旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � The Computer Bulletin Board � � � � Guide to Public Relations � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Ver 1.8 (c) 1993, 1994 Robert Parson NOTICE The Computer Bulletin Board Guide to Public Relations is copyright and remains the property of Robert Parson. You are encouraged to use this guide to help publicize your BBS in particular and to help improve the image of BBSs generally. You are further encouraged to distribute this guide and accompanying materials at your discretion. However, all BBS- PR files named in this guide must be included in your distribution. This guide may not be sold for profit without prior approval of Robert Parson, although the cost of disk duplication and postage may be charged. NO WARRANTY IS MADE OR IMPLIED. NEITHER ROBERT PARSON OR APHELION PROMOTIONS ARE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES CAUSED BY THE USE OF THIS GUIDE. Robert Parson 2501 Phoenix Fort Smith, AR 72901 501 646 9332 (voice) Support BBS Jackalope Junction (Steve Prado Sysop) 501 785 5381 Internet r.parson@genie.geis.com GEnie R.Parson Fidonet 1:3822/1 or 1:3822/8 BBS-PR 1.8 FILES The following files are part of BBS-PR18.ZIP: README.1ST A brief introduction to what BBS-PR is all about. FILE_ID.DIZ Description of BBS-PR18.ZIP BBS-PR1.TXT Part 1 of The Computer Bulletin Board Guide to Public Relations. The guide you are reading now. BBS-PR2.TXT Part 2 of the Computer Bulletin Board Guide to Public Relations BBS-SAMP.TXT Sample News Releases and Survey PRODUCT.TXT A questionnaire and discussion designed to examine your BBS SURVEY.TXT A survey the author would appreciate filled out and returned. PR-RATES.TXT Private Consulting rates for individual BBSs by Aphelion Promotions. PRINT-PR.BAT A printing utility to make everything look nice and neat. 旼컴컴컴컴컴커 쿔NTRODUCTION� 읕컴컴컴컴컴켸 This guide came about because of my frustration caused by the poor image BBSs have in the popular media; TV, Radio, Newspaper and Magazine. First, that image was tarnished by stories of pirated software, then by stories of viruses and most recently the rash of stories involving pedophiles using BBSs to further their illegal activity (child pornography). This guide is not intended to be the final word on public relations for BBSs. Someone is always coming up with a new idea or putting a new spin on an old one. This is just a basic guide with some general rules of thumb you can use to enhance the image of your BBS. Keep in mind that there will likely be some things in here that you disagree with. In that case, I'd like you to write to me, state your case, and maybe you can persuade me to see things differently. In addition, I am not an attorney, cannot provide legal advice, and this is not intended to be a legal guide. I strongly suggest you hire an attorney familiar with Communications Law and First Amendment issues BEFORE you have trouble. 旼컴컴컴커 쿎ONTENTS� 읕컴컴컴켸 Who "They" Are.........................................1 The Public........................................1 The Media.........................................2 Finding the Media......................................2 Newspaper.........................................3 Television........................................4 Radio.............................................4 Your Product...........................................5 You are the BBS...................................5 Graphics..........................................6 Making Changes....................................7 Tools of the Trade.....................................7 Business Cards and Stationary.....................7 Brochures and Fliers..............................8 Do it Yourself or Hire Someone....................9 News Products..........................................10 News Releases.....................................10 Public Service Announcements......................12 News Conferences..................................13 Handling the Media.....................................14 Market Research........................................16 Creating a Survey.................................16 Making the Call...................................18 Crisis Management......................................18 Friendly Faces....................................19 First Amendment at Risk...........................19 Out of the Box.........................................20 Final Comments.........................................21 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴커 쿥ho "They" Are� 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 The Public A Summer 1993 survey by Dell Computer indicated that 55 percent of the public does not take advantage of technological advances. That in itself is the single biggest Public Relations problem a Sysop faces. BBS users, obviously, fall somewhere in the remaining 45 percent. Those who fear technology are the ones that are the most difficult to explain electronic communications to. They may see computers as taking over their lives. There are chips in their cars, in their microwaves, in their stereos, and in their VCRS. Computers send them their utility bills, credit card bills, track their income tax payments, and note when their daughter is born. Those in that 55 percent are not necessarily technophobic. Most of them are just technologically disinterested. These are the people that we should be most