Overview
A Calendar Listing is an announcement of an event to media (newspapers, online, tv, radio) that publish event listings and community calendars for their readers / viewers / listeners.
The goal of distributing a Calendar Listing is to get your event listed in places where customers and potential customers see it and thus drive traffic to your event.
Details
There are several key steps in distributing a Calendar Listing.
Write Your Calendar Listing
The first step is writing your Calendar Listing. It’s a simple one-page document listing the what, when and where of your event.
Here is a Calendar Listing Template for you to use.
Compile Your Media List
You probably know the key TV, radio and newspapers in your local market that you can target…the ones you use, and most importantly, the ones your customers and potential customers use.
If not, here are a few tools to help you compile your list.
Don’t forget to add online-only publications. Many cities have The Patch, Daily Candy and various other sites that are only online for readers.
Once you have your list of media outlets you want to contact, you’ll also want to identify who to send your Calendar Listing to. Many “Contact Us” pages have links or emails for where to send announcements about your events. Some local newspapers even allow you to post directly to their online calendars or have a online form to submit your information. When in doubt, call to ask for the appropriate person or department.
Distribute Your Calendar Listing
Once you have your list, either email or fax your media advisory THREE to FOUR WEEKS prior to your event.
Follow Up
Once you’ve distributed your Calendar Listing, call to follow up to ensure they received it and will post it.
For events, also see Media: Media Advisory for getting media to attend and cover your event.
Photo Source: flickr.com/photos/dafnecholet/5374200948
