Toolbox Tuesday - Write a Press Release

5. Write a Press Release

Whether you’ve met the Editor or not, you should still write regular press releases and send them to all your local media. Remember to make the press release newsworthy and if possible include a photograph to capture the imagination.

Writing a Successful Press Release
Make sure you…

Find a newsworthy angle to your story and focus on that. Perhaps it is the first, last, oldest, youngest, biggest or smallest event of its kind. Is there a celebrity involved or do you have a catch phrase that gives your event or project a special twist? How is your organisation being affected by current events?

Keep it clear and easy to read. Head it up with ‘Press Release for Immediate Use’ and the date, and always use an Arial font that is at least 12 point. Double space your press release so that the journalist can scan it easily and has room to add comments if necessary.

Write a single line headline that says what your story is about. If you are sending your story to local media, make sure you have the word ‘local’ in the headline.

Keep it brief. You should be able to capture your story in less than a page, so stick to the point.

Copy your press release into the body of your email, rather than adding it as an attachment. This allows the reporter to quickly scan your story immediately on opening.

Add a human touch. A news story should look like someone has been interviewed, so include some quotes either from yourself, or another member of your organisation. If you are quoting somebody else, make sure you have their permission.

Double check accuracy. Before sending your press release, go back and double check all the details, including dates, times, venue and the spelling of names.

Include contact details of someone who can provide more information at the bottom of the page. Make sure that person knows to expect a call. If appropriate, provide a website address where the journalist can go for more information about your organisation.

Have photographs available. A good photograph is sometimes harder to resist than a good story, so let the press know if you have photographs available, or if there are photo opportunities coming up. Photographs of people are most attractive to local newspapers, especially if the people are actively doing something.

Make sure you send the right release to the right people. Develop a relationship with the reporter who covers your area of interest. It’s often not what you know, but who you know.

Wednesday's Word of the Week - Important But Not Essential

Do you want to snatch a day from the grip of boredom? Do overly generous deeds, acts beyond reimbursement. Kindness without compensation. Here’s another idea…Get over yourself!

Sound too harsh?

Well, Moses did. Numbers 12:3 says, he was a “very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.”

Mary did. When Jesus called her womb His home, she did not boast; she simple confessed: “I am the Lord’s maid, ready to serve.”

Most of all–Jesus did. Jesus chose the servants’ quarters. Can’t we?

We’re important but not essential, valuable but not indispensable. We have a song to sing, but we’re not the featured act. God is!

He did well before our births; he’ll do fine after our deaths. He started it all, sustains it all, and will bring it all to a glorious climax!

From Great Day Every Day by Max Lucado

Toolbox Tuesday - Introduce Yourself

4. Introduce Yourself to your Local News Editor

Newspapers receive literally thousands of press releases every week, and sometimes the difference between getting published or not is simply ‘relationship’. Get in contact with the editor of your local newspaper and invite them to have a coffee and learn more about your organisation. Be aware that editors are incredibly busy people, so be prepared to meet them at a time that suits them – not you!

Wednesday's Word of the Week - I Messed Up

We’ve all messed up. Said the wrong words, loved the wrong person, reacted the wrong way…walked when we should have waited, indulged when we should have resisted.

You’ll mess up more if you let yesterday’s mistakes sabotage today’s attitude!

The Bible says, God’s mercies are new every morning. Receive them. Learn a lesson from them.

Thunderbolts of regret can ignite and consume you. What makes the difference? Counteract them with downpours of God’s grace, daily washings of forgiveness.

Once a year won’t do. Once a month is insufficient. Sporadic mistings leave you combustible. Weekly showers leave you dry. You need a solid soaking every day!

Lamentations 3:22-23 says “The Lord’s love never ends; His mercies never stop. They are new every morning.”

What a gift He has given to you. What more do you need?

From Great Day Every Day by Max Lucado

Toolbox Tuesday - Update Your Website

3. Update Your Website

If you have a website already, then go through it page by page and remove any out-of-date information. An outof-date website suggests to potential supporters or clients that you are no longer active in your community. You want your website to portray what is happening in your organisation right now. Most importantly make sure your contact details are correct so people can get in touch with you if they need to.

