1 2 3 Creating a mission: Key ideas: Should be a part of your - - PDF document

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Creating a mission: Key ideas: Should be a part of your core communications Should a brief, high-level statement capturing the essence of the organization Not meant to be all encompassing, but rather evocative and inspirational 4

What’s a boilerplate? A completely external statement of the essence of the

• rganization, comprising core concept statement plus proof

points Should give anyone reading it a snapshot of your organization and direction as to where to find more information Lives at the bottom of each press release One paragraph, four sentences, max 5

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Changes in media landscape mean this function should be ongoing For state chapters, concentrate on state capitol media—print, blogs, TV, talk radio Consider modifying who you call media Key school districts? State government/other policymakers? Other state and regional educational associations? Universities and think tanks?

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Call local media to introduce yourselves and your organization Offer to take them to coffee/lunch to tell them about your

• rganization

Put your organization at their service Send them invites to meetings and events when it makes sense Ultimately, you want them to feel like an insider

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Key questions: Is your new boilerplate included? Is your logo up-to-date? Are your releases hyperlink rich? Is the voice of the member included? Do your releases include a call to action? Do they include contact information for you if you are away from your desk? Are your releases optimized for SEO?

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Do core institutional talking points exist? Do they include your core concept statement? Do they cover the breadth and depth of your organization? Are potential spokespeople familiar with the talking points?

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Does your local media have regular education features or spotlights your organization could be featured in? Do you have significant milestones, initiatives or activities you can pitch? New leadership you can pitch? Are there significant partnerships you can pitch? Opinion/Editorial Pieces? Anything out of the ordinary?

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– Create a simple data base you can plug your links into – Get hardcopies of media coverage, scan it, and keep it on your computer – Buy video and audio clips

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– Amplify your coverage through your organization’s social media channels – Embed your coverage into marketing materials – Send positive media cover to policymakers – Send positive media coverage back to the membership

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