PRESS AND MEDIA

When it comes to the press and media, the best bet for your project is local radio, blogs, television and newspapers.

If your project is really newsworthy, it will be quickly picked up by bigger outlets. Local news stations are more likely to cover interesting local projects, and will start to get the word out beyond your own networks.

Once you have your press release, you’ll need a list of people to send it to.

Building a list

To send your press release out, you’ll need contact details for your local media. Where possible, find reporters who cover stories like yours. Try to contact

them directly with a personal message about your project, and why you think they might want to write about you. Your first clue will be in your mailbox: look

at what is delivered to your door and find the contact details for the editor. Use local radio and TV shows too. Research their content and position your story.

Finding your story

When it comes to writing and distributing your press and media release, you need to know that crowdfunding is not a news story. The fact that you need money is not

something anyone is ever going to write about. You need to go deeper and find your angle. You get to choose the angle that you think people will be

interested in. Consider the bigger picture. Ask yourself these questions:

• Why would someone want to give me money for this project?
• Who will give me money? What kind of person would want to back this project?
• What is the bigger goal – how does this change our community?
• Why are they interested? What is my connection with them?

Focusing on the intended audience and a positive message will give you the best possible chances of getting media attention.

Writing your press release

Click here to use our press release template. Replace the coloured text with your information. Feel free to add more information if it helps to tell your story,

but try to keep it to a single page. Anyone interested can contact you for more detail. Ensure all the text is the same colour, then save as a PDF for sending.

Media kit

A media pack is a zipped file containing high-resolution images and more information on you and your project.

This will help automate your communication process and increase your campaigns reach.

It can include:

• Still face shots of you
• Photos of you “in action”
• Stock video footage for TV or online video stories
• A deeper biography or history of you and your project – such as a timeline of your history, and/or career highlights
• Your contact details, including links to social media accounts, websites, email, phone, and Skype contacts.
• Logos (if relevant)
• Product shots (if relevant)

Having this information readily available for media means that most of the basic stuff they want to know is already there. Then they can concentrate on asking you interesting and relevant questions when writing their stories.

Setting up your media kit

• Pull together a range of photos, videos, and documents that relate to your project. Put them all in one folder.
• Create a document that includes links to all your online accounts. Ensure your project is the first one on the list!
• Save as a PDF and add to the folder.
• Zip the folder and place into your “Public” Dropbox folder. (You’ll need to sign up for a Dropbox account if you don’t already have one).

Include a link to the file in your press release.

Kelly’s really close to her goal, but she had already prepared her press and media kit before she’d launched.

She had 5 local journalists on her list, but she decided to just approach one who she already knew through her volunteer work. This journalist regularly covers local environmental issues and

Kelly thinks she has a pretty good chance of a small article. Kelly plays around with the press and media release template and comes up with a press release she thinks will get some coverage.

Sending your press release

Send your press release once you’ve got some existing support. We recommend you try to get 30% of your funds through other means before you approach the media. This is because,journalists want to cover a success, and see the community behind the project before they report it as a story. Make sure you send each email separately, and remember to attach your press release as a PDF. In the email copy, write a quick note for the contact, noting what the story is about, and why you are contacting them. For example:

Kelly’s press release and media kit are ready to go. She fires it off to her journalist contact with the following note:

“Hey Sarah, It was awesome to chat to you when you covered our local environmental issue organisation. I know you write a lot about environmental issues so I thought you might be interested in my latest project. More info in the attached press release, or feel free to get in touch with me directly if you have any questions.

Cheers,

Kelly Smith

0144 555 5123

kelzsmithy@gmail.com”

Sarah does follow up and puts a piece in a local paper. An anonymous backer comes in on the day of publication and gives Kelly the £170 she needs to reach her goal!