This document provides an overview of public relations and social media strategies for sports nonprofit organizations. It discusses the importance of establishing clear goals and messaging for PR and social media. Key topics covered include creating media lists, crafting effective pitches, measuring results, and best practices for content creation and distribution across various social media platforms. The document aims to help nonprofits better understand how to utilize PR and social media to promote their missions.

1. Public Relations & Social Media
for Sports Nonprofit Organizations
August 27, 2013
California Endowment
Marketing Workshop

2. Presenters
Howard Brodwin
Sports and Social Change
http://www.sportsandsocialchange.org
Chris Brereton
PwrdBy
http://www.pwrdby.com

3. Survey Results

4. Topics
Public Relations
Social Media
Mobile Apps/Marketing

5. Public Relations
“If I was down to my last dollar,
I’d spend it on Public Relations.”
~ Bill Gates

6. Paid / Earned / Owned Media
Expand your Definition of Media
Paid
Advertising
Direct Mail
Events
Earned
Public Relations
Reviews
Word of Mouth
Owned
Blog
Email
Packaging
Social Media

7. Public Relations
Understanding Earned Media

8. Public Relations
Understanding Earned Media
It is what is said about the brand
that cannot be controlled by the brand.

9. Public Relations
Understanding Earned Media
Public Relations success comes from:
• Creating newsworthy stories
• Announcing accomplishments & milestones
• Introducing new programs or services
• Highlighting Organizational expertise

10. Public Relations
Establish your Messaging Platform
• What is the Cause your Organization is focused on?
• How do you specifically impact the Cause?
• What makes your Organization unique?
•Do you have an interesting story of how the Org was
founded?
• Are you the only Org doing what you do in the
Region/State/Country?
• Is it a model for other Organizations to follow?
• Is what you’re doing tied to any particular trend?

11. Public Relations
Establish your Messaging Platform
The “Why” comes 1st
“Who” “What” “Where” “When” “How”
Supporting proof points for your message

12. Public Relations
Establish your Messaging Platform
Maintain consistency across ALL platforms:
• Website copy
• Brochures/Collateral
• Social Media Feeds
• Interviews & Speeches

13. Public Relations
Creating a Media List
What does your audience watch/read/listen to?
• Print - Magazines/Newspapers/Weeklies
• Digital - Online/Mobile/Newsletters/Blogs
• Radio - AM-FM/Satellite/Podcasts
• Television - Network/Cable/Local

14. Public Relations
Creating a Media List
• Identify the Story
• Identify the Outlets / Reporters
• Find contact info: email/phone/twitter/fax
(look on the masthead, in bylines, at the end of articles)
• Gather data: circulation/audience, frequency of
distribution, editorial calendar, pitch format

15. Public Relations
Creating a Media List
• News - Local / National
• Sports News - Local / National
• Lifestyle - Local / National
• Sports Specific - Baseball, Soccer, Golf, etc.
• Cause Specific - Education, Environment, Health
• Other Outlets - Alumni Publications, Airlines, etc.

16. Public Relations
Creating a Media List - Introduce Yourself!

17. Public Relations
Creating a Media List - Introduce Yourself!
Introduce your Organization, your impact & what
you have in the pipeline that's newsworthy
• Describe your nonprofit and its mission
• Make yourself available as a resource
• List topics on which you can speak
• Make them aware of your website & social media

18. Public Relations
Creating the Pitch

19. Public Relations
Creating the Pitch

20. Public Relations
Creating the Pitch
1. Identify the Good Story
Look for a single, compelling focus:
• Is this part of a trend?
• Is there a news hook ?
• Do you have an upcoming event?
• Celebrity tie-in?
• Compelling human interest story about one of
the people you’re serving?
Every event at your nonprofit
is NOT a news story!

21. Public Relations
Creating the Pitch
2. Simplify Your Writing
• Use clear, straightforward language
• Tell you story in a logical sequence
• Be concise: What best conveys the message &
the emotion of the story?
How would you explain it to a stranger?

