Public Relations & Social Media for Nonprofit Sports Organizations

Public Relations & Social Mediafor Sports Nonprofit Organizations

August 27, 2013California Endowment

Marketing Workshop

Presenters

Howard BrodwinSports and Social Change

http://www.sportsandsocialchange.org

Chris BreretonPwrdBy

http://www.pwrdby.com

Survey Results

Topics

Public RelationsSocial Media

Mobile Apps/Marketing

Public Relations

“If I was down to my last dollar,I’d spend it on Public Relations.”

~ Bill Gates

Paid / Earned / Owned Media

Expand your Definition of Media

PaidAdvertisingDirect Mail

Events

EarnedPublic Relations

ReviewsWord of Mouth

OwnedBlogEmail

PackagingSocial Media

Public Relations

Understanding Earned Media

Public Relations


It is what is said about the brand that cannot be controlled by the brand.

Public Relations


Public Relations success comes from:

• Creating newsworthy stories • Announcing accomplishments & milestones • Introducing new programs or services • Highlighting Organizational expertise

Public Relations

Establish your Messaging Platform • What is the Cause your Organization is focused on? • How do you specifically impact the Cause? • What makes your Organization unique? •Do you have an interesting story of how the Org was founded? • Are you the only Org doing what you do in the Region/State/Country? • Is it a model for other Organizations to follow?• Is what you’re doing tied to any particular trend?

Public Relations

Establish your Messaging Platform

The “Why” comes 1st

“Who” “What” “Where” “When” “How”Supporting proof points for your message

Public Relations

Establish your Messaging Platform

Maintain consistency across ALL platforms:

• Website copy• Brochures/Collateral• Social Media Feeds• Interviews & Speeches

Public Relations

Creating a Media List

What does your audience watch/read/listen to?

• Print - Magazines/Newspapers/Weeklies• Digital - Online/Mobile/Newsletters/Blogs• Radio - AM-FM/Satellite/Podcasts• Television - Network/Cable/Local

Public Relations


• Identify the Story• Identify the Outlets / Reporters• Find contact info: email/phone/twitter/fax

(look on the masthead, in bylines, at the end of articles)• Gather data: circulation/audience, frequency of distribution, editorial calendar, pitch format

Public Relations


• News - Local / National• Sports News - Local / National• Lifestyle - Local / National• Sports Specific - Baseball, Soccer, Golf, etc.• Cause Specific - Education, Environment, Health• Other Outlets - Alumni Publications, Airlines, etc.

Public Relations

Creating a Media List - Introduce Yourself!

Public Relations

Creating a Media List - Introduce Yourself!

Introduce your Organization, your impact & what you have in the pipeline that's newsworthy

• Describe your nonprofit and its mission • Make yourself available as a resource • List topics on which you can speak• Make them aware of your website & social media

Public Relations

Creating the Pitch

Public Relations

Creating the Pitch

Public Relations

Creating the Pitch

1. Identify the Good Story Look for a single, compelling focus:• Is this part of a trend? • Is there a news hook ?• Do you have an upcoming event?• Celebrity tie-in?• Compelling human interest story about one of

the people you’re serving?

Every event at your nonprofit is NOT a news story!

Public Relations

Creating the Pitch

2. Simplify Your Writing• Use clear, straightforward language• Tell you story in a logical sequence• Be concise: What best conveys the message &

the emotion of the story?

How would you explain it to a stranger?

Public Relations

Creating the Pitch

3. Be Clear and Specific with Results• How much money have you raised? • How many people have you impacted?• How much have you been able to improve a certain situation?

Keep key statistics updated and accessible

Public Relations

Creating the Pitch

4. Frame the Story as Part of a Bigger Picture• Is your cause Regional? National? Global?• How are you working towards solutions in this area that impact the cause Nationally/Globally?

Public Relations

Creating the Pitch

5. Talk About your Impact on People• Stories about how people’s lives were changed

for the better by your Org? • Keep a current database of stories & people who are willing to talk to the media• Does your founder or staff have a story or compelling personal reason for being involved?

"If you want to show that war is hell, write about the soldier, not the Army.”

~ unknown WWII Journalist

Public Relations

Creating the Pitch

6. Be Time and News Sensitive • Track the trends and respond accordingly • What is your organization doing that impacts current news? • Can you tie-in with a current event?

- Olympics/World Cup/Super Bowl/World Series• Are you doing something around a specific holiday/event/time of year?

Public Relations

Creating the Pitch

7. Set Realistic Expectations

• Don't expect to always get an in-depth story• Don't expect to get repeat features in the same media outlet

It is easier to be mentioned in a story than it is to get a story written exclusively

about your nonprofit.