concerned with from a Public Relations standpoint. What they know about computers, modems and BBSs comes from the mainstream media. A reporter assigned to a story about BBSs may or may not fully understand what they are reporting on. The remaining 45 percent includes you and me, the expert user, the average user and the novice user. This group doesn't need quite as much public relations massaging since it already knows the benefits of using a modem to connect with other people. People that were overwhelmed when they first called a BBS and decided it was too tough to try again also fall into that 45 percent. They have computers, they may be technically adept, they can probably even program a VCR. But the mysteries of 8-N-1 elude them. In addition, there are those who were at one time active in the BBS community, but are no longer involved. Maybe they had a falling out with a Sysop or another user. These are both disaffected users There is also the group of people that have modems because it came with their computer but they have not used it. Some because they don't know they have one, some because they aren't interested in using it. How can you distill all these diverse groups into one simple Public Relations campaign? Simply put, you can't. BBS-PR pg 1 The Media News can be defined broadly as something that is out of the ordinary (such as a murder) or something that is a matter of public record (such as a City Council meeting). Generally, though, news is a change in the status quo. Many people get upset over what is perceived as a liberal or conservative slant in the news. Because both sides get upset about slanted news, that indicates to me that most media coverage is unbiased or at least politically moderate. So-called objective reporting is a relatively recent invention. Before the American Civil War, most newspapers were just a cut above political tracts. But journalism history and theory is not our topic. Most stories involving BBSs involve a crime that has been committed, usually pirated software, viruses, or pornography. Even though one BBS may be raided for improprieties, it reflects poorly on the entire BBS community by guilt through association. This is similar to many American's mistrust of all Arabs due to the misdeeds of a few, as an example. It isn't fair, it isn't right, but it's The Way Things Are. 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� 쿑inding the Media� 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� The easiest way to find out who you need to talk to or write to is by looking in the phone book. All the TV and Radio stations and Newspapers will be listed under those categories. You might want to also look for Magazines and News Services. A phone call can uncover a lot of information. You will need the media outlet's voice number, fax number, address and the person to talk to or send mailings to. Your best luck in the Public Relations arena is going to be in the local media. Remember that not all your public relations efforts are going to be successful. For instance, most News Releases are thrown in the trash. But if you keep at it your efforts will pay off. BBS-PR pg 2 Newspaper Because of the rise of electronic information distribution, many people have predicted the demise of newspapers. That's unlikely, at least for the next fifty to one hundred years. Yes, readership has declined. Newspapers, though, are chameleons and are able to adapt. Thirty years ago most newspapers looked like the New York Times. Most newspapers now have much more open and "friendly" looks. They are also the most powerful of all the media. No other media shapes and forms public opinion to the degree newspapers do. This is usually because they have larger news staffs and much longer traditions than broadcast media. Print also has a permanence that broadcast does not have. As a Sysop, your Public Relations efforts should start with the Editor or City Editor, whichever the case may be. These Editors will assign stories to a reporter. You may be tempted to change your mailing list to a certain reporter. Although this may seem like a good idea, reporters tend to change jobs on a fairly regular basis (this is especially the case in broadcast media). You might opt to add a reporter to your list, but make sure you continue to send material to the Editor. I do not recommend offering to write a column. You will run out of things to write about much sooner than you think. Not only that, newspapers have access to syndicated columns that may not deal specifically with BBSs, but will touch on them occasionally. The opinion page provides several opportunities to get your name and the name of your BBS out. The Letters to the Editor section can be quite effective in telling your message. You might even be asked occasionally to write a guest opinion. Use those opportunities whenever possible, but be wary of writing too many Letters to the Editor. If they get printed often, you will lose your impact and become just another shrill voice on the opinion page. News about computers and computer technology tends to become lodged in the Business section of a newspaper. If your paper has one, you need to put the Business Editor on your mailing list. Be careful with multiple mailings to newspapers. If you have a News Conference, you could have several people from BBS-PR pg 3 one newspaper there. There are few things that annoy editors