Toolbox Tuesday - Friends with a Columnist

20. Become Friends with a Columnist

If you look in your local newspaper you’ll see that there are weekly columns which focus on various aspects of your community. While all local papers are slightly different, chances are you will find one on the arts, sport and education, and the authors are likely to be ordinary people who are involved in these sectors.

Make friends with the columnist who discusses issues relating to your organisation. Feed them information about what your organisation is doing, and what events you may have coming up. They are always hungry for issues to discuss, so you will be doing them a favour by keeping them in the loop.

Toolbox Tuesday - Enter Awards

19. Enter Awards

Entering awards is a great way to put the spotlight on your organisation and the people within it. Whether it’s business awards, volunteer awards, community spirit awards or something else, simply by entering you are saying to the community ‘we believe we are good at what we do, and we are prepared to stand up to scrutiny’.

The awards themselves always bring a degree of publicity, so make sure you piggy-back on that publicity and tell your own story about why you are entering. Whether you win or not, your willingness to be scrutinised brings valuable credibility.

To find awards offered in your region check with your local council and Chamber of Commerce.

Toolbox Tuesday - Name Badges

18. Wear Branded Name Badges

I know it sounds incredibly simplistic, but the simple act of wearing a branded name badge can spark conversation about your organisation. You never know who you might meet and how they may be able to help. A branded name badge is the easiest introduction you can give.

Toolbox Tuesday - Events Websites

17. Use Events Websites

There are literally hundreds of websites which will promote your event free of charge – all you have to do is submit the details. Depending on the site, you can list anything from fundraisers through to conferences, weekly programmes or one off community events. Listing your events can take time, but it is worth it. Perhaps you can find a volunteer to take regular responsibility for this task?

Useful Events Websites
The following websites offer opportunities for community groups to promote themselves and their events. Most of the sites can help you out in more than one way – so browse through the list and see what each site can offer you.

www.exult.co.nz
www.community.net.nz
www.webhealth.co.nz
www.newzealandnz.co.nz
www.maori.org.nz
www.yourevents.co.nz
www.communityconnect.co.nz
www.nzlive.co.nz
www.eventfinder.co.nz
www.sportevent.co.nz
www.te.co.nz/community/events
www.motorsportevent.co.nz
www.fourcorners.co.nz
www.viewchristchurch.co.nz
www.bethere.co.nz (Canterbury Region)
www.wellingtonnz.com/events
www.wotzon.com
www.feelinggreat.co.nz (Wellington Region)
www.gisbornenz.com/events (Gisborne / East Coast Region)
www.hamiltonevents.co.nz
www.eastlandnz.com/events
www.ashburtondistrictevents.co.nz
www.viewdunedin.co.nz

Most local councils also offer Event Calendars and links through to local community groups. To
find your local council website visit www.localcouncils.govt.nz

Toolbox Tuesday - Become the Expert

16. Become the Expert

The media are always looking for ‘experts’ to comment on different stories, and if you’re working in the non-profit sector you are an expert on something! Think about what your organisation does and the area you feel comfortable commenting on, and then let your local media know. Whenever they have a story on your topic, you could be called to comment. It’s a great way to get publicity without having to come up with the press release.

Toolbox Tuesday - Window Display

15. Make a Window Display

If you are lucky enough to have an office with a window frontage and heavy foot traffic, make sure you use the space to promote what you do. If you’re like most non-profits and lack that luxury, approach local retailers and ask if you could use their window as a showcase from time-to-time. (You’ll get the most Yes’s from businesses who share the same target market as your organisation.)

When creating your display, keep in mind the one key message you are trying to get across and keep it simple.  Are you looking for volunteers, promoting a new programme, trying to sell tickets to an event, or something else?  Remember, when it comes to displays, often less is more.

