It is important that we promote what we do in the media. This lets people know about your club.
In most cases, local newspapers, radio and possibly even television will be interested in your story.
Here are some top tips for hitting the headlines:
- Do your homework – contact local media in advance and ask for an email address and find out their deadline
- You will be in the best position to know which local media covers your area but think about the following:
- Your local newspapers
- Your local radio stations
- Your local online news
- Collate the email addresses into your own distribution list and then store them safely so that you can use them again.
- The media like to receive what is called a press release – this is basically your news story with your contact details on the bottom. There’s a guide to writing a press release here.
- When you email your press release, put all the email addresses in the BCC box and paste the press release directly into the body of the email. That way, your press release appears immediately on the journalist’s screen and is easier to read.
- Attach a high quality photo – photos can really improve your chance of gaining publicity. Make sure you provide the names of everyone in the photo and make clear who everyone is as it will be used as a caption. It is important that anyone who is going to be photographed (this applies to filming too) has signed a photography consent form.
- If you include photos, try not to attach too many or to have file sizes that are too large as this can slow down the recipients’ email systems.
- If you want to get broadcast coverage, let them know who would be good interviewees. Remember to flag up any Welsh speakers as that is very useful for S4C, BBC Radio Cymru and other Welsh language media outlets
- Make sure you’re available for interviews or to provide a quick quote
- Include your contact details – this is essential so that the media can contact you directly.