more than finding out that the paper had "overstaffed" a news conference. It might be wise to note on the announcement the departments or individuals that are getting copies. Television Television thrives on good video. Too often, a story with good video will override a good story with no video. That is part of the reason why even though nearly everyone watches tv news, hardly anyone trusts it. Despite that, television can get your message across to more people in a shorter period of time. Assignment Editors are the people that tell the reporters what stories they will tell that day. Most of your productive work with tv stations will be with the Assignment Editor. Assignment Editors work with the Producer, and both are supervised by the News Director. Should you be lucky and they are interested in doing a story about the current state of art in BBS technology, remember that you need to make yourself visually compelling. Show lots of activity on the screen, blinking on the modem, the tangle of wires for the phone lines. Present yourself as a business professional, even if you are operating a one-line, non-commercial system. That doesn't necessarily mean you need to wear a suit and tie, although that would be a good idea. BBSs have become the whipping boy of tv news during the past year. Sex and Pornography are probably the topics they will be most interested in, especially child pornography. If you are called out of the blue someday by a tv reporter wishing to do an interview, those are the likely topics. Be prepared to dodge bullets. Radio Radio Journalism is a dying art. There was once a time when no radio station would even think of not having a news department. Now many stations have only a morning newsperson that rewrites the morning paper, and they might not have even that. It's very tragic. But there are still a very good number of radio stations with active news departments. For the most part, you will BBS-PR pg 4 deal directly with the News Director. Some larger stations may also have an Assignments Editor. Radio stations will be looking for stories that can be told very quickly and have good "sound." Normally, a radio reporter will simply be seeking an interview. But there may be an occasion in which a reporter is doing a special report or a series. BBSs don't really have much sound to record, but there is some. Modem tones, connection alarms, and ANSI music are a few. Because the pace of radio news departments is even faster than tv, believe it or not, it won't be uncommon for a radio reporter to call on the phone to get a comment on a breaking story or even a follow-up on a story idea you may have presented them with in some correspondence. If you are contacted on a "slow" news day, you and your BBS could be included in a number of radio newscasts. Even in music intensive formats, radio news tends to be listener active-- that is listeners pay close attention to the news. News/Talk stations are particularly good targets. They are nearly always looking for good people to interview on the air. 旼컴컴컴컴컴커 쿧our Product� 읕컴컴컴컴컴켸 You are the BBS First of all, you have to think of your BBS as a product. Whether you have a 32 line commercial BBS, a single line hobby board or somewhere in between, you are selling a service. Just as with any other product, you have to decide where and how your public relations efforts should best be spent. Would you sell Lambroghinis in rural Oklahoma? You can try, but you probably wouldn't sell very many. And what happens when your Lambroghini has a major recall? How would you handle the Public Relations crisis? Now may be a good time to look at your BBS and take an inventory. If you haven't already done so, print the file PRODUCT.TXT included with this package. It will help you take stock of the strengths and weaknesses of your BBS. PRODUCT.TXT examines the inventory and looks at some of BBS-PR pg 5 the immediate public relations problems that could occur as a direct result of the features of your BBS. Since this file goes into depth about particular items on your BBS that may cause some Public Relations problems, we won't discuss it in detail here, but we will touch on some of the same issues. The first and foremost question you should ask yourself is "Why should someone call my BBS?" To answer that question, let's create two BBSs to use as examples: Beta BBS has message bases, files and a couple games. Delta BBS has message bases, files and a couple games. Nothing really different here. The Sysop of Beta BBS is an active participant in his BBS in that he writes messages on a regular basis. The Delta BBS Sysop turns up on occasion and makes an announcement. Hmmm. Looks like Beta has a slight edge; the Sysop doesn't seem so unreachable. There is nothing wrong with Delta BBS, but it seems so ordinary. There are hundreds of other BBSs using the same software in the same manner and it appears the Sysop is an out of state landlord. If there is only one weapon I can give you in your Public Relations campaign that weapon would be yourself. You must allow your personality to become a part of the BBS. In this manner BBSs are identical to TV News. They may offer the same plate, but the plate is presented a little differently. You might like the person who does the weather more than the other station's weatherblond. That is why you watch Eyewitness News instead of The Newscenter or whatever the