Vice President Public Relations

1. Vice President Public Relations Mid-Year Training January 2018 Molly Ketcham, District 10 PRM

2. Toastmasters International Let the World KnowManual • From Toastmasters International: The main goal of public relations is to generate positive awareness of the Toastmasters brand to attract and retain members. • Good PR will: • Build membership • Gain public recognition • Enhance perception

3. Public Relations • Communications process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and its publics. • within the club because you want to keep your members updated and excited to be part of Toastmasters. • for closed, corporate clubs • for community clubs

4. Communications within your Club • Inform • PR report • Newsletters • Website & social media • Encourage and Recognize • Take pictures at club meetings! • Achievements • Anniversaries • Promote • District events • Membership drives

5. District10.org

6. How do you communicate to club members?

7. PR CalendarIf you don’t have a event, MAKE a story. • February: Club Contest (date and/or winner) • March: Member Success Story • April: Open House • May: HPL Project • June: Club Anniversary • Member Achievement in Community • Speechcraft • Youth Leadership • Guest speaker • Important visitor TO DO: Create calendar

8. Press ReleasesTemplates on Toastmasters.org

9. Public Relations for Closed, Corporate Clubs

10. Corporate clubs will communicate this way but Community clubs can reach out to local businesses and use these tools. • Contact the Human Resources department • Invite them! • Events/stories in corporate newsletter Write an article about how a member enhanced their skills with Toastmasters. • Calendar listing • Magazines in sitting areas, break rooms • Bulletin boards • Orientation • Distribute club newsletter • Personal invitation TO DO: List options for promoting to business

11. What to do outside the club?

12. How well do you know the local media?Invite them to a meeting. • Community newspapers (subscribe to them!) • Publications of local organizations • Internet and online publications • Public access cable shows • PSA or brief program for TV or radio • Broadcast a public service announcement for TV or radio. You can obtain these from Toastmasters International. Or create short video. TO DO: Research local media

13. Sending the Press Release • News editor and journalists • Check staff page on website or call general number • Building a relationship takes time • Keep feeding information / send 2-3 weeks in advance • Press release in body of email and attach • Photo as an attachment • Photo release form for member (found with press release templates.) • Attach various sizes ***Add press release to club website and social media accounts TO DO: Write press release. Go to TI website and Let the World Know manual for reference.

14. Public Recognition through Media • Additionally: • Follow journalists or feature articles and tailor a story to fit them. • Letters to the editor, blog posts, and guest columns: Maybe a local or professional publication would like a regular column, perhaps on communication. Prepare half a dozen columns (no more than 400 words) that are ready to submit. • Picture story: Send picture with a short caption and submit “picture story” to your local newspaper. Reporters can use picture caption stories to fill a hole when another story dropped. • Talk radio shows

15. How well do you know the local area? • Government officials • Chamber of commerce • Business community leaders • School system • Colleges • Community organizations TO DO: Research my club’s city

16. Online • Search “Mayfield Heights event postings” • Comment on blogs • Social media • City’s online community services calendar • Local Government. Contact your City Hall for information on how to get your message displayed on the city’s online community services calendar, which is published through the Parks and Recreation Department. TO DO: Search city event postings and add club meetings/events

17. Flyers • Use TI corporate designed flyers from headquarters. • Create your own design using any trademark and send to corporate for approval. • brand@toastmasters.org • Coordinate efforts with other local clubs • Hang flyers within: • Restaurants, coffee shops, grocery store, Community centers, hospitals, universities, libraries (magazines can go in periodicals) • Put club flyer in the “Welcome to the Community” packets. These packets are distributed to all new residents in a city and contain promotional material about local business and organizations. • Set up “Toastmasters Meets Here” sign or poster for your meetings. TO DO: Create flyer and recruit members to hang them.

18. Invitations • Mayor and city officials • Chamber of Commerce board of directors • Local business leaders • Local media • Superintendent / teachers • Call then follow up with email (can also attach flyer or press release.) TO DO: Call local leaders and invite to attend meeting.

19. Sharing In Person • Develop your elevator pitch • 30-second table topics session 1. Describe three things that the Toastmasters International program helped you accomplish over the past year and the impact of these accomplishments. 2. Tell one great story about the work you do in Toastmasters that is personal, compelling and representative of the Toastmasters organizational purpose. • Attend networking events • Speak at events • Universities and community colleges: Like cities, universities usually have internal cable TV and radio stations, as well as publications reaching students, staff and faculty. Arrange to have a Toastmaster give a presentation as a guest lecturer in a speech communication class. Or better yet, try to participate in communication related campus events – like “Communications Week” • Word of mouth; everyone is an ambassador!