Tips for Engaging Local Media for Free

There are many approaches you could take to reach out to local media in your area. Here are a few ideas and strategies you can use.

What are Ideas for Stories that you could Submit?

The two main Story Ideas that would be great to submit to your local Newspaper or TV Station are…

1 – Upcoming Events focused on the Community
2 – Stories & Recaps of Past Big Events or Community Outreaches

You may have other ideas for things you could post that are internal focused like the minutes of your last Board Meeting, but obviously not very many in your Community will care about that. The point of this strategy is to reach out to the Community.

You will greatly increase your chances of getting published if you submit content that anyone in your Community would enjoy reading, not just your Church Members. Save the Church Member information for your bulletin and weekly emails.

You could also create a story about getting a new Youth Pastor or something like that. Even though it is an internal story, this could attract NEW Visitors if they see you have something new and exciting for their students.

So get creative and look at what YOUR church has going on right now that would interest the community.

Creating Stories about PAST Events is a great Strategy.

First, it gives the reporter more freedom to post and publish it because they will not feel like they are promoting an upcoming church event for free. They are promoting a real story.

Second, it lets people in the Community see how your Church REALLY IS, not just what you SAY it is going to be.

When we promote an upcoming event people really have no idea if we are telling the truth about the quality. When we show what HAPPENED they can see for themselves. If they like what they see, they may check you out and visit.

If I were reading the Newspaper or watching the News on TV I would rather see a RECAP of a past event than a PROMOTION for a future event. People in your Community and local Reporters want real content, not just event promotion.

What can you do to HELP your Story or Idea get Published?

Just like many Pastors subscribe to Sermon Resource sites to get a head start on Sermon Preparation, you can do the same thing for a reporter.

If you want to stack the deck in your favor and get published, you need to take some of the work off the reporters hands. You want to make it as EASY as possible for them to write and publish your story.

So what are some steps you can take?

Write the Article FOR them in the 3rd Person from a Reporters point of view.
Do NOT be overly pushy promoting your Church. Just tell the story.
If it is an upcoming event, write it in the form of a Press Release.
Tell them that they can change the wording to make it their own.
Include quality photos that will go with the story.
Provide contact information to someone they can interview for more information.

By the way, if you need help writing these Stories or Press Releases try using FIVERR.com. Once you are signed up, search for Press Release and search for someone with a near 100% rating. You can have these written for you starting around $5 each.

Even if the end result is not exactly what you want, you can always tweak and adjust it. The Fiverr offer will just help you get most of the work done cheap.

HUBSPOT has also created an excellent post and template showing you how to create your own Press Release. Check it out below and download this FREE resource.

>> HUBSPOT Press Release Template Post

Another way to get in your Local News

Just like many Radio and TV Stations, many local Newspapers will have online event calendars and will even print submitted upcoming events in the paper.

This is a place that you can probably get in for free without having a reporter or editor approve your content. You can just submit it and they will post it for you as is.

The difference between this and a reporter focused submission is that it is obviously an ad submitted by the church instead of a reporter endorsed story.

The reporter endorsed stories carry more credibility and will probably get posted on the Newspaper, Radio or TV Social Media channels as well.

Where do you START?

Your assignment?

Pick an upcoming Community Outreach Event or write a story recapping a past event, write in the third person from a reporter point of view, and attach pictures. Submit it, and then see what happens.

You may be surprised at what you can get in the Newspaper or covered on Local TV or News Radio for FREE.