Communications Co-ordinator

The role of the Communications Co-ordinator is to promote the place to play to the wider community with a view to widening the communities’ awareness, attracting new players and members or even attracting sponsorship.

What makes a good Communications Co-ordinator?

·  Good communication skills

·  Ability to write interesting and informative press releases

·  Good IT skills to make sure quality newsletters and information can be produced

·  Regular access to a computer

·  Regularly attend and have a good understanding of all aspects of the programme and activities

Roles and Responsibilities

·  To raise the profile of the place to play locally (in the community) and in the county

·  To be available to talk to/build relationships with the local newspaper, radio station and magazines i.e. the local media - the better the relationship with the local media the more chance you have of coverage

·  Make sure the website and information on the website is kept up to date

·  Promote the place to play, events and news on the LTA places to play self service site

·  Write press releases for distribution to local papers and magazines

·  Produce a regular newsletter

Estimated Time Commitment

10 management committee meetings per annum, 1 AGM, other meetings as required

2 hour per week throughout the year

Key Relationships

Coach, Team Captains, Management committee, Local Press, Sports Editor, Place to play Sponsor, LTA, County LTA Office

BEST PRACTICS TIPS!

Press Release
As a rule of thumb, a press release should be no longer than two A4 sides of paper. It should be a call to action with a snappy headline and where possible, fun; journalists have to sift through hundreds of stories before they get to yours! Remember, write like a journalist; the less work they have to do the more likely it is they will use your story.

When you’re writing the introduction, follow the 5 “W” rule: What, Why, Who, Where, When. Always clear out the top line of a release; it should just have the ‘news’ hook. All other irrelevant info should be much further down. Ensure your contact details are clearly labeled and that if you send out a release, you are easily contactable if a journalist calls. Nothing will annoy a journalist more than not being able to get through to you. Never email photos to the news desk, as you’ll just clog up their system.

Only send pictures on request. If you include a quote, there should be a reason for it; lively language can be used because it’s attributed to the person you are quoting. Make sure your key messages are weaved in, as often the release will be chopped, but the quote will remain the same. Try to put words before figures e.g. a tiny 3% thought…a massive 48% believe…this will bring your release to life.

Finally, where possible, always send the release with a personal note. The journalist is more likely to feel like the story is an exclusive. If you are targeting a picture desk, pull together a photo call notice. Follow the same rules as a press release, but a photo call notice should be even shorter, 1 page maximum. Set out clearly the date, venue, time and point of the photo opportunity.

Getting Your Story Covered

Think local, local, local! Media thrive on local stories and news so always ensure you have a local angle before getting in touch. National stories, unless they have local relevance and spin, such as a local player or tournament, won’t make the cut. In general, regional stories are also out. Local media will not be interested in a story about Wales or Scotland, unless again, you can pull out a local interest.

Always have a local case study, spokesperson and where possible, local statistics available to add weight and credibility to your story. Local case studies are probably the most important factor to consider when achieving local coverage. They make a story real and aroused by the media to tell a story. A local case study is someone or something with which the community can identify with … a person that lives in the same place, goes to the same shops, a local park which people visit regularly. Popular case studies are people in the tennis world that can offer an interesting story and / or are hard to get access to, e.g. an up and coming junior player, top coach in your place to play.

Sit down with your case study and write down their story. Share with them the finished product, and make sure they are happy. Always record their signature for consent. Edit this down to a synopsis and use as a hook for your local media. Only send media top line information, not the whole story as you need them to bite.

You will be responsible for managing the process and setting up interviews between case studies and journalists. Never give a journalist a case study’s private contact details; you need to be the broker so that the journalist comes back to you in the future. Have a bank of varied case studies ready and available. Spend sometime speaking to coaches and players of all ages / men and women, to build this bank up.

Make sure your story stand out

Organise photography - the press always like to put a face to a name. Be sure to get prior consent from the case study before the picture issued in the press. Think what would make an interesting photo e.g. an action shot of a game, a coach at work. Always invite a photographer along to your event, if you can send this off to the press with a story they are much more likely to cover it.

Never offer the same case study to different media. The media will not use a case study that has already been used locally, unless there has been a change in their news e.g. their ranking has improved; they are entering a new tournament. This is why an extensive, strong bank of case studies is essential.

Make sure your case studies are local…newspapers sometimes like to send their picture desk to take pictures, so the nearer the better. Case studies are used to talk about or demonstrate experiences and issues, but it is your job to ensure that key messages are tied into the story to get the end coverage that you desire. Don’t put words into their mouth, you want them to sound genuine, but make sure their messaging is positive and you are aware of any negative opinions which may become an issue.

Making statistics work for you unless you have a ‘world first’ or exclusive, ground breaking story for the media, it can be hard to sell in a pro-active story. Statistics can add value to your story and make a story less hypothetical, more concrete and credible. Statistics can be used to shock, draw emotion, and help form opinion. They provide a “hook” from which a journalist can base a story. Statistics can make great sound bites and headlines.

