Marketing & PR

Marketing and PR for New ANR Educators

1. Talk to Staff – What was previous Educator doing? Where are the files? How do they think it was going? What can be changed/improved? What lists/contact information exist at the office?
2. Use the Farm Visit & Building Relationships Factsheet
   1. Getting connected with farmers will help initially.
   2. From lenders to feed stores, learn who posts flyers, shares events, partners, and supports.
3. Work with your ANR Advisory Committee
   1. What media should be contacted?
   2. Does anyone know media outlets they can connect you with?
4. Plan a Local Newsletter – Depending on your county, you may have an ANR newsletter and a consumer horticulture newsletter. Decide on hard copy v. electronic, website, etc.
   • Example Newsletters:
     • Northwest Region ANR Newsletter
     • Jefferson County ANR Extension Connection
     • Muskingum County ANR Newsletter (sent out via MailChimp)
5. Start an Email Listserv (or use an email marketing service)
   1. Collect business cards at visits. Subscribe them to your listserv.
   2. Take a sign-in sheet to every program. Collect email addresses.
   3. Collect email addresses when you answer phone calls and all other individual instruction.
   4. Add ‘news@localtvstationcallletters.com’ and other media outlets to your email lists for newsletters, etc. When they are interested or on a slow news day, you’ll get a call.
   5. Send newsletters, timely advice (slugs, frost warning, deadlines, etc.), and program info.
   6. To set up a listserv through OSU, click here.
      • Download the Email Listserv Setting Suggestions Document
6. Start a Press Release Email List and Press Releases Mailing List
   1. Send a press release for every event.
   2. Send a press release when you or other OSU experts can comment on a current event or give advice about a current issue.
7. Make a Social Media Plan
   1. What are farmers using? What are consumer hort customers using?
   2. What makes sense for your time and effort?
8. TV & Radio – Connections and Promotions
   1. Local media outlets are looking for local connections. You are as local as it gets!
   2. Cold Calls/Emails to Newsrooms to make connections and offer expertise.
      1. Know your capacity. Work with other program areas to have a plan together first.
      2. What can each educator offer – expertise, interviews on what topics, etc. Create a tip sheet about each educator and what they can offer.
      3. Offer connections to farmers about ag related stories. Farmers can give a perspective on current conditions/challenges and you can offer insight.
      4. Many times, they are doing a local story on something that’s happening nationally. Be ready for the call by:
         1. Having lists of farmers who will talk to media. Fruit farms, greenhouses, organic farms, crop farms, livestock farms, etc.
         2. Offer to meet them at the farm to offer additional information.
         3. Offer to be interviewed if they can’t get a farmer.
         4. Consider offering a session, program or lunch and learn to help farmers talk to the media. If they don’t talk, the other side is all the public hears.

Story meetings are usually held at 9am and 3pm. Avoid calling/emailing at these times. Know that calls from media come just after these meetings. Reporters are mostly one-man-bands and need to get a story quickly. The more you can help them, the more often you’ll get contacted. Don’t put them off. Help them connect to farmers.

For radio, some do live shows. Other record 1.5 minute shows each day of the week, etc. Some do this at their office and email to the station. The options are endless!

It is difficult to measure impact. Review regularly. Partner with others.

 

Page content developed by:

Eric Barrett, Extension Educator (contact: barrett.90@osu.edu, 330-533-5538)

 

Media Templates

Flyers, Invitations & Postcards	Newsletters	Press Releases
	Contact Erika Lyon for template in InDesign	For additional templates, graphics and guidelines, click here.