To Get Free Publicity, Make Your Charity Event Media Friendly

Timing your event will also have a huge impact on your success with the media.  Try to make sure it doesn’t compete with another major event in your community. Call your local Chamber of Commerce or Convention & Visitors Bureau for help on this.

Schedule your “media opportunities” with flexibility in mind. Remember that many journalists cover more than one event in the course of a day, and breaking news sometimes might throw them off schedule. If it’s possible to make the timing of your event or “photo op” flexible, you increase your chances of success.

Plan every activity of your event so that it appeals to the media. Give them something to report on besides milling crowds. At the annual Cowboy Breakfast in San Antonio (an event that attracts fifty thousand people at 6:30 AM every year), they start breaking eggs for the tacos the day before. A pile of several thousand eggshells makes an interesting visual for TV or even still photos.

Several years ago the Cowboy Breakfast scored a huge coup when organizers, working with the local NBC affiliate, attracted The Today Show’s Willard Scott to go live. Scott also agreed, as part of the gig, to attempt to throw a “cow patty” into a toilet bowl from about 25 yards away. Incredibly, he scored a “bulls-eye” on national TV (Einstein would have trouble calculating the aerodynamics of a flying cow-patty, but Scott “swished it” it on the first try.). His success resulted in a round of one-liners from the Today Show hosts, priceless attention across the country, and a memorable video moment on the local news that night. Even the ABC and CBS affiliates showed it.

Don’t forget the small things, like reserved media parking. If the media has to use public parking, and a TV photographer, for instance, has to lug 30 pounds of equipment a quarter of a mile to cover you, you can bet the assignment editor will hear about it when the photographer returns to the station. You can also bet the assignment editor will make a mental note of it.

Remember too that most media outlets will make one visit only. So if you have a multi-day event, try to get them to come on the first day, when the most interesting things are planned. Good coverage on opening day will help boost attendance for rest.

Early in my radio career, one of my friends used to sign off his show every day by telling his listeners this:

"Remember, do good and you'll always do well. "It's true in life. It's especially true when you want to get free publicity in the media.

Need more tips on how to pitch by letter, phone or e-mail? Each method of pitching has its own problems and benefits.

Related articles in this section include:

Free Publicity and Charity Events

Choosing a Charity to Publicize

Getting Publicity on TV for Your Charity Event

Getting Publicity on Radio for Your Charity Event