Feature article writers for newspapers look continuously for story ideas. With a growing interest in Marriage Week USA (the week leading up to Valentines Day), and heightened attention to couples in February, this could be the perfect time to contact your paper for a feature about your COUPLE COMMUNICATION class.
A wonderful article, describing Certified CC instructors Louise and David Mashburn's presentation of the COUPLE COMMUNICATION Program, appeared in the local newspaper for their area, the Northwest Arkansas Times. The article drew attention to their classes at the Ozark Guidance Center, and after the initial publication, resulted in inquiries and registrations for the program. Even now, months later, calls still come asking about the class described in the article. To read the text, click on the link below or, if that doesn't work for you, copy the URL below and paste it into the address line of your web browser. (In the newspaper, several nice pictures accompanied the text, however, they are not displayed in this electronic link.)
http://www.nwanews.com/story.php?paper=nwat§ion=Living&storyid=17845
If you have opportunity for an article to be written about you (or are able to influence someone to write one), the following suggestions may be helpful:
· Describe the main points of the program - use any information provided in the Couple Brochure to help you, if you wish.
· Take advantage of the visual interest that the skills mats provide. Demonstrate how they