Toolbox Tuesday - Blog

14. Blog

A blog is like an online journal and gives people a chance to see the human side of your organisation. You don’t have to write pages about what you had for breakfast, (although some people do), it is more an opportunity to share knowledge and resources, promote upcoming programmes or events, comment on social issues and find out how others view your organisation. The more informative and interesting your blog is, the more people will check back to see what you’re up to.

You can add a blog page to your own website, or use any one of the blogging sites on the net. I recommend www.blogger.com or www.wordpress.com

Toolbox Tuesday - Sponsors Newsletter

13. Use Your Sponsors Newsletter

If your sponsor has a regular newsletter which they send out to clients or customers, ask if you can have a regular column or advertisement to promote what you do. Let’s face it, if they have been willing to write you out a cheque, chances are they will be willing to give you a little space in their newsletter. This lets you reach people you wouldn’t ordinarily have contact with, and makes your sponsor look extra community focussed.

Toolbox Tuesday - Newsletters

12. Send out Hard-Copy Newsletters

I am a great believer in e-letters for an instant response and little expense, but there is definitely still a place for hard-copy (printed) newsletters which can be kept and read over and over again.

Hard-copy newsletters do not have to be your main source of communication, but it is a good idea to produce one every three or four months so that your clients, members, supporters and volunteers can be kept completely up-to-date. Hard-copy newsletters allow plenty of room for details that can’t be included elsewhere, and give people something they can refer back to.

How to Write Successful Newsletters
Make sure you…

Use a professional looking design and layout. Your newsletter gives people a first impression of your entire organisation – so make sure it’s a good one. There are plenty of free templates and software available online.

Include relevant photographs. Not only will this make the newsletter look interesting, it will give the reader a chance to literally see your organisation in action.

Include information that is relevant, up to date and interesting. Keep in mind whom your readers are, and what they would be interested in. Always include a story or tip that gives people a reason to keep your newsletter stuck to the noticeboard.

Provide feedback about what has been happening in your organisation including statistics about services, clients, fundraising and large scale projects.

Give readers a human insight into your organisation by including at least one big success story about a client or member. Human stories make your organisation easier to relate to.

Remind people what your organisation is all about. Use your newsletter to let people know what your goals and visions are for the future. When people see the big picture, it helps them put everything you do into perspective.

List upcoming events, activities or fundraisers that you need support for, and be specific about the type of support you require. People are usually more willing to help if they know exactly what they are getting themselves in for.

Include a wish list for your organisation – even if some of the wishes seem a little absurd. You never know what your members or supporters have access to, and if you don’t ask, how will they know what you need?

Give people the opportunity to donate by including a donation slip in every newsletter. For best results, make sure you include tick boxes for specific amounts so that people have an idea of what you think is reasonable. If you leave the slip blank, people worry about how much to give, and end up giving nothing at all.

Toolbox Tuesday - Letter to the Editor

11. Write a Letter to the Editor

It is not always possible to get an article published, but it is always possible to have your say and draw attention to specific aspects of your organisation. The ‘Letters to the Editor’ page is a well read part of any newspaper, and it provides an avenue for real discussion and debate about your cause.

The best time to send a letter is when there has been a news item which relates to your organisation or the need that it meets within the community. Send a letter commenting on the item and expressing how your organisation can help, or how your organisation has been affected.

Toolbox Tuesday - Sign Writing

10. Get Your Car Sign Written

Admittedly this takes a few more dollars than most of the things on this list, but it is not as expensive as most people think. Depending on the size of your car, and exactly how you want it to look, you can turn your car into a mobile billboard for about $1000. Weigh that up with the price of a newspaper advertisement, and you’ll see it’s a pretty good investment.

When deciding what you want to include on the car, remember that people won’t have time to read or remember loads of details. You want something that catches people’s eye, gives them one key message, and a website address where they can visit for more information.

Toolbox Tuesday - Guest Speaker

9. Be a Guest Speaker

Without a doubt, the best way to engage people in your organisation is to speak to the face-to-face. Regardless of who the audience is, being a guest speaker allows people to see, hear and feel the passion you have for your organisation. That excitement and commitment helps build excitement and commitment in them.

