Author: WWPR

The Washington DC metro area (DC/MD/VA) is home to hundreds of nonprofit organizations doing good works for communities in need.  WWPR is always excited to engage with the nonprofit community and what better way to do that than through our Pro Bono Client Request for Applications.

Every two years, WWPR’s Pro Bono Committee rolls out the application process to identify a qualified 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization who meets the criteria and best demonstrates a strong need for communications and public relations help.  The current Pro Bono client is the Financial Literacy Organization for Women & Girls.  Previous clients include The Children’s Law Center, DC Rape Crisis Center, Safe Shores–the DC Children’s Advocacy Center, and Thrive DC.

Alicia Horton, Executive Director of Thrive DC, Pro Bono client for 2012 and 2013 years, commented that, “Thrive DC has been providing services to the homeless community for over 35 years.  We have been doing the work for a long time, but it wasn’t until the WWPR partnership that Thrive DC began, in earnest, the work of strategically communicating our mission and work to effectively increase our visibility and expand our audience.  WWPR offered invaluable support in many, many ways from the development of a comprehensive communications strategy, to help with the development a beautiful new website.  WWPR has enhanced our growth by lending their expertise, their time, and their passion to our work.”

This is a unique opportunity for a nonprofit organization to get access to professional communications assistance for two years from WWPR.  Our goal is to provide professional development and networking opportunities for PR practitioners in the Washington, DC metro area.  Our more than 300 members have a passion for supporting other local organizations whose missions also support women.

Become the next WWPR Pro Bono Client and apply for the 2015 and 2016 term.  The deadline is September 5, 2014.  Click here for criteria requirements and application.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of Washington Women in Public Relations

Over three years ago, I stumbled into the world of inbound marketing for a sales firm after a series of public relations internships.  What I’ve found more and more each day is the overlapping of tactics from each field: PR and marketing.  The shift into leveraging marketing tactics in PR is certainly no happenstance.  Chalk it up to the “everybody is a publisher” moment we’re experiencing.  According to an article I read in The Next Web, “social media and the ability to go directly to the source,” made information readily available to reporters thus changing the way PR practitioners reached their audience.  Inbound marketing grew in appeal as it’s all about making it so your audience finds your brand instead of the other way around.

At its basis, inbound marketing is about creating value in rich, thoughtful content that will bring your target audience to your brand.  Below are just three ways you can start incorporating inbound marketing into your PR Strategy.

1. Become a content creation machine. Instead of simply disseminating one press release, repurpose it into many different content pieces.  Create an eBook, or condense that eBook into an infographic or short blog post.  And whatever you do, provide a Call-to-Action (CTA) at the end of each piece.  A CTA is a button or phrase that drives your reader to take some form of action: sign a petition, register for an event or ask for more information.
   
2. Start/Expand your client’s/company’s blog. This is a great place to pump out that rich, thoughtful content I mentioned earlier.  You don’t want to necessarily “promote” a specific launch or product here, but after you provide meaningful information such as a “how to,” create a CTA at the end that drives your reader to complete some sort of action.  Think of it as passively promoting your brand to the reader.  And another great reason for a blog can be answered in tip #3.
   
3. Optimize your press releases (and blogs) for SEO. Note that PR and marketing both aim at getting your clients found.  Carrie Morgan at Convince and Convert says with this goal in mind, why not make your press release easy to find by optimizing your release and/or blog around a keyword related to the topic?  I love her easy go-to method for finding the right keyword.  Simply use Google’s keyword research tool paired with the Google AdWords tool, and input a few words related to the topic.  Let Google generate a few keyword ideas for you and pepper them throughout the title and body of your release.  It’s important to note that this is just one basic method for starting your SEO.  Like the tactics I mentioned before, there are many ways to truly leverage SEO and various marketing tactics to get your client’s brand out there.  I think by just implementing these ideas one at a time, you are on your way to bringing your PR strategy to the next level.

Washington, DC – July 28, 2014 – Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) is now accepting applications from nonprofit 501(c) 3 organizations serving women and children for consideration as our pro bono client for the January 2015-December 2016 term. Click here for the application.

WWPR is a professional membership organization for women in the public relations and communications fields. Our primary goal is to provide professional development and networking opportunities for PR practitioners in the Washington, DC metro area. Our more than 300 members have a passion for supporting other local organizations whose missions also support women. Through the WWPR Pro Bono Committee we do just that by selecting a nonprofit client to which we provide pro bono communication and marketing services.

The WWPR Pro Bono Committee has been in existence since 1996. Every two years, the committee provides a nonprofit client with communications planning and assistance at no charge in order to help raise awareness of the organization. Our donated services can include press release writing, media relations, branding, marketing strategy, crisis communication planning, social media planning, event planning, messaging, media training and other communications related services. Each contract will be custom-created based on the selected organization’s need and goals.

WWPR is now accepting applications for consideration through September 5, 2014.  Nonprofits interested in applying for this program must have:

• 501(c) 3 status (current and in good standing)
• Proof the organization has been in existence for at least 24 months
• Must be based or headquartered and a registered 501(c)3 in the Washington, DC metro area
• A dedicated point person to handle day-to-day contact
• A mission dedicated to serving women and families in the Washington, DC metro area

Please return the completed electronic application along with your organization’s annual report (in PDF format if available) and/or any digital promotional materials to probono@wwpr.org no later than FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014. Hand-written or hard copy materials will not be accepted. WWPR will announce its selection in November.

Click here for the application.

For more information about our organization, please visit www.wwpr.org. For questions about the application process, and the Pro Bono Committee, contact the committee Co-Chairs Maria Ibañez or Vicky Valdamani at probono@wwpr.org.

ABOUT WASHINGTON WOMEN IN PUBLIC RELATIONS

Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) is the first and only D.C.-based professional organization advancing women in the communications industry. WWPR is committed to delivering outstanding professional development, networking, marketplace positioning, and leadership opportunities to area communicators. Visit us at wwpr.org, “Like” us on Facebook.com/WashingtonWomeninPR, and follow us on Twitter @WWPR.

Media Contacts:
Maria Ibanez
Vicky Vadlamani
probono@wwpr.org