22. Public Relations
Creating the Pitch
3. Be Clear and Specific with Results
• How much money have you raised?
• How many people have you impacted?
• How much have you been able to improve a
certain situation?
Keep key statistics updated and accessible

23. Public Relations
Creating the Pitch
4. Frame the Story as Part of a Bigger Picture
• Is your cause Regional? National? Global?
• How are you working towards solutions in this
area that impact the cause Nationally/Globally?

24. Public Relations
Creating the Pitch
5. Talk About your Impact on People
• Stories about how people’s lives were changed
for the better by your Org?
• Keep a current database of stories & people who
are willing to talk to the media
• Does your founder or staff have a story or
compelling personal reason for being involved?
"If you want to show that war is hell,
write about the soldier, not the Army.”
~ unknown WWII Journalist

25. Public Relations
Creating the Pitch
6. Be Time and News Sensitive
• Track the trends and respond accordingly
• What is your organization doing that impacts
current news?
• Can you tie-in with a current event?
- Olympics/World Cup/Super Bowl/World Series
• Are you doing something around a specific
holiday/event/time of year?

26. Public Relations
Creating the Pitch
7. Set Realistic Expectations
• Don't expect to always get an in-depth story
• Don't expect to get repeat features in the same
media outlet
It is easier to be mentioned in a story
than it is to get a story written exclusively
about your nonprofit.

27. Public Relations
Writing Tips - Best Practices
• Headline: 80-100 characters, 120 max
• 1st Paragraph should address:
Who/What/Why/When/Where?
• Write in the 3rd Person
• Stay around 500-700 words, if possible
• Include all of your contact info: Website, Phone,
Email, Social Media

28. Public Relations
Writing Tips - Best Practices
• Proofread. Then proofread AGAIN.
• Have a boilerplate "About the Organization”
• Link the names of people quoted in a release to
their bios or a related blog post they’ve authored
• Employ bullet points to highlight key points and
draw readers’ eyes deeper into the copy.

29. Public Relations
Writing Tips - Best Practices
DO NOT
• Use exaggerated words: Amazing, Revolutionary,
Ground-breaking, Fantastic
• Send attachments, unless asked
• Call repeatedly to follow up
• Send the same press release twice
- Media Alerts (ex: for an event) are OK as reminders

30. Public Relations
We Didn’t Get In :-(
• Respect news judgment and the reporter’s time
management
• Don’t get annoyed or act rudely if the story on
your organization is cut or doesn’t run
• Keep the reporter informed on future events
Saturated Market:
Over 15,000 Press Releases are generated every week
(PRweb.com Oct '12)

31. Public Relations
Resources:
Press Release Distribution / Wire Services
• PR Newswire
• Business Wire
• PR Web
• Pitch Engine
• Endurance Wire (Running/Triathlon/Cycling)
• U Wire (Colleges/Universities)

32. Public Relations
Resources:
Reporter Lists
• Vocus
• Cision
• www.MuckRack.com
• www.FlackList.com

33. Public Relations
Resources:
• TV News Assignment Desks
• Local News Service
• PRSA LA - Quality Time for PR Minds
• www.PRdaily.com
• www.Technorati.com
• www.MediaBistro.com / @FishbowlLA
• www.SportsandSocialChange.org
- post your Press Releases, Announcements, Volunteer
Requests and Events for FREE!

34. Understanding Owned Media

35. Paid / Earned / Owned Media
Expand your Definition of Media
Paid
Advertising
Direct Mail
Events
Earned
Public Relations
Reviews
Word of Mouth
Owned
Blog
Email
Packaging
Social Media

36. Social Media

37. Social Media
Goals Audience
Tools

38. Social Media
Understanding Owned Media - Goals
Define specific, actionable, and reasonable goals
Are you trying to:
• Develop buzz and interest around your cause?
• Generate relevant & targeted traffic to your site?
• Build capacity and reach more people with your
programs & services?
• Generate registration to events?
• Attract & engage more volunteers?

