Handy manual for budding PR folks

Recently I agreed to become the public relations person for my church. I thought it would be an easy job, just writing the occasional press release. After I wrote my first effort, I realized it wasn't so easy. First of all, I wrote the release in the same style as I write this column, which is all wrong for a press release. Secondly, after I wrote it, I had no idea of what to do with it.

Fortunately, I had the library and the benefit of expert help. A colleague, who is also a public relations professional, gently reminded me that a press release is all about the facts. I had written something that was more like a story. She reordered my prose, putting the who, what, when, where and how in the first paragraph.

At the library I found a handy manual, Newsclip's "Illinois Media," giving the names of media contacts in my area. This guide includes not only news media outlets, but also business and professional publications, ethnic and religious publications, municipal newsletters and other special interest publications.

Later I had the opportunity to talk to Steve Mongelluzzo, a communications consultant and trainer. I asked him how I might educate myself for my new role as a public relations person.

"Learn how to write a press release," he said. "Make it brief; put the basic information in the first paragraph. Guard against using jargon or language that will be confusing. Be sure to include where the reader can go for more information."

Mongelluzzo's second suggestion was to establish myself as the contact person and to partner with the organization's executive.

"Think of yourself as the specialist in organizing the information while your executive is the information content specialist. You will also want to act as a trainer for the executive. Develop messages together about your various programs and services. Messages can be used not only in press releases but also in all of your communication efforts, including media interviews, board meetings, and group presentations. Effective messages explicitly tell people what you want them to do and describe the benefits of doing it."

Mongelluzzo's third suggestion was to engage all members of the organization in collecting success stories and other "memory hooks" on a regular basis. Memory hooks are stories or analogies or examples that tell about your organization's successes or reinforce and clarify your messages. In each case they include all the details to make them memorable. As the public relations person, remind your group at least monthly to submit these memory hooks to you. They can be used later to great advantage and in a variety of ways.

Finally, Mongelluzzo suggested that I search out groups who are most likely to be interested in the programs and events that I will be promoting.

"For example," he said, "if you have a program of interest to senior citizens, contact senior centers, retirement communities, and similar organizations and ask for appropriate ways to publicize your program. It might be with fliers or with news releases for newsletters or even speaking to a group. Personal contact with an official of the group is essential to this approach."

Mongelluzzo's suggestions for me and other PR people included reading books and publications on public relations and marketing from your local library, joining professional organizations such as the Publicity Club of Chicago, and attending training programs provided by the Community Media Workshop.

For more hot tips from Mongelluzzo, tune in to my podcast interview with him at www.librarybeat.org.