| June 5, 2016 -- Did You Know … The best way to get your Grange’s message out may be to tell it like a story? On the surface, Public Relations is similar to a non-fiction book, or even your favorite documentary movies - truth told in a story-like context. Tell your Grange story with the same structure and elements of all the greatest stories, and the message will be heard!
Did You Know … the best way to overcome writers block is to keep your press release short and to the point? Start with the facts, and follow the natural progression of the story - from most important at the start to least important at the close.
Did You Know … there is a difference between Public Relations and Advertising? There is a popular saying that sums is up - “Advertising is what you pay for, publicity is what you pray for.” An article published in Forbes Magazine has the perfect definition - “Advertising is paid media, public relations is earned media. This means you convince reporters or editors to write a positive story about you or your client, your candidate, brand or issue. It appears in the editorial section of the magazine, newspaper, TV station or website, rather than the “paid media” section where advertising messages appear. So your story has more credibility because it was independently verified by a trusted third party, rather than purchased.” (July 8, 2014 edition, “The Real Difference Between PR And Advertising” by Robert Wynne)
Did You Know … that Public Relations has a “Gatekeeper” just like the Grange does? In the field of Public Relations, the Gatekeeper is the individual who controls the flow of information to the public, from the media’s perspective. Basically - the person who chooses what articles are published or broadcast, using a set of criteria to do so.
Did You Know … 70 percent of news in the media is generated by public relations? Granges need to take advantage of this statistic to promote their events and activities, share news, celebrate an anniversary or other notable event, build recognition, and even generate excitement about the organization. |