39. Social Media
Understanding Owned Media - Audience
Find the channels/platforms that make the most
sense to reach your audience:
• Twitter
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Linkedin
• Pinterest
• Instagram
• Flickr
• Tumblr

40. Social Media
Understanding Owned Media - Audience

41. Social Media
Understanding Owned Media - Tools
What tools are needed to CREATE and DISTRIBUTE
content on Social Media?
• Text: Blog/Facebook/Twitter/Google+/Linkedin
• Photos & Graphics: Instagram/Pinterest/Tumblr
• Video: YouTube/Vimeo/Vine/Instagram
• Audio: Podcasts/Soundcloud

42. Social Media
Social Media and Causes
Source: Waggener Edstrom - Digital Persuasion Report
What motivated you to take action for a cause?

43. Social Media
Social Media and Causes
Source: Waggener Edstrom - Digital Persuasion Report

44. Social Media
Social Media and Causes
Source: Waggener Edstrom - Digital Persuasion Report

45. Social Media
Goals
“The Like/Follow is the beginning
of the relationship between you and
your audience, not the end.”
Do those people do what I want them to do?
How can I get them to do it?
How are you making it a valuable community?
How will you get them to come back?
Source: Carie Lewis, Deputy Director, Online Communications, The Humane Society

46. Social Media
Goals - Be Specific
Having a presence is not a strong end goal
• Define exactly what you’re hoping to accomplish
• Assess whether your organization has the time
and resources to devote
• Get more focused and demonstrable results
EX: Pinterest — strong goals might include
getting views on specific campaign-focused photos,
getting links back to your website, and connecting
with female volunteers in specific markets.

47. Social Media
Goals - Measurement
What are you measuring?
• # of actions taken
• # of donors
• Amount of donations
• # of names for database
• Service "wins”
• Most Shared/Commented/Liked Content
• Event RSVPs
• Volunteers recruited

48. Social Media
Goals - Measurement
When you measure your results…
• You know what platforms and types of content
are delivering results
• Decide what’s worth continuing to pursue
• Be Specific on what “success” means -
donations, event attendees, exposure to key
audience
Reporting on your successes can convince board
members on the value of social media, especially
when it helps you to better meet your mission.

49. Social Media
Goals - Measurement
Apply Metrics to the following Categories:
• Reach: unique visitors, page/video views, time
spent on website
• Buzz - inclusion in trending topics, blog mentions,
connection to key influencers
• Engagement - likes, retweets, shares, posts
• Transaction - leads, donations, registrations,
volunteers secured
• Participation - fans, followers, check-ins, sign-ups
• Advocacy - comments, feedback, polls
Source: Booz & Company

50. Social Media
Goals - Timeline
Design a timeline of small, attainable goals and
stick to them
Explore a new channel, establish your presence,
upload certain content, gain a certain number of
followers
By reaching certain benchmarks of success, you
will be more encouraged to move forward

51. Social Media
Where is your Audience?

52. Social Media
Audience
FACEBOOK: 1.15 billion users / 700 million daily
active users; Majority between 18-25; 60% female
• 23% of users check their accounts 5x or more
every day
• 819 million monthly users access Facebook
through a mobile device
• Over 1 million websites have integrated with
Facebook
Sources: Pew Internet Report - The Demographics of Social Media Users 2012; Huffington Post: 100 Fascinating Social Media
Statistics and Figures from 2012

53. Social Media
Audience
TWITTER: 555+ million users; Majority
between 18-29; 57% female
• Best tool for interacting in real-time
• Urban-dwellers are significantly more likely
users than both suburban and rural residents.
Sources: Pew Internet Report - The Demographics of Social Media Users 2012; Huffington Post: 100 Fascinating Social Media
Statistics and Figures from 2012

54. Social Media
Audience
GOOGLE+: 170+ million users; Majority
between 26-34; 63% male
• 625,000 people join Google + every day
• Google "+1" button is used 5 million times per
day
Sources: Pew Internet Report - The Demographics of Social Media Users 2012; Huffington Post: 100 Fascinating Social Media
Statistics and Figures from 2012

55. Social Media
Audience
PINTEREST: 12+ Million Users. Majority
between 26-44; 68% female
• Equally popular among those 18-29 and 30-49
• 50% of users have Children
• 57% of users interact with Food-related content
Sources: Pew Internet Report - The Demographics of Social Media Users 2012; Huffington Post: 100 Fascinating Social Media
Statistics and Figures from 2012