Theme Thursday - World of Friends Africa

Yes! World of Friends is back for another year!  This year we're doing Africa and its for all ages.  We'll be starting by putting together another Amazing Race.  We'll be having our first week racing next week - so check back next Thursday for resources :)

Toolbox Tuesday - Get a Website

2. Get a Website
If you don’t have a website already, you are missing real opportunities to connect with potential clients, supporters, sponsors and volunteers. Getting a website established doesn’t have to be expensive; in fact, there are several ways you can create an effective website without major expense.

For an up-to-date list of free or nearly-free website options, check out the members section of www.exult.co.nz

Setting Up an Effective Website
Make sure you…

Know exactly what you want your website to achieve eg. recruiting new members, providing support and information, promoting events, securing sponsorship. If you don’t know your reason for having a website, it’s hard to know whether it’s doing its job. You could be spending a lot of time and effort for nothing.

Have a professional looking design which follows a standard website layout and includes all your usual branding. If your website looks amateur with tacky add-ons and fancy flashing monkeys, people will at best feel frustrated, and at worst, question your credibility.

Scale photographs and images so that your website loads quickly. If your site takes more than 10 seconds to load, you will lose valuable visitors.

Know who your users are likely to be and cater for their needs. For example, if you are targeting an older audience, you may want to use a larger than normal font or install an audio viewer.

Include testimonials from satisfied clients, members, supporters and sponsors. It’s one thing for you to tell people how wonderful you are, but if someone else does, it really counts!

Show people the human face of your organisation. Have photographs of your team and encourage everyone to write a brief bio about who they are and what their role is within your organisation.

Have the facility for people to make donations online. If you do not have your own payment system available, provide a link through to a fundraising site such as www.givealittle.co.nz .

Give people an opportunity to sign up for regular newsletters or updates. They may not be ready to become a member or sponsor immediately, but with regular contact they may become a valuable part of your organisation.

Include as many contact details as you can. Not everyone wants to make enquiries via email, especially if your organisation deals with issues of a sensitive nature.

Ask your website developer to install a content management system, so that you can regularly update your site on your own. Initially this is an extra expense, but it very quickly pays for itself and means your website can be kept 100% up to date.

Motivation Monday - Hey You

Our service on Sunday was about praising and up lifting others for what they do and not taking people for granted.  Today I was having a bad day...I stayed in bed, kept the curtains closed and did not want to face the world.  I read my book, listened to music, and had FB on in the background.  A fellow GBer posted the above.  She probably just liked it, maybe needed it for herself, but when I read it, it helped, it got me out of bed.  And it reminded me of yesterdays service.  Keep praising others, complementing them, and uplifting them, you'll never know when they may really need it.  And thank-you for all your kind words, it helps to keep me going.

Wednesday's Word of the Week - Pot-Bellied Pig

The sign said: “Found: Pot-bellied Pig.”

Did I just read what I think I read? I’d never seen such an announcement. Similar ones, sure. But “Found: Potbellied Pig?” Who loses a pig? The sign presupposes a curious moment. Someone spots the pig lumbering down the sidewalk. “Poor thing. Climb in little piggy. The street is no place for you. I’ll take you home.” I wouldn’t claim one. But God did.

God did when he claimed us. We assume God cares for the purebreds of the world. The tidy-living. But what about the rest of us? Do we warrant his oversight?

Psalm 91:1-2 offers a rousing yes! “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name!”

From Max Lucado's book, 'Come Thirsty'

This is a verse I keep on my mirror and see every morning, a little reminder to trust Him with everything and hand all things over to Him, as it is only in His strength that I do all things.

Toolbox Tuesday - Marketing Must Do's

For the next 40 Tuesday's I am going to bring to your toolbox - 40 marketing must-do's. I encourage you to add one of these to your week for the next 40 weeks and change how you reach your communities for GBNZ.  This come to you courtesy of Exult.

1. Make Use of Your Email Signature
For most people email is the most frequently used form of communication, and every time you hit send, you have the opportunity to promote something specific about your organisation. Have a look at your email signature and check you are making the most of the opportunity it provides.

Your email signature should have more than just your contact details, there is room to have one or two lines about a specific programme, campaign or need. Add a link so that readers can click straight through to your
website for more information.

Sample Email Signatures
Your email signature should have more than just your contact details, there is room to have one or two lines
about a specific programme, campaign or need. Use these sample signatures to give you some ideas of what
you could promote in your own organisation.

