F a r W e s t A t h l e t i c T r a i n e r s’ A s s o c i a t i o n C l i n i c a l S y m p o s i u m

J W a l c h e r C o m m u n i c a t i o n s

An “Exercise” in Public RelationsSponsored by the California Athletic Trainers’ Association

Just WHAT is Public Relations?:

• Build credibility for the profession

• Build knowledge and job scope of certified athletic trainers vs. non-certified athletic trainers, personal trainers, physical therapists, etc.

• Create a great understanding for the need of certified athletic trainers in schools, on teams, etc.

• Provide strong third-party “testimonial”

• Connect with your appropriate target audiences in an economically viable manner • Support paid advertising

What PR Can Do For Certified Athletic Trainers:

• PR cannot and should not be expected to provide a direct sales pitch for athletic trainers or the industry

• You cannot dictate results of media publicity

• Media publicity and promotion are a matter of strategy and negotiation, and outcomes cannot be guaranteed, vs. paid advertising, which is guaranteed to appear or be heard exactly as dictated

What PR Cannot Do

The five types of media:

• Newspapers

• Magazines

• Radio

• Television

• Internet (Online): Web sites, bloggers, Social Media Networks (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)

How to Work with the Media:

• Who are the reporters that cover your area?

• Does your newspaper have a health, sports or lifestyle reporter?

• Is there a TV reporter who covers health, general lifestyle stories or

sports on your local TV station? Or a reporter who regularly covers a college or pro sports team?

• Is there a radio station that reaches your target audience?

• What Web sites or bloggers regularly write about your industry or provide a consumer resource?

Researching Appropriate Media:

• Newspapers

• Radio Stations

• TV Stations

• Internet

You can also become a blogger and post relevant/timely information, tips, exercises or advice on the ongoing CATA Active.com blog named “Stay Active, Stay Safe” http://community.active.com

/blogs/CATA (contact JWalcher - see contact info at end of document - to be added as a contributor)

Who to Contact:

Social Media Strategies

Social Media Venues

• Blogs

• LinkedIn

• Facebook

• Twitter

Social Media To-Do list:

• Monitor what others are saying about you

• Respond quickly

• Utilize social media where it makes sense

• Be real. Be Honest. Show your Passion

• The conversation will go on – with or without you!

Blogging

Bypass the media and control what is being said about you.

Tell your story:

• Who you are• What you do • Speak directly to a specific audience

What Makes a Good Blog?

Blogs thrives on a healthy mix of written and visual content

• Tips• Thoughts• Opinions on a specific subject• Images, video, audio• Links to other resources

The objective of a blog is to produce a piece of remarkable content that will gain attention, spread virally and naturally collect links.

The California Athletic Trainers’ Association has a blog on Active.com called Stay Active,

Stay Safe, where they post tips on everything from nutrition tips to when, where and how

you should stretch. There’s even video footage of how to properly wrap an ankle.

Most professional social network and content is all business-related.

Modeled after “Six Degrees of Separation”

“I know you, you know him – can you refer or introduce me to him?”

This is the best venue to establish yourselves as experts in the healthcare industry

because you can:• Post your resume• Get recommendations • Respond to questions

For networking purposes – LinkedIn works best…

Community Based Social Network

Think of Facebook like a bulletin board:

• Announcements, • Photos and videos• News

Everyone in your community will be able to see what you post

Facebook offers a great opportunity to:

• Discuss upcoming events or issues and post them with a link to either your school, facility or organization’s homepage – where of course there should be more information about events such as:

• National Athletic Training Month• Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Day

• Stay up to date with the latest news in your industry and share relevant news

Ongoing online conversation - in real-time

• See what people are saying about athletic trainers

• Offer professional insight

• Link to relevant information

• Introduce Athletic Training to your audience

The key is to get people to follow you - Offer something that they want:

• A daily exercise tip with a link to your blog or Facebook page – people begin to see you as an expert and seek you out for information.

• Story ideas/topics – The media is all over Twitter and they’re using it to create news If you’re not twittering- you’re missing opportunities.