56. Social Media
Audience
INSTAGRAM: 130+ Million Users. Majority
between 18-29; 61% female
• 45 million photos shared every day
• Top 10 Hashtags (as of 8/12/13):
#love #instagood #me #cute #tbt #eyes #nice
#statigram #throwbackthursday #photooftheday
Sources: Pew Internet Report - The Demographics of Social Media Users 2012; Huffington Post: 100 Fascinating Social Media
Statistics and Figures from 2012

57. Social Media
Audience - Engagement Ladder
Source: John Haydon, Inbound Zombie

58. Social Media
Tools - Content Creation
Develop a Content Marketing Plan
• Who? Responsibilities
• What? Set Your Topics (Themes, Seasons, Holidays, Events)
• When? Set a Schedule / Use a Calendar
• Where? Appropriate Channels
• How? Tools (HootSuite, Twitterfeed, Sprout Social, TweetDeck)

59. Social Media
Tools - Content Creation
Topics:
• Current news
• Upcoming events / recaps
• Individual success stories
• Reached a milestone or goal
• Want input on an issue
• Anniversary / Celebration

60. Social Media

61. Social Media
Tools - Content Distribution / Examples
Casting for Recovery (Facebook)

62. Social Media
Tools - Content Distribution / Examples
Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball (Facebook)

63. Social Media
Tools - Content Distribution / Examples
Girls on the Run International (Facebook)

64. Social Media
Tools - Content Distribution / Examples
Five Hole for Food (Twitter)

65. Social Media
Tools - Content Distribution / Examples
CicLAvia (Twitter)

66. Social Media
Tools - Content Distribution / Examples
Beard-A-Thon (Pinterest)

67. Social Media
Tools - Content Distribution / Examples
KaBOOM! (Pinterest)

68. Social Media
Tools - Content Distribution / Examples
World Bicycle Relief (YouTube)

69. Social Media
Tools - Content Distribution
Other Platforms/Tools:
• StumbleUpon - Stumbling for Good
• Reddit - "Front page of the Internet”
• DeHood - local
• Blasterous - Social-Local-Mobile (SoLoMo)
• Change.org - petitions
• Chirbit - Audio creation/sharing
• Creation tools - MemeGenerator / GifBoom

70. Social Media
Best Practices / Tips
• Ask people to "please RT" & "please share" or "sign
the pledge" - people tend to do what they’re asked.
• Answer and thank everyone - builds trust and loyalty,
makes them feel appreciated
• Monitor keywords, hashtags and trends relevant to
your cause & sport - stay informed and engaged
• Have an open but moderated forum on your pages.
Don't disable posting/commenting by your fans;
monitor and engage where necessary, delete obvious
spam.

71. Social Media
Best Practices / Tips
• Test different copy/content - see what is working
based on your goals
• Vary your topics: Fun, insightful, topical, asks, events,
thought-provoking, themed
• Follow/Like Organizations with similar missions and
programs - and share their content!
• Follow/Like other Local Organizations - and share
their content!

72. Social Media
Hashtags
• Makes content easy to find on the channels
Twitter/Facebook/Google+/Instagram/Pinterest/Tumblr
• Search Engine friendly
• Keywords #nonprofit #volunteer #LosAngeles
#baseball #soccer #tennis #golf
• Hashtags.org - what is trending

73. Social Media
Communicate your Presence
Remind & encourage your supporters to follow
your Organization on your social media platforms
• Website
• Email signature
• Email newsletter
• Print collateral
• Channel to Channel

74. Social Media
Conclusion

75. Social Media
Resources
• Nonprofit Tech for Good www.nptechforgood.com
• Beth Kanter www.bethkanter.org
• Mashable www.mashable.com
• Idealware www.idealware.com
• Nancy Schwartz www.GettingAttention.org
• Hootsuite www.hootsuite.com
• TwitterFeed www.twitterfeed.com
• MediaPost:Causes www.mediapost.com/publications/marketing-causes
• Facebook: St Jude's www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/13933.aspx

76. Howard Brodwin
howard@sportsandsocialchange.org
www.sportsandsocialchange.org