case may be. Graphics Sometimes a subtle change in the graphics scheme can make a big difference in how a user perceives your BBS. If you use a lot of bright,garish colors a caller may get the impression that the BBS is loud and brash. Look closely at how TV stations use color. They generally use two or three colors to set the overall graphics image and everything else is either based on those colors or is worked into them somehow. You should also examine how your menus are laid out. Your first concern should be whether they make sense. A caller shouldn't have to scratch his head trying to figure out what he should do next, unless he really has no idea. BBS-PR pg 6 Secondly, is the picture busy? A busy menu page takes longer to draw and is harder to read. If after the screen is drawn and you find yourself distracted, chances are your layout has too many elements. Graphics artists for print publications talk about what is called "white space." That is the amount of nothingness that surrounds text and pictures. The more there is the more pleasing to the eye the page is. There is nothing wrong with using a background to support your menus, but it should be unobtrusive. Making Changes Whenever you change or add something you need to think to yourself "Is this something that my users need or want?" You also need to think of the image you want your BBS to present. If you have a Science Fiction themed BBS, that new CD-ROM of Civil War statistics may not fit in very well. I want to make the point, though, that you might prefer to run a BBS that offers something of interest to everyone. But if you do have a thread that runs throughout the entire system you need to think twice before making a change or an addition. If it doesn't feel right to you then it probably won't be kosher with your users. 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 쿟OOLS OF THE TRADE� 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 You have your computer(s), phone lines(s), software, message bases, and file areas. But do you have your stationary and business cards? Unless you are running a commercial system, you probably don't (and many commercial systems don't either). Business Cards and Stationary From time to time you'll want to write a letter as the Sysop of your BBS. This letter may be to a user, your city officials, your Congressman or even to local media outlets. Your letter will carry more weight if it is on stationary. Make sure it has the name of your BBS, mailing address, voice line and data line. Your name and title are options since BBS-PR pg 7 you will be signing it anyway. If you work as a salesperson, an engineer, or any other service oriented business, you wouldn't think twice about getting business cards. They are an essential part of your business armament. You hand them to every new person you meet during the course of your day. You should do the same for your BBS. Business cards are an effective way of getting the word out about your BBS. You don't need anything fancy. Just the name of your BBS, your name, your title, a mailing address, your voice line and your data line. As for your title, I would recommend System Operator. The average person on the street, including some who claim to be computer literate, may not understand what "Sysop" means. If you have even the slightest reason to write someone on BBS stationary, then you should do it. Always carry some BBS business cards with you and pass them out at every opportunity. Stationary and business cards are inexpensive and extremely effective. One word of caution, though. If your BBS is not affiliated with your professional career, you need to make sure you keep the two separated. This can be a problem when handing out business cards in particular. You might be tempted to give a client cards from both work and your BBS. Should you do this, the client must be made aware that they are two completely separate entities. Not only that, but your boss might not be too keen on the idea. Brochures and Fliers Brochures are also good promotional items for BBSs. Although they are not as necessary as business cards and stationary, they can be very good tools. Brochures can be left at computer stores, taken to conventions, or used to send in response to advertising. Good brochures don't necessarily have to be professionally produced, printed on glossy stock paper and using four colors. You can produce an effective brochure using a desktop publishing program at home. A brochure should hit on the main points you want to make, have some graphics, and entice the reader into calling. A brochure is intended to introduce your product to potential BBS-PR pg 8 callers. Don't feel you should fill up the entire brochure with a lot of copy. For one thing, if there's a lot to read, most of it won't get read unless it is extremely compelling. The majority of the time, though, simple will suffice. When developing your brochure, you should design it by cutting the page in thirds and deciding what needs to be on which page. Obviously, you want the name of the BBS, the phone number and maybe a graphic on the front. You get to the nitty gritty of what is on your board inside. The middle section of the outside should be left blank so you can put an address on it. A flier generally is one page, and follows roughly the same guidelines as those for a brochure. In general, though, you layout for the entire page instead of in thirds. I mentioned "white space" earlier, and I want to emphasize that again, especially in regard to your printed materials. The more white space you have, the more pleasing to the eye your layout is. Of course, that doesn't mean have a blank page with only one sentence on it. You do need to keep your pages from looking cluttered and busy. Do it yourself or hire someone Personal computers have liberated us to do work ourselves that we would previously have hired someone to do. That includes personal publishing. There are a number of desktop publishing programs available at your friendly neighborhood computer store. There are even some available as shareware. 