People remember and believe numbers, especially when positive. Balanced arguments: statistics cane used to react to other stories in the press e.g. if there is a negative story about the work of the LTA in your area, positive statistics can be used to counteract the argument e.g. % increase in the number of junior members in your place to play, % increase in the number of junior competitions you run annually.

Media Liaison

Do the groundwork and spend time researching which media you should be contacting, and more importantly, who the key journalists are that you should bespeaking to. Look at which sports journalists have covered tennis in the past and regularly attend tournaments, or which journalists cover community sports news.

Local media will cover a large area so do your research before getting in touch. Check which towns are in which media’s catchments area. It may be that you can roll the story out several times across the county, just by providing different case studies or examples to different media, depending on which towns they cover.

Conduct a media audit. Which day of the week does your local paper cover community stories? Do they have a pull out sports section at the weekend? This way you will be able to target the right journalists with the right stories on the right day and are more likely to secure coverage.

Befriend your local media, as it’s essential that you build a strong relationship with your key contacts, firstly to ensure coverage, but also to ask advice, e.g. How would the story work for them? What do they require from us? What in tennis interests them? Invite them for a coffee / lunch to talk through the work which is going on in your place to play. This may spark an idea for a story or future feature. Why not plot out on a calendar the key events for the year and share with the journalist. That way they can pick what they want to cover in depth and have a bigger picture of everything that is going on in tennis in your area, e.g. how are you encouraging more juniors to compete? Are there any big activities happening in the near future?

By becoming well known by your local press, you’ll find journalists will be more forthcoming in contacting you for quotes or information about tennis and will be much more receptive when you want them to cover your story!

Don’t be intimidated by journalists. They are busy people, which is why you need to have a good, strong story to tell. On a weekly basis, journalists will receive hundreds of press releases and information …your story needs to stand out. What’s the hook? Don’t simply read the first paragraph of the press release; think about the strong facts of the story. Always have your messaging in the back of your mind when writing press materials and ensure it comes over in the copy.

Believe in your story. Journalists can tell if you’re not 100% behind what you’re trying to promote and don’t just think sport. Tennis can be part of the news pages too, e.g. community work with schools, obesity and health issues. Adapt your sell in to the type of media you are speaking to, e.g. news, features, and sports pages. You will gain credibility with journalists if you are able to offer spokespeople and case studies with an interesting story.

Work quickly. If you get information to journalists when they ask, they’ll come back again. Top tip! 3 days before a tournament takes place, email out a list of the players from your place to play who are taking part. This will encourage them to start understanding who misrepresenting your local area.

Selling Your Story

‘Selling in’ is the term used to describe positioning your story to a journalist. Usually over the phone, you have just 30 seconds to ‘sell’ your story before the journalist has decided whether or not they are interested in hearing more.

Before you make the call, jot down the key points you want to get over. Lead the conversation with the hook of the story, what is the news? Follow up with what you can offer the journalist, e.g. access to players, place to play spokespeople. Never ring a journalist and say “I’m just calling to see if you have received my press release” - the likelihood is that the journalist won’t have had a chance to look at it.

Always send the release again after your conversation, with a personal note. Journalists are always working for tomorrow’s deadlines so don’t sell in stories two or more days in advance. They will generally not put them in the diary but will simply be overlooked.

Be persistent: if you are told to email the story to the main email e.g.newsdesk@nottinghameveningpost then your story will probably go no further. Always try to speak to and send an email to an individual.

Daily Newspapers

07.00 Editors arrive
08.00 A great time to call as the desk is quiet, but it’s still before conference when the stories are decided
10.00 The busiest time on a paper - avoid calling as journalists will be preparing articles for conference
11.00 Conference is held and the next day’s paper content is decided
12.30 Conference is over - good time to call if you are following up a story from earlier in the morning
18.00 Day starts to get busy again as deadline approaches
19.00 First deadlines
22.00 Final deadlines

Sunday newspapers

Tuesday is the start of the Sunday paper’s week. The Tuesday conference is key as it sets the stories for the week. 10am is the best time to call with a story for all desks, APART from news which runs on a last minute basis. Thursday the building of the paper begins, Friday lunchtime is when most of the paper has been put together.

Broadcast

Avoid calling on the hour and half past the hour as this is when the majority of news bulletins are taking place. Radio has a quick turnaround so will take stories on the day. TV, with the exception of breaking news, will need a longer lead time. The story is first put through forward planning, then into research before a TV crew is sent out and finally the piece is edited. Aim to plan around a week in advance when pitching to local stations.

Working with Spokespeople

Along with case studies, spokespeople can add value and credibility to your story. Having a varied bank of tennis minded spokespeople who can talk about different issues is also key e.g. a place to play representative, sports development officer, local councilor. The more independent the spokesperson is, the better, as they will be perceived as both neutral and credible.

Spokespeople should be positioned as experts in their field who comment on the issue in question. It is your job to then tie in your wider messaging and positioning. Use a pre-prepared factsheet which you can give to the media, which covers your messaging, e.g. top facts and figures about tennis in your area. Always be aware of your key messages and the aim of the interview.