• Post the latest statistics about athletic training

• Voice concern about an issue – Availability of AED’s during after school activities

• Rally support for your cause

Remember, it’s all about becoming part of the CONVERSATION!!! The more you Tweet- The More Noise You make !!!

• Go where your potential audience is – Don’t waste your time where they aren’t

• Post valuable info your audience really wants or needs, then let them know it’s there

• See it as an additional communication channel, not as a replacement

• Listen before you speak – find out what people are talking about and then contribute to the conversation

• Be authentic, be yourself – you’ll sound more likeable and people will want to hear what you have to say

• Think long-term – You want to gain respect as an industry expert, and be seen as a valuable resource but it may take time

Social Media Tips

• Launching without a strategy

• Being too self-serving – talking about your profession, school or facility

too much

• Blogging just because everyone else is

• Thinking mass instead of micro

Six Common Mistakes to Avoid:

News Release

News releases are used to announce:

• Human interest stories

• Fitness/Exercise Tips and advice for particular population segments (how seniors can stay injury free) or to tie into times of the year (staying safe during summer heat)

• Special events, promotions

• Any stats or new information released on athletic training (check the www.nata.org Web site to stay informed)

The PR Person’s Basic Toolbox:

• Always make sure your story answers these six questions: What, Where, When, Who, Why and How.

• It must have a well-defined purpose

• There must be one central subject

• Make the information truly newsworthy

• Write a headline that is concise and informative. If necessary, include a subhead with one additional key fact

• The first paragraph needs to be a brief factual summary. Keep paragraphs short - two to three sentences each

• Include benefits/unique features to public

• Include an appropriate quotation from a certified athletic trainer or other key individuals

• Boilerplate: as members of CATA or FWATA, each press release should include a consistent message about the role and mission of the organization (see “About CATA” at end of attached press release samples)

• If you are attaching photographs or video, identify them with a short explanation of the activity

Think of Your Press Release as a Story

Media Advisory

Telephone/E-mail

Media Timelines – When to send your news release/media advisory

If the story you’ve proposed involves a TV or radio interview, here’s a list of important things to

know before you do an interview:

l. What do you know about the publication or TV/radio program?

2. What do you know about the interviewer?

3. What is the format of the proposed feature? (live, taped, item on event, story on an interesting

athlete, etc.)

4. Who is the audience?

5. What message do you want to send? Remember, regardless of the topic of your interview,

you must take the opportunity to reiterate the qualifications and importance of certified athletic

trainers. Ultimately, the goal is to raise awareness that all athletic trainers in schools, on teams, in corporate or public facilities should be certified.

Interview Tips:

Interview Tips, Cont.:

6. What examples or anecdotes do you have to illustrate these points?

8. What facts or statistics do you need to dramatize these points?

9. What do you want the audience to do? What is your CALL TO ACTION!?

Working with the media can be fun, but it can also be tricky. Here are some tips for

working with them effectively:

Tips for Working with the Media:

• Keep Language simple

• Energize

• Develop appropriate transitions

• Correct misstatements

• Stay cool

• Turn negatives into positives

• Be prepared

• Take the initiative

• Be believable

• Be honest

• Be concise

•Do not talk off the record

KEY MEDIA RULES, IN BRIEF:

• STICK TO YOUR MESSAGE

• BE CONSISTENT WITH CALLING YOURSELF A “CERTIFIED ATHLETIC TRAINER” VS. AN “ATHLETIC TRAINER” OR JUST “TRAINER”

• DO NOT SPEAK OFF THE RECORD

• NEVER LIE

• SPEAK ENTHUSIASTICLY (UNLESS IT’S A CRISIS); USE ANECDOTES AND EXAMPLES

• BE CONCISE AND TO THE POINT

• DON’T USE JARGON (TECHNICAL/MEDICAL TERMS)

In a Crisis: Communicating With the Media:

Jean WalcherJWalcher Communications

jean@jwalcher.com(619) 295-7140

2110 El Cajon Blvd. San Diego, CA 92104

www.jwalcher.com

If you’d like to contact us directly: