yours. Or create your own week or month of the year, then use it as a springboard when you pitch story ideas.

My friend Jacqueline Whitmore, an etiquette expert, christened the month of July as “Cell Phone Courtesy Month.” As a result, she generates mountains of publicity. USA Today Publisher Al Neuharth even mentioned her a few years ago in his column.

Once you’ve created your own holiday—or day, week or month of the year—submit it to Chase’s Calendar of Events at www.Chases.com. Chase’s publishes the annual reference book that’s used by journalists all over the world. (See “Special Report #45: How to Generate National Publicity from Your Own Holiday or Day, Week or Month of the Year).

Then just before your holiday, submit letters to the editor and op-ed pieces. Mention your special day at the top of a tip sheet that gives eight or nine tips related to your topic such as “8 tips on how to…” (See “Special Report#16: How to Write Tip Sheets That Catch the Media’s Attention”)

Pitch stories on controversial issues. Be willing to take a strong stand. Offer the journalist contact information for people who would be willing to debate you in print or on the air. Wimpy media mutts never want to be involved in anything controversial. Smart Publicity Hounds do.

One of the best ways to generate publicity in a national magazine is to tie your holiday to a true-or-false or multiple-choice quiz. Editors love quizzes because they’re short, fill odd-size holes on a page, and engage readers. Remember, however, that many big magazines work four to six months ahead of the publication date, so contact them early.

Know when and how to pitch

Contact media outlets during times when most other people don’t. Those include:

• Major holidays

• The days before and after major holidays.

• Weekends. (Ever wonder why TV news is so boring on the weekend?)

• The weeks before and after Christmas.

Don’t use the same method of communication for every journalist on your media hit list. Most don’t want phone calls or faxes. Some would rather receive a pitch via email. Still others want snail-mail letters. When compiling your hit list, call your key contacts and ask how they want to receive your news. Then follow their wishes. (See “How to Create the Perfect 30-Second Pitch”)

Now get going. Somewhere out there, there’s an underpaid journalist who needs a valuable Publicity Hound just like you.

Joan Stewart
The Publicity Hound
3434 County KK
Port Washington, WI 53074
Phone: 262-284-7451
JStewart@PublicityHound.com

If your nonprofit is strapped for time, money, or both, follow these 10 tips for generating thousands of dollars in print, broadcast and online publicity.

* Create one-page press release templates for frequent news items such as new employees or board members, events you’re sponsoring or hosting, or when you’re searching for volunteers. Then simply fill in the blanks.

* Write letters to the editor and op-ed columns for local, regional and national publications. Always adhere to their length limit, and submit the author’s photo. (See “How to Use Newspaper & Magazine Editorial Pages.”)

* Call talk show hosts at radio and TV stations and offer to have someone from your staff fill in if a guest cancels.

* National Public Radio can be a great resource for nonprofits. Go to their website at and use their search box to see which NPR programs have aired programs about nonprofits. (See “How to Get Booked on National Public Radio”)

* Create one show, or an entire series of shows, for your local cable TV company’s public access channel. Air time is free, and you can usually rent the camera equipment for a small fee.

* Regularly publish “Top 10″ tips lists (just like the one you’re reading here) that explain how to do something, or solve a problem. Include the name of your agency and contact information at the end of the list. (See “Special Report #16: How to Write Tips Sheets That Catch the Media’s Attention.”)

* When pitching a story, suggest other sources who reporters can contact and who you know would agree to be interviewed, along with contact information. This makes the media’s job easy.

* Use Google Alerts to find out which media outlets are reporting on topics associated with your nonprofit. Then pitch ideas to those media outlets, or respond to the stories.

* Create a blog and post items several times a week. The search engines love blogs, and blogs pull traffic (including journalists) to your website. Also, post comments on other blogs devoted to your topic. (See “Blogging for Business”)

* Write 500-word “how-to” articles for article directories such as EzineArticles.com. Editors and publishers frequently use these directories to search for content. (See “How to Write How-to Articles for Newspapers, Magazines & Trade Journals.”)

Also see “Failproof Publicity Tips for Your Nonprofit”

Direct comments or questions about this article, including requests for reprint rights, to:

Joan Stewart
The Publicity Hound
3434 County KK
Port Washington, WI 53074
Phone: 262-284-7451
JStewart@PublicityHound.com

The staff at daily newspapers are half the size they once were, so instead of writing a pitch letter which includes most of the details in your story, just write a by-lined piece. By lined articles contain the same information as pitch letters but are more in-depth pieces. A pitch letter generally is about 300-400 words and by-lined article is 500-600 words. Both your by-lined piece and pitch letter must have  a good opening, a body that provides facts and background information about the organization using the who, what where,why, and how formula.

A catchy headline is important for your by-lined article. Use action words to capture attention.  After your headline you should concentrate on the first paragraph. Most news readers only pay attention to the first paragraph, so it needs to lead them to read the rest of the story.

There are several methods you can use for your lead paragraph.   One popular method with non profits is ” Put a face on the issue with an anecdote.” This is where you open with one individual’s story. It humanizes the topic making it easier for the reader to relate to it.  Putting a face on the issue is a very effective story telling method.

Another technique for the lead paragraph is to startle the reader with a shocking statistic or statement. This is another widely used technique among non-profits organizations.The last method is to ask a question  which almost any reader could relate.