Public Relations

Writing Tips - Best Practices

• Headline: 80-100 characters, 120 max• 1st Paragraph should address: Who/What/Why/When/Where?• Write in the 3rd Person • Stay around 500-700 words, if possible• Include all of your contact info: Website, Phone, Email, Social Media

Public Relations


• Proofread. Then proofread AGAIN.• Have a boilerplate "About the Organization” • Link the names of people quoted in a release to their bios or a related blog post they’ve authored • Employ bullet points to highlight key points and draw readers’ eyes deeper into the copy.

Public Relations


DO NOT• Use exaggerated words: Amazing, Revolutionary, Ground-breaking, Fantastic • Send attachments, unless asked • Call repeatedly to follow up • Send the same press release twice- Media Alerts (ex: for an event) are OK as reminders

Public Relations

We Didn’t Get In :-(

• Respect news judgment and the reporter’s time management• Don’t get annoyed or act rudely if the story on

your organization is cut or doesn’t run • Keep the reporter informed on future events

Saturated Market: Over 15,000 Press Releases are generated every week

(PRweb.com Oct '12)

Public Relations

Resources:

Press Release Distribution / Wire Services

• PR Newswire• Business Wire • PR Web• Pitch Engine• Endurance Wire (Running/Triathlon/Cycling)• U Wire (Colleges/Universities)

Public Relations

Resources:

Reporter Lists

• Vocus • Cision • www.MuckRack.com • www.FlackList.com

Public Relations

Resources:

• TV News Assignment Desks • Local News Service • PRSA LA - Quality Time for PR Minds • www.PRdaily.com • www.Technorati.com • www.MediaBistro.com / @FishbowlLA • www.SportsandSocialChange.org

- post your Press Releases, Announcements, Volunteer Requests and Events for FREE!

Understanding Owned Media

Paid / Earned / Owned Media

Expand your Definition of Media

PaidAdvertisingDirect Mail

Events

EarnedPublic Relations

ReviewsWord of Mouth

OwnedBlogEmail

PackagingSocial Media

Social Media

Social Media

Goals Audience

Tools

Social Media

Understanding Owned Media - GoalsDefine specific, actionable, and reasonable goals

Are you trying to: • Develop buzz and interest around your cause?• Generate relevant & targeted traffic to your site? • Build capacity and reach more people with your programs & services? • Generate registration to events?• Attract & engage more volunteers?

Social Media

Understanding Owned Media - AudienceFind the channels/platforms that make the most sense to reach your audience:

• Twitter• Facebook• YouTube• Linkedin• Pinterest• Instagram• Flickr• Tumblr

Social Media

Understanding Owned Media - Audience

Social Media

Understanding Owned Media - Tools

What tools are needed to CREATE and DISTRIBUTE content on Social Media?

• Text: Blog/Facebook/Twitter/Google+/Linkedin • Photos & Graphics: Instagram/Pinterest/Tumblr • Video: YouTube/Vimeo/Vine/Instagram• Audio: Podcasts/Soundcloud

Social Media

Social Media and Causes

Source: Waggener Edstrom - Digital Persuasion Report

What motivated you to take action for a cause?

Social Media



Social Media



Social Media

Goals“The Like/Follow is the beginning

of the relationship between you and your audience, not the end.”

Do those people do what I want them to do?How can I get them to do it?How are you making it a valuable community?How will you get them to come back?

Source: Carie Lewis, Deputy Director, Online Communications, The Humane Society

Social Media

Goals - Be SpecificHaving a presence is not a strong end goal

• Define exactly what you’re hoping to accomplish • Assess whether your organization has the time

and resources to devote • Get more focused and demonstrable results

EX: Pinterest — strong goals might include getting views on specific campaign-focused photos, getting links back to your website, and connecting

with female volunteers in specific markets.

Social Media

Goals - MeasurementWhat are you measuring?

• # of actions taken• # of donors• Amount of donations• # of names for database• Service "wins”• Most Shared/Commented/Liked Content• Event RSVPs• Volunteers recruited

Social Media

Goals - MeasurementWhen you measure your results…

• You know what platforms and types of content are delivering results• Decide what’s worth continuing to pursue • Be Specific on what “success” means - donations, event attendees, exposure to key audience

Reporting on your successes can convince board members on the value of social media, especially when it helps you to better meet your mission.

Social Media

Goals - MeasurementApply Metrics to the following Categories:

• Reach: unique visitors, page/video views, time spent on website• Buzz - inclusion in trending topics, blog mentions, connection to key influencers• Engagement - likes, retweets, shares, posts• Transaction - leads, donations, registrations, volunteers secured• Participation - fans, followers, check-ins, sign-ups• Advocacy - comments, feedback, pollsSource: Booz & Company

Social Media

Goals - Timeline

Design a timeline of small, attainable goals and stick to them

Explore a new channel, establish your presence, upload certain content, gain a certain number of followers

By reaching certain benchmarks of success, you will be more encouraged to move forward

Social Media

Where is your Audience?

