Do you have an upcoming event for your non-profit?
Events can serve as important parts of running a non-profit organization. Hosting an occasion your supporters can attend allows you to inform them of recent updates. In addition, you get the ability to converse with them face-to-face and increase their interest in your cause.
Still, some businesses only send out invitations to their supporters and don’t include other members of the public, such as the press. This is a mistake. For every occasion you have, you should send out an event press release.
But what are the benefits of writing a press release for your event? Below, we’ll go into the top 5 reasons you need to contact the local media. Keep reading to learn more!
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It Boosts Your Reach
Do you want your event to grow the number of people who follow your work?
Events often give companies a platform to share the work they’ve done and what they plan to accomplish. You might invite people from your email list or contact your major donors to see if they want to attend. Typically, though, those at the event will be the ones who already know about your company.
But as a non-profit, your company will do better if your event can expand its reach. You can do this by sending out an event press release and inviting reporters and photographers. That way, people who read or watch the local news might hear of you and gain interest in your work.
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It Gives You the Chance to Tell Your Story
People connect with stories. In fact, one of the best ways to get people to join your cause is to tell an effective story.
Reporters are storytellers by trade. They go to certain places and events, absorb details, and then write up an engaging piece that their readers will want to read. Often, reporters want to talk to key people, too.
Because of this, you can use your event as a way to tell your story. In the press release, offer to schedule interviews between people at your organization and news reporters. The reporter may then use parts of your story in their article, increasing the chance that people will become interested in your organization.
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Build Your Network
Contacting news organizations doesn’t just get your event more attention. It also helps you build your network.
When it comes to networking, few people think of contacting the news. In reality, though, having a list of reporters and photographers you’ve worked with can help you. If you ever have an update you want to share, for instance, you can reach out to your news contacts.
You’ll also be able to reach out to specific editors if you ever want to publish an opinion piece.
As such, you should build a list of news contacts to email whenever you have an event. If it’s your first time contacting the local news, check their website. See if they have the information of the editor-in-chief on hand and prioritize contacting this person. They will then be able to assign the right reporter and photographer.
If you’re not sure who to reach out to, contact the news desk.
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Build Your Website Traffic
Do you want to increase the number of people coming to your website every month?
If so, you should send out a nonprofit press release inviting the news to your event. First, you’ll get some additional visitors if the news crew searches for you before going to your event.
You’ll also have the opportunity to put links to your website in your press release. Links help boost your search engine optimization (SEO) rankings. This means that the more links you have going to your website, the farther up you will appear in search engine results.
Most people only click on the first few results when they enter something into a search engine. As such, appearing higher up in the results is crucial.
In addition, after your event makes the news, more people might look you up. This gives you the chance to convert them from people interested in your cause to regular donors.
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Create Relationships with People Who Will Come to You
News crews need connections as much as you do. In fact, contacting them once might open up doors to additional opportunities to work together.
Say a reporter gets assigned to a story related to your field. If you’ve worked together before and established a good rapport, they might reach out to you for commentary.
This helps you, too. After all, every time you get quoted in the news, you have the opportunity to talk about the work you do. This increases community interest in your organization.
Use Press Release Distribution Services
Do you want to know how to best get your press releases out?
Use a press release distribution service! These services give you access to many different newsrooms, boosting your press release’s readership.
Learn more about how to distribute the best press release.
Are You Ready to Send an Event Press Release?
Sending your first event press release can sound daunting, but it doesn’t have to be.
In fact, sending press releases before an event helps you accomplish more. Start by writing an engaging first few lines that summarize the crucial details. Then, elaborate on all the crucial information in the body of the piece. This includes where and when the event will be held.
The above method uses the format of writing commonly used by reporters.
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