The second paragraph, tells the why and how.  If you didn’t use the  startling statistic  technique in your opening, you can use your statics. This paragraph tells the why and how. Why answer’s the question why the work your organization is doing important and how does it affect the community. As with all writing for an external audience proof  read and spell check. It’s  a good idea to have another pair of eye’s review. With budget cuts local publications have do not have copy editors.

The first paragraph should have explain the who and the what.  The who has two parts your organization and who they are helping. The what answered how are they helping.  This is your opportunity to promote your programs and services.

Use your agency’s press kit to help you in writing your by-lined article.  It should contain most of the information you need. Your organizations capabilities brochure should give you all the information you need to write  about your agency programs and services.

The conclusion should be strong and include contact information so readers can follow-up with your organization. You can end with a summary  of the lead paragraph or a quote.

Acquire New Supporters -Using social media can increase your online presence and introduce your organization to a new audience. Social media allows you to recruit current volunteers and donors to help you spread your message. Social media has a word of mouth effect and can help you reach potential volunteers and donors. Reporters now use web blogs and twitter to find sources for stories, good social networking could be an effective pitch tool.

Increase Engagement – Social media expands your ability to communicate effectively communicate with a large number of people by giving your organization more distribution channels. You can increase your engagement by using your about us paragraph to share information about your cause and organization. Share photos of recent events using Twit pic, face book or my space. Ask questions on your face book page and twitter to start a conversation. Recycle old newsletters for blog post. Turn news alerts into tweets. Always have a way for people to contact you. Uses widgets that allow you cross-post information.

Build Relationships- Social Media is interactive, it is not just a broadcast. It’s a chance to have a conversation. Remember to speak their language, don’t get into jargon. Stories are a great method to show the impact of your organizations programs and services. Integrate your story telling by using various communications channels. Social media can increase communication between your organization and your volunteers, donors.Each social networking site has a unique target audience, match your message to that audience’s needs. Always have a way for people to contact you on your sites: web blogs, websites, twitter profile,face book fan page and my space. Use comments as an opportunity to speak directly to your audience. Good manners are important in all communication including social media. Thank people for re-tweeting.

Increased donations – You will be able to judge how successful your strategy is by the number of comments on your organization’s blog. The numbers twitter followers. The number of friends and fans you have. The addition email address you have acquired will also show how successful your strategy is. The goal of your including social media in your public relations plan is preparing your audience for the ask so don’t forget to solicit donations. Create a paypal account you so you can ask for and ask accept donations online.Create a donation button for your website and web blog. If you can not have a button on the blog be sure and provide a hyperlink.

Twitter can help you in informing the community about all the programs and activities you have like: food banks, health fairs, self defense classes, concerts, plays bible seminars, gospel skating parties, childcare, prayer, music, visiting , tutoring, mentoring, counseling for divorce, suicide, addiction and a host of other services that are facilitated in a safe family environment and can be beneficial to persons inside and outside the church.What is the purpose of these endeavors if our communities do not know that their local Church establishment desires to meet their needs? Twitter can be used like a public announcement system. You can use twitter to alert the public of upcoming events. You can use it engage members and reach out to the community. It is a micro blogging application Twitter can be used to update your organizations facebook status. Yes, in 140 characters are less you can tell your organization’s story.

You can twitter from your computer, laptop or mobile phone. If you twitter from your phone you want to have a SMS package, because some cellular providers charge per SMS. Twitter is a lot like text messaging, because it is limited to only 140 characters.

How do you get started on Twitter? It’s a fairly easy process. You sign up at the website www.twitter.com. To sign up you need to have an email account. Select a username that represents your organization, then create a password. You can upload a picture to represent your organization. you can also change the background to a custom background for your organization.

On twitter you have followers, those are the people who read your (tweets) messages. You also have to decide who you want to follow. You can start by using the email address of your member and then following them on twitter. I also want follow local news organization (television, radio and print). Also you may be interested in following business or organizations your church partners with or that your church maybe interested in partnering with in the future. “Following” are the people who you are interested in reading about. You read there messages(tweets).

The best twitter applications (tools) to aid with creating your brand or awareness are:

Twitter backgrounds-select something that allows to make it your own.

Twit pic- You can send pictures of events.

Twitxr- Allows you to upload pictures using your mobile phone

Here is a great article about twitter tools

1. Cultivate relationships with media sources
2. Write letters to the editor of print and online publications
3. Take advantage of call in radio shows
4. Twitter
5. List events on yahoo or other online community calendars
6. List events on facebook and MySpace
7. Appear as guest on radio and television shows
8. Use the  Web to promote your organization through e-mail signature, articles, websites, and links, live conferences and more
9. Upload Public Service Announcements to You tube
10. Submit public service announcements to local television and radio stations
11. Tell everyone what you do and how it benefits the community
12. Share testimonials- that persuasive people to care about your cause through donations or volunteering.
13. Use free classified ad’s like craigslist
14. Vista Print offers 250 business cards for free
15. Place  your organizations flyers on community bulletin boards
16. List your organization on free online directories
17. Free distribution for press release at PR Log
18. Having  a great elevator speech about your organization
19. Attend free networking events
20. Include free graphic in your promotional material online and print

Brochures 3-30-3 Design Test

Will  your brochure catch someone’s interest for  3 seconds?

Will your brochure induce the person to read on for 30 seconds?

Will  your brochure get the person to read for 3 minutes?

Knowing that 30 seconds is the average amount of time someone will spend on your literature, have you designed it to be effective in that time?

Brochure 3-30-3 Design Test reprinted from Dr. Stan Fine’s ” How to promote your business with little or no money” 50 tips to Help you succeed