What stories are the media looking for during the Coronavirus crisis?
We were introduced to Heather Collins by a friend of The Doers as Do Good PR and The Doers share a lot of the same goals and values. After years of freelancing with charities, Heather set up Do Good PR to offer a cost-effective, integrated comms consultancy that understands the challenges and complexities that organisations working for social good face. Just like me and Jess, Heather saw that there was a need for a cheaper and more flexible alternative to a PR agency, a communications consultancy that understands the needs of it’s clients and can deliver first class support no matter the size of the budget.
Heather takes her years of comms and PR experience working in the third sector and her deep understanding of social good to work alongside non-profits to deliver strategic communication campaigns with fantastic results.
Almost ever sector of business has been impacted by Coronavirus in some way or another, but the third sector is particularly interesting as front-line support for the causes are needed more now then ever, but traditional fundraising routes such as events and community fundraising have ground to a halt.
With this in mind, Heather answers one of the big questions she’s been asked by clients in recent weeks and gives her top tips for securing media coverage for non-profit organisations and communities.
Guest post written by Heather Collins, Senior PR Consultant & Founder of Do Good PR
“Is PR worth it during the Coronavirus crisis?”
Just last week, I received an enquiry from a freelancer, who writes for a number of national news titles, urgently looking for ‘good news’ stories. While numerous other journalists (the requests are still piling in), want to hear examples of how communities are pulling together to help those most in need.
At Do Good PR in the past week alone, we’ve secured coverage for our clients, including charities and community groups, on BBC Radio London, The Sunday Mirror, and the Evening Standard, and we couldn’t be more thrilled.
There are so many charities and good businesses out there that are playing a pivotal role in their communities during this unprecedented global crisis. So, here are few tips to help those organisations get their stories heard.
Find your hook
Firstly, identify the key way that your charity or good business is helping. It may not be most obvious. Often the media are looking for unique or innovative ways of how organisations are providing support. Think about ways that you’ve had to adapt your usual services, and how you are now keeping in touch and providing support, to your beneficiaries.
Source case studies
Once you’ve decided on your hook examine whether you have some appropriate examples that best illustrate this support. For example, are there any beneficiaries that would be happy to be used as case studies in the media. Make sure you have the appropriate written consent in place.
Identify spokespeople
Identify who would be best placed to be the lead spokesperson for your organisation. This can be the CEO or founder of your charity or good business, but more often than not it will be the key expert and/or person, who has the most in depth knowledge and experience to talk about the support you are providing.
Create a press release
Finally, package this information up as a press release identifying the key hook, details of how your organisation is helping during this time, and perhaps a quote from your spokesperson on why the support is so important. Don’t forget to provide a link to your organisation’s website for further details and ways that the public can help to support.
If you’re a not for profit organisation in need of any advice or support around PR and media relations get in touch with Heather to book in a complimentary 30-minute discovery call