Social Media

Audience

FACEBOOK: 1.15 billion users / 700 million daily active users; Majority between 18-25; 60% female

• 23% of users check their accounts 5x or more every day• 819 million monthly users access Facebook through a mobile device• Over 1 million websites have integrated with FacebookSources: Pew Internet Report - The Demographics of Social Media Users 2012; Huffington Post: 100 Fascinating Social Media Statistics and Figures from 2012

Social Media

Audience

TWITTER: 555+ million users; Majority between 18-29; 57% female

• Best tool for interacting in real-time • Urban-dwellers are significantly more likely users than both suburban and rural residents.

Sources: Pew Internet Report - The Demographics of Social Media Users 2012; Huffington Post: 100 Fascinating Social Media Statistics and Figures from 2012

Social Media

Audience

GOOGLE+: 170+ million users; Majority between 26-34; 63% male

• 625,000 people join Google + every day • Google "+1" button is used 5 million times per day


Social Media

Audience

PINTEREST: 12+ Million Users. Majority between 26-44; 68% female• Equally popular among those 18-29 and 30-49 • 50% of users have Children• 57% of users interact with Food-related content


Social Media

Audience

INSTAGRAM: 130+ Million Users. Majority between 18-29; 61% female

• 45 million photos shared every day • Top 10 Hashtags (as of 8/12/13):#love #instagood #me #cute #tbt #eyes #nice#statigram #throwbackthursday #photooftheday


Social Media

Audience - Engagement Ladder

Source: John Haydon, Inbound Zombie

Social Media

Tools - Content Creation

Develop a Content Marketing Plan

• Who? Responsibilities • What? Set Your Topics (Themes, Seasons, Holidays, Events)

• When? Set a Schedule / Use a Calendar • Where? Appropriate Channels• How? Tools (HootSuite, Twitterfeed, Sprout Social, TweetDeck)

Social Media

Tools - Content Creation

Topics:

• Current news • Upcoming events / recaps • Individual success stories • Reached a milestone or goal • Want input on an issue • Anniversary / Celebration

Social Media

Social MediaTools - Content Distribution / ExamplesCasting for Recovery (Facebook)

Social MediaTools - Content Distribution / ExamplesWounded Warrior Amputee Softball (Facebook)

Social MediaTools - Content Distribution / ExamplesGirls on the Run International (Facebook)

Social MediaTools - Content Distribution / ExamplesFive Hole for Food (Twitter)

Social MediaTools - Content Distribution / ExamplesCicLAvia (Twitter)

Social MediaTools - Content Distribution / ExamplesBeard-A-Thon (Pinterest)

Social MediaTools - Content Distribution / ExamplesKaBOOM! (Pinterest)

Social MediaTools - Content Distribution / ExamplesWorld Bicycle Relief (YouTube)

Social Media

Tools - Content Distribution

Other Platforms/Tools:• StumbleUpon - Stumbling for Good • Reddit - "Front page of the Internet” • DeHood - local • Blasterous - Social-Local-Mobile (SoLoMo) • Change.org - petitions • Chirbit - Audio creation/sharing • Creation tools - MemeGenerator / GifBoom

Social Media

Best Practices / Tips• Ask people to "please RT" & "please share" or "sign the pledge" - people tend to do what they’re asked.• Answer and thank everyone - builds trust and loyalty, makes them feel appreciated• Monitor keywords, hashtags and trends relevant to your cause & sport - stay informed and engaged • Have an open but moderated forum on your pages. Don't disable posting/commenting by your fans; monitor and engage where necessary, delete obvious spam.

Social Media

Best Practices / Tips

• Test different copy/content - see what is working based on your goals • Vary your topics: Fun, insightful, topical, asks, events, thought-provoking, themed • Follow/Like Organizations with similar missions and programs - and share their content! • Follow/Like other Local Organizations - and share their content!

Social Media

Hashtags

• Makes content easy to find on the channels Twitter/Facebook/Google+/Instagram/Pinterest/Tumblr

• Search Engine friendly • Keywords #nonprofit #volunteer #LosAngeles #baseball #soccer #tennis #golf• Hashtags.org - what is trending

Social Media

Communicate your Presence

Remind & encourage your supporters to follow your Organization on your social media platforms

• Website • Email signature • Email newsletter • Print collateral • Channel to Channel

Social Media

Conclusion

Social Media

Resources• Nonprofit Tech for Good www.nptechforgood.com • Beth Kanter www.bethkanter.org • Mashable www.mashable.com • Idealware www.idealware.com • Nancy Schwartz www.GettingAttention.org • Hootsuite www.hootsuite.com • TwitterFeed www.twitterfeed.com • MediaPost:Causes www.mediapost.com/publications/marketing-causes • Facebook: St Jude's www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/13933.aspx

http://www.nptechforgood.com/

http://www.bethkanter.org/

Howard [email protected]

www.sportsandsocialchange.org