Social service organisations such as Rotary International, Lions Club, Junior Chambers, Round Tables, across the globe are highly active organizations that not only facilitates the meeting of individuals across the spectrum for life but has contributed in myriad ways for the betterment of society through projects that range from health care, education, drinking water, environment and so much more. Here, we share expert tips on how you can get the media coverage you deserve.
Be a pioneer
When you do something that\’s new and path-breaking, that will always catch the eye of the media. Think differently. Setting a Guiness Record or a Limca Book Record will bring immediate publicity. Instead of the same old boring style of events, look for a new angle where it can be presented or a new way of designing the look of the place, it could be theme-based. In short, do something that has never been one before.
Create Photo-ops
Who can resist a good photo-op? Every newspaper carries at least two photographs on a page and the media is forever looking for pictures that can speak or break the monotony of mere text. Getting publicity is easier when you have a great photo angle. How can you do this? A big sand sculpture, an art expo, a themed festive or brand backdrop, there are many ways you can create a good photo op.
Bigger the better!
Any activity that\’s big is likely to garner more attention than small events. A great idea would be to club the events of few small clubs together so that the numbers of beneficiaries are greater or the amount raised is larger.
Bring on the celebrities
There\’s nothing that can garner greater attention than celebrities, the buzz that a star or celebrity creates is worth the effort. The celebrity need not necessarily be from the entertainment field, he or she could be a minister, actor, cricket player, business baron, diplomat or high ranking Government official such as IAS or IPS officers. Let a celebrity inaugurate your event, post on social media about it or just turn up. Either way, you generate plenty of publicity. The media too will pay attention when there\’s a celebrity involved.
Run a contest for the public
A contest always has takers, everyone has a streak of competitive spirit in them. Contests draw this out. Announce a free painting competition, a selfie competition, cookery competition and so on. This will also generate word-of-mouth publicity.
Piggyback on trending topics
Scan the newspapers and go online to see what kind of news is trending. News that is in vogue such as an IPL season, festival, election and so on will always have takers. So find something that your event has in common with trending news and that should go a long way.
Find a human interest angle.
A rags-to-riches story or story of the underprivileged overcoming battles in life an emerging successful are things that all of us want to read. Rotary projects have resulted in millions of such success stories, sharing these with the media at the event can make a big difference.
Use these tips to create the buzz you need.
