how to get publicity for your snowmobile club

Have you ever wondered how an organization gets that great story about their group's event in the newspaper?

Think there is no way your club or group could get that kind of coverage for your event? Well think again. It's a lot easier than you think. You'd be surprised to know that many newspapers and other media outlets are eager to hear from you and would like to tell their readers and listeners about your event.

How? All you need to do is understand what the media wants. If you think like a reporter and do all the legwork, you'll have a better chance getting publicity for your club.

We've all heard from fellow snowmobilers about how the local media always pick on the sport, only covering the accidents and the drinking in great detail, never focusing on the many good things people in our sport do.

"Why don't they cover the charity ride we held last weekend that raised $5,000?" you grumble. In many cases, they would have wanted to. It's just that someone forgot to tell the media it was happening in the first place.

Oh. Outside the metro areas, especially in suburban newspapers and those in small-and medium-sized communities, the media are really interested to know what's going on in their community. They are interested in covering events and people of all backgrounds and interests, especially if it represents a big constituency of the community. And in many northern climates, snowmobiling is not only popular, it's big business.

So here are some tips for how you can do the publicity yourself and hopefully get some attention for your club or organization's activity while establishing a relationship with a reporter or editor in the process.

1. Communicate to the media on their terms. That means setting down all of your information in what is called a news or press release. A news release is a page (or two) of information that provides all of the details the media need. It answers these five questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How? Pretty easy, huh? If you can't answer these, then you might not have something newsworthy.

First, start by putting the name of your organization and a contact name and telephone number at the top of the page. The media will need to call someone who can represent the club, verify the details of the event and be the one to provide more info if the reporter or editor has a question.

Then, provide, a headline. Just like in a newspaper, it's a short attention grabber to tell the recipient what the news release is all about. Then, start sharing the information. The more precise you can be, the better. If you don't have anyone in your club who can write well, then just list the 5Ws and the 1H, and answer them like questions.

How do you get the information to the newspaper or media outlet? You can mail it to them fax it or these days, some media will accept information via their website. Check to see if they maintain a mailbox where you can e-mail your information. But never just e-mail information unsolicited, then it's just like spam.

2. Be mindful of deadlines. You can't send out a news release the day before an event and expect the media to cover it. Plan ahead and make sure the media know as far in advance as possible. That way they can work the event into their plans. Two weeks in advance of an event is generally a good rule of thumb. Three is better if the newspaper is a weekly.

3. Follow-up the information you send. The news media are overwhelmed by news releases and other information from lots of organizations just like yours that are looking for some publicity. In order to make sure they see yours, call after the news release has arrived and see whether they might be interested in writing about the event or coming out and covering it.

Be prepared to explain why they should cover your event and why it's newsworthy.

If it's a charity event, explain why it's a good cause. If it's a rider safety event, tell them your club is doing its part to promote safe riding. You get the idea.

4. Have a spokesperson for your organization. To be truly effective in getting publicity for your organization, it's important to have a person who can speak effectively for the group. That might be your president or it might be someone who represents the organization well. Recruit that individual to be your spokesperson. That way your group comes to life in how that person portrays you. Be sure they are articulate and can explain the sport or the club to an outsider. How people perceive this person will contribute to how they view your club or group, and ultimately, how they look at the sport.

Going forward, that spokesperson starts to play a critical role for the organization. Besides being the "face" of your organization and the person best able to articulate what you do, they become a contact for the media. If they have a positive experience with you and learn a lot, they might pick up the phone the next time there's something negative being said about snowmobiling and ask your organization to comment and give its side of the story.

5. Always be available. Media coverage often occurs because the person or organization quoted is always available. That's what spokespeople do. They don't mind giving out their home phone numbers and they are always willing to take a call from the media- even when it's late. That way, you get your point included in a story rather than a line that says, "The spokes-person was not available to comment."

The news media are anxious to learn more about what makes their communities tick. If your club is active- raising money for charities, providing safety training courses for young riders, volunteering to pick up trash along trails- take some time to get recognition for your efforts. The media want to know these things and by letting people in on what you're doing, you'll be raising awareness for your club and perhaps raising the profile of snowmobiling in your community.

BIO:
Maury Maven has dealt with media types in both pleasant and unpleasant times. He also has represented snowmobile interests at many levels over the years. A veteran media player, he has successfully generated positive goodwill for snowmobilers' efforts.

This story ran in the January 2004 issue of American Snowmobiler magazine