How to Develop a Public Relations Plan for an Early Childhood Program
Public relations plans entail more than sending press releases to newspaper, radio or television stations. Determine the reason for communicating facts or stories about an early childhood program and who it has impacted positively. Persist in telling the story and match PR activities to the labor able to turn out the stories, make contacts or plan events.
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Things You'll Need
- Media list
- Press release
- Primary message
- Mission statement for the public relations campaign
- Pictures
- Testimonials
Instructions
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Plan a public relations effort during a 12-month to 18-month cycle. Set goals and objectives for the amount of contact with traditional media outlets and the use of social media. Assign public relations tasks depending on the time the stories are pertinent. Pitch a summer story to traditional news outlets if the program relieves a burden for working families during that time of year.
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Define the message. Identify the reason for telling facts and stories. Ask, "Why is this of interest to an audience outside the early childhood program?" Select the elements: a government grant; a new literacy program; celebrating milestones; or need for operational funds. List what the early childhood program has accomplished in what period of time, how did children and their families benefit, and state the next steps for the program. Gather testimonials, as appropriate. Write out one page using the previous data and then evaluate the clarity of the message.
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Determine how the different audiences will respond to the message about children Target the primary audience, the secondary audience and a third audience. Determine if businesspeople or the program's current families are the primary or lower audience. Create one simple message for each audience as Jason Salzman writes in "Making the News": "Your message should be contained in one phrase." Salzman says to treat reporters as a separate audience, "you should create a couple of sound bites to communicate it to journalists."
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Plan the media. Use traditional media, and online social media. Research reporters and approach those who have written or aired educational stories. Think from the perspective of a reporter or editor writes Jay Conrad Levinson in the book "Guerilla Publicity": "Listen to their programs, read their articles, and check out their websites, podcasts and blogs. Keep a list of what kind of features they run, the slants they take, and the type of audience they attract."
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Give credit to participating businesses and other participating social service agencies. Send specific thank-you cards to the business owners, service club members, donors and others who assisted. Write a story about those who helped on the program's website if available.
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Evaluate the current effort and plan the next public relations effort. Persevere in building relationships with local reporters and editors.
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Tips & Warnings
Have permission to use pictures of children and families
Building a relationship with traditional media outlets and appropriate bloggers will take three to nine months.
Do not expect reporters to respond the first time to a press release.
Do not show the faces of children in foster care who may be in the program.
Set aside egos when seeking news coverage. Children, families, teachers or volunteers are usually more desired for interviews by reporters than program executives or board members.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit news cameraman image by itsallgood from Fotolia.com children image by Renata Osinska from Fotolia.com
