Your nonprofit has stories to tell. Make sure the right people see them. Here are ten tips nonprofit leaders can use to start a PR campaign building credibility, driving inquiries, and protecting your reputation.
1. Start with clear goals and measurable outcomes.
Decide what success looks like before you begin. Attracting new donors? Increasing newsletter signups? Earning media placements? Pick ‘em and track it.
2. Audit your website and measurement tools.
Make sure Google Analytics is set up. Without analytics, you can’t measure which PR activities move traffic and leads. Fix problems. For example, weak calls-to-action and a lack of keywords.
3. Prepare spokespeople.
Decide who will speak with the media. Prep soundbites and information from the nonprofit’s perspective. Get together headshots, bios, and a fact sheet.
4. Share stories and solutions.
Journalists want specifics. Don’t just describe issues. Share client stories, impacts, innovative solutions and short quotes to make your pitch compelling.
5. Pitch and be timely.
Identify the best outlets for each story. Tie pitches to news hooks. Offer quick commentary for breaking news and more in-depth interviews for feature pieces.
6. Leverage owned channels such as social and newsletters.
Publish attention-getting social posts linking to resources on your site. Save deeper explanations for your newsletter and blog. Keep social concise.
7. Get staff involved.
Ask staff to follow, like and share the company’s posts to amplify reach. But build a short social media policy so team members know boundaries. Provide simple instructions and quick training so employees feel comfortable.
8. Make your website media-friendly.
Add a media contact, press kit, and an obvious call-to-action. Use testimonials, client logos and association badges. Reduce stock photos. Use staff or event images to increase authenticity.
9. Measure performance with tracking.
If you run ads, include QR codes and landing pages so you can track performance in Google Analytics. For print or sponsored placements, ask media outlets for added value such as contributed articles when you’re investing significant ad spend.
10. Keep it going and consistent.
Assign a team member (or contractor) to do daily brief checks of Google Alerts and local news. Maintain a simple weekly log and find strong media pitch opportunities. For each opportunity, pitch new angles or craft a stronger follow-up piece.
PR is not one big launch. It includes a steady stream of useful content and timely commentary. Pick measurable goals, track analytics, and prepare spokespeople and assets, then scale with more pitches, more content and more outreach.