Did you know our ‘Food for Families’ programme provides budget cooking classes for 15 new families every week? You can support one family through this programme for as little as $30 by visiting our Fundraising page www.abcdefghi.org.nz/fundraising

What are your children doing these holidays? Why don’t they join our School Holiday Programme from 6th – 16th April 2010. Loads of fun, games, outings and more. WINZ Subsidies available. For more information visit www.abcdefghi.org.nz or phone 07 555 5555

Join us for our annual Art Auction and Ball on Saturday 15th May. Great music, food, wine, and a chance to win $5,000 worth of travel. Tickets just $70. For more information or to secure your tickets visit www.abcdefghi.org.nz/ball.

Do you have 1 hour to spare on Monday 19th July? We need collectors to help with our street appeal in YOUR neighbourhood. We give you everything you need, and you can collect anytime from 3pm – 7pm. For more information phone 07 555 5555 or email volunteer@abcdefghi.org.nz

Do you have an old fridge you are no longer using? Our children’s art programme needs a small fridge to store wax in – it doesn’t have to be flash. If you have a fridge you would like to donate, please call Milly on 07 555 5555 or email milly@abcdefghi.org.nz

Sponsorship Opportunities are now available for ‘Little Day Out’ on Saturday 18th September. You can contribute to the success of the day AND market your business to 500 families for as little as $250. For more information phone 07 555 5555 or email sponsors@abcdefghi.org.nz

Would like to keep up-to-date with what’s going on? Visit www.abcdefghi.org.nz/subscribe to register for our free monthly newsletter. Find out about clinic times, workshops, support groups and more.

Motivation Monday's - The Parable Of The Trapeze

Sometimes I feel that my life is a series of trapeze swings. I'm either hanging on to a trapeze bar swinging along or, for a few moments in my life, I'm hurtling across space in between trapeze bars.

Most of the time, I spend my life hanging on for dear life to my trapeze-bar-of-the-moment. It carries me along at a certain steady rate of swing and I have the feeling that I'm in control of my life.

I know most of the right questions and even some of the answers.

But every once in a while as I'm merrily (or even not-so-merrily) swinging along, I look out ahead of me into the distance and what do I see? I see another trapeze bar swinging toward me. It's empty and I know, in that place in me that knows, that this new trapeze bar has my name on it. It is my next step, my growth, my aliveness coming to get me. In my heart of hearts I know that, for me to grow, I must release my grip on this present, well-known bar and move to the new one.

Each time it happens to me I hope (no, I pray) that I won't have to let go of my old bar completely before I grab the new one. But in my knowing place, I know that I must totally release my grasp on my old bar and, for some moment in time, I must hurtle across space before I can grab onto the new bar.

Each time, I am filled with terror. It doesn't matter that in all my previous hurtles across the void of unknowing I have always made it. I am each time afraid that I will miss, that I will be crushed on unseen rocks in the bottomless chasm between bars. I do it anyway. Perhaps this is the essence of what the mystics call the faith experience. No guarantees, no net, no insurance policy, but you do it anyway because somehow to keep hanging on to that old bar is no longer on the list of alternatives. So, for an eternity that can last a microsecond or a thousand lifetimes, I soar across the dark void of "the past is gone, the future is not yet here."

It's called "transition." I have come to believe that this transition is the only place that real change occurs. I mean real change, not the pseudo-change that only lasts until the next time my old buttons get punched.

I have noticed that, in our culture, this transition zone is looked upon as a "no-thing," a noplace between places. Sure, the old trapeze bar was real, and that new one coming towards me, I hope that's real, too. But the void in between? Is that just a scary, confusing, disorienting nowhere that must be gotten through as fast and as unconsciously as possible?

NO! What a wasted opportunity that would be. I have a sneaking suspicion that the transition zone is the only real thing and the bars are illusions we dream up to avoid the void where the real change, the real growth, occurs for us. Whether or not my hunch is true, it remains that the transition zones in our lives are incredibly rich places. They should be honored, even savored. Yes, with all the pain and fear and feelings of being out of control that can (but not necessarily) accompany transitions, they are still the most alive, most growth-filled, passionate, expansive moments in our lives.