Press coverage is a great way to boost awareness of your Meetup and build your membership.
Many people who may have never heard of your Meetup can find out about it through a local event listing, news segment, or magazine article.
And guess what? Local news outlets love local Meetups! In fact, some Meetups are front page new in their towns. Your Meetup can be too. Read on...
A simple way for you to get started is to announce your Meetup to the calendar section of your local newspapers via a "Media Alert" -- see the attached downloadable template. (This template can also be used to announce your event to other types of media outlets as well, such as magazines, TV shows, radio stations, etc.)
Download the Media Alert Template Now! (.doc)
Most newspaper contact information can be found on its website, but if
you’re having trouble finding contact information for your local
newspapers, send us a note at pr [at] meetup.com and we can try to dig
it up for you.
> > Read more about newspaper event listings here!
When contacting local media, always be sure to include the 5 W's
(Who, What, When, Where and Why). Also, don't forget to say how much it
will cost if there are any fees associated with attending your Meetup,
and be sure to include your phone number and/or email address in case
the reporter has any questions. And don't forget to tell them the URL
of your Meetup!
> > Read about how Candy got more people to join her Boston Terrier Meetup through a newspaper article!
You should always follow up any outreach to the media with a phone call.
To help make you a PR star, we whipped up a great list of PR Tips and Talking Points for you to have at the ready when you start to approach media.
Download Meetup's PR Tips Now! (.pdf)
Posting on community websites with event listings is also a great way to boost your Meetup’s visibility. These can be found by using an Internet search engine, such as Google, with search terms as simple as your town’s name and the words “event listings” (e.g. “Riverdale event listings”).
> > Read about how to maximize website event listings here!
Local event listings can be very effective in getting more people to join your Meetup and attend events!
Meetup HQ receives thousands of requests for help with PR, so it's
very hard for us to give the individual attention we'd like for
everyone. However, we will do what we can to help you. If you’d like to
email us some more details about your Meetup at pr [at] meetup.com, we
can keep you in mind for future publicity opportunities.
To ensure we have all the info we need, please answer the following questions in your email:
- Name of your Meetup :
- Meetup's focus/mission:
- URL of your Meetup:
- Location of your Meetup: (city and state):
- Zip code of your Meetup:
- The number of people who actively participate in your Meetup:
- Your First Name:
- Your Last Name:
- Your phone number (so we can put reporters in touch with you if/when the occasion arises):
- Your email address:
- Name(s) of your favorite local newspaper:
- Tell us some newsworthy items about your Meetup and/or a story about it that you feel may be worth promoting.
We’ll do what we can to help raise awareness of your Meetup in your local media. But don't wait for us! We highly encourage you to take steps on your own to publicize your group.
We look forward to seeing your Meetup in the news soon, and be sure to drop us a line if you have a story coming up!
