Article courtesy of
ASAP Sports, CoSIDA's Official Instant Transcript Provider. ASAP provides numerous
Webscripts (real-time transcripts) and
Fastscripts (full transcripts) throughout the year for sessions from CoSIDA's continuing education series for membership real-time and on-demand use.
Summer's upon us. Plans for barbeques and trips to the lake or beach are first in mind. As this is it the first week of August, the common refrain is, “Where did the summer go?" The flood of activity of new and returning students will make the work of August become more real. How we manage the wave of activity in August is largely influenced by how we prepared in June and July.
ASAP Sports focuses on the value of media outreach by way of press conferences and media days. Preparation and scheduling of press conferences are a big part of getting your message out to media and fans.
Here are some media planning reminders you might consider before all the campus activities start in earnest very soon.
Press conference overview
Below is an excellent introduction or refresher for your new and returning interns on
why and how to run a press conference,
written by Eric Wadud at the University of Kansas. It is an excellent primer.
Why hold a press conference? Because:
• You can give more information than in a press release.
• A press conference is interactive and you can emphasize points in greater detail that you might not otherwise in short blurbs or announcements.
• You can announce an important development and explain its significance.
• You can set the record straight if your group received negative publicity.
• You can often generate the kind of notice or publicity that media likes. When many media representatives are present, it makes your conference seem really newsworthy the media presence itself adds to the importance.
A successful media conference can not only generate news, but can also boost the morale of your own group -- that is, your group can take pride in knowing that the press will really turn out to hear what you have to say.
See the full press conference article here:
http://ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/sub_section_main_1066.aspx
Media luncheons
Consider creating a lunchtime introduction at the beginning of your season to mingle with new and veteran journalists. Also, possibly create ongoing lunches as a place for coaches to present and interact with the media. The overall goal is to build mutually beneficial relationships, get your message out and get to know those who are extensions of your efforts.
Roster Review
Though updating rosters seems like an obvious process, going through the rosters now means fewer changes later. Media need the proper spelling and accurate vital statistics of each player. Though the roster info might be on the website, take the time to prepare a PDF or DOC file that is easily emailed to whomever might ask.
Website refresher
While you’re updating the roster, it's also a good time to do a quick once-over on your website and make sure there are no dead links or incorrect information. It’s not that unusual to go to a site in September and find last year's information, schedules and rosters still being used. It may take a little time or make a contest for your interns. The one who finds the most errors wins a dinner!
Evaluate Social Programs
The press conferences you hold are excellent sources of direct quotes and information that can be shared on the many social media sites and draw people to your websites for more information. Since press conferences will extend into social media venues, this is a good time to evaluate your current polices and methods to share this content.
Three good articles to read on this subject are:
The Social Media Strategy Primer by Chris Syme, CoSIDA New Media/Technology Committee Chair
8 essential rules for social media and business, by Joshua Leatherman
You’re the entire social media marketing team. Now what?, by Lisa Barone
Consider Transcript Content
ASAP Sports transcripts of your press conferences provide you with excellent, accurate content. Content is king and every article above mentions the importance of content to maximize media attention and social media interaction. Accurate and timely text is at the core of any information delivery process. Without fast, detailed and accurate text, your message will not get out. With accurate text, the quality and speed directly contributes to the effectiveness of your message. For more details about the value of text and transcripts in your media program, please read the article on CoSIDA.com entitled "
Text is King."
Interns
Finally, before you end your summer review, consider the interns you will have working for you. As a primary goal of your internship program, you want to give the intern practical experience to reference when entering the working world. Take a look at this article -
Maximizing your internship program and consider the experience you want your interns to receive.