General Publicity
One of the key principles of publicity in general is that no news
is not good news. Churches that use publicity effectively keep
their church in the news year-round -- not just when they have an
event. You can do the same by following these guidelines.
1. Develop relationships with religion editors in your
community. "Drop them an email or give them a call when
you have something of interest coming up that you think they might
want to cover," advises Chris Sigfrids, publicist at Group
Publishing, Inc. "Always share important events and milestones with
your local newspapers and Christian radio stations. Editors are
always looking for a good story!"
2. Choose your news. Make sure it's newsworthy --
something people will want to know. An after-church potluck is just
not as interesting as giving away 5,000 hot dogs at a major league
sporting event tailgate party.
3. Ensure quality and accuracy. Don't let
mistakes, typos, and shabby work be a barrier to your audience. Do
it right, and get someone to review it for you before sending it to
your newspaper editor.
4. Follow up. Contact your media sources to bring
your info to their attention and offer to answer any
questions.
Signs of the Times
When you're creating publicity posters for your events, consider
these good sign/bad sign tips.
GOOD SIGN
• Able to read in 6 to 8 seconds
• Clear, central image
• Benefit stated boldly
• Specific details listed
• Something catchy
• Simplicity and brevity
• High contrast
BAD SIGN
• Small type
• Too much type
• Low or no contrast
• Too many colors
• No more than one or two fonts used
• Unclear main image
• No contact information