To achieve the most impact in your talk, make sure you tell real stories about how your organisation has benefited the community. Make it personal and focus on the stories, not the statistics. By all means use power point as a tool, but avoid simply reading screens of information – it’s boring and forgettable.

Local service groups such as Lions and Rotary are always on the look out for interesting speakers. You can find your local clubs by visiting the following websites:

Lions Clubs
Rotary
Round Table New Zealand
Zonta New Zealand
Kiwanis International

Toolbox Tuesday - Online Social Networking

8. Use Online Social Networking

If you are not using online social media yet, chances are it’s for one of two reasons – either you don’t know how to or you don’t understand why you should bother. Trust me – it’s worth overcoming them both.

Social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn allow you to keep in touch with lots of people all at once. You can keep clients, supporters, sponsors and volunteers up to date with what you’re up to, all while marketing to new stakeholders at the same time. Just like ‘real-life’ networking, social media provides an opportunity to make new contacts, share resources and develop working relationships with people you may not otherwise have the chance to meet.

How to Get Started with Twitter

1. Go to www.twitter.com and click the ‘Get Started’ button. Simply follow the instructions to ‘sign up’.
2. Add a photograph or a logo, so that people know your Twitter account is for real. People want to know the conversation is genuine.
3. Make sure you fill in the one line bio, so that people can instantly tell if they want to ‘follow’ your conversation. If you don’t fill in the bio, you’ll get ignored like a wallflower at a party.
4. Search for people you would like to have a conversation with. Use key words that relate to your area of interest eg. autism, schools, social services, New Zealand. When you find people of interest click ‘follow’.
5. Write an update. To start with your updates may be simple things like ‘Learning to use Twitter. Any tips appreciated’. As you learn more, you will use your updates to have more meaningful conversations.
6. Search for Kerri Tilby and then follow. You’ll be able to follow her conversations, and get some ideas for making the most of your own Twitter account.

Once you’ve started ‘Twittering’ there are some things you will want to know…

Yes, you do only have 140 characters per update (or ‘tweet’ as they are known.) You can get around this by pasting in a link to your website or blog, so that people can click through for more information. It is a great way to drive traffic to your website.

If you want to reply to somebody’s ‘tweet’, simply hover your mouse over the right hand side of their update, and a reply button will appear. Click on reply, and then type your update as usual. Your update will appear in your own profile, as well as in the ‘@ tab’ on the other persons page.

If you are following heaps of people, it’s easy to miss comments that have been directed at you. Click on the @ tab on the right hand side of your home page, and you’ll see any ‘tweets’ that have been made with your name in it. Always acknowledge the writer – this is their way of trying to start a conversation with you.

If there is a particular ‘tweet’ you want to refer back to, click the star button and it will automatically save it into your Twitter favourites.

A ‘tweet’ with RT and then @someone is known as a ‘re-tweet’. That means the person tweeting the information is simply repeating something that someone else has said. If you provide meaningful content in your ‘tweets’, they will often be ‘re-tweeted’. It is a great way to be introduced to ‘followers’ outside of your existing circle.

Toolbox Tuesday - Donation Boxes

7. Put Donation Boxes in Local Shops

Donation boxes are not just about raising money, they are about raising profile as well. A simple information card on top of the box helps spread the word about your organisation, programmes and projects. Even if people don’t make a donation there and then, they still become aware of who you are and what you do.

Toolbox Tuesday - Join a Business Networking Group

6. Join a Business Networking Group

If you want to meet potential sponsors, you need to go where potential sponsors hang out. A business networking group allows you to meet face-to-face with potential supporters, and gives you the opportunity to develop a relationship with them before you ask for support. It’s much harder for potential sponsors to say NO to a friend – and a business networking group is where friendships are made.

There are plenty of business networking groups to choose from, but a good place to start is by phoning your local Chamber of Commerce.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.