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � Do it yourself! � 쿪dvantages disadvantages � � � 쿶nexpensive time consuming � 쿾rint when needed dot matrix printers � � usually inadequate � 쿬omplete control graphics or fonts � � may not be available� � � � Hire someone � � � 쿾rofessional layout assistance some loss of control� 쿬onsistent print quality large print runs � 쿯ast service expensive � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� BBS-PR pg 9 As you can tell from this table, choosing whether to produce your own stationary and business cards or having it produced by a printshop is really as much a matter of convenience as it is anything else. When we talk about expensive, that is compared to doing it yourself. For roughly $75 you can have some basic stationary and business cards printed professionally. I think it's worth the investment. When you think about what to put on your stationary and business cards remember that "conservative never offends anyone." Keep the layout clean and simple, especially on the cards. If you have a graphic that is used to help identify your BBS you should use it. Colored paper and spot color can be very effective. But you need to be very careful. Your information can be hard to read on dark paper. Spot color is exactly that-- a small touch of color to highlight something on the page. But it can be put in the wrong place. A couple things to note about having your work done professionally: colored paper and spot color usually cost extra. The printshop will also likely charge you to have a graphic scanned and placed on your stationary or business cards. 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴� 쿙ews Products� 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴� News Releases News Releases can be among the most effective tools you use in your public relations efforts. This may seem hard to believe, but much of what we read, hear or see in the news is prompted by a news release. The News Media really does want to know what is going on in the community and News Releases provide valuable tip-offs for stories. Among other things, News Releases can be used to make yourself "The Expert" in the field. There is much attention being paid in Washington D.C. to the National Data Highway. By making yourself the expert in computer communications, local media might contact you for local reaction to a story about the National Data Highway or other topics, including computer pornography. BBS-PR pg 10 On any given day, a news department can receive dozens of News Releases. If you send a News Release to a Newspaper, or Radio or TV station, don't assume it will be used. Lack of a local angle, lack of timeliness, and obvious business promotion are among the reasons most are thrown away. The biggest portion of those that are thrown out, though, are News Releases that are poorly written. 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � Topic Ideas for News Releases � � � 쿙ew BBS Major New Feature� 쿘illionth Caller Meetings/Seminars� 쿛ublic Service performed by BBS Awards � 쿝ecent Membership in National Organization Crisis Management� 쿎hange in Ownership/Management � 쿢nusual or Controversial Message Threads or Files � 쿗ocal Angle to National Story � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 Anyone who has watched tv dramas about reporters knows that the basics of a news story are Who, What, When, Where, Why. Those are also essential to a News Release. You should also strive for clarity and brevity. Even if you consider yourself a poor writer, if you include all of these factors, your News Release will probably be at the very least readable. A News Release should have a Headline, a release date (even if all it says is FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE), and contact information in addition to the news itself. Put the news release on your BBS stationary and include a business card. Even if your News Release is thrown away, the business card might be put into someone's rolodex. Focus on your information. What exactly is it you want to convey? The best news releases usually have one specific point to make and everything else supports that one point. Think logically. Your first paragraph, or the lead to use journalistic jargon, should make your point clear. The second paragraph should have more information that supports the first, the third should support the second and first, so on and so on. Write simply. Don't use "big" words unless you absolutely have to. They won't impress anyone. You should also write short simple sentences. Long complex sentences are harder to read. Newspapers are written at an eighth grade reading level. Broadcasters have only one chance to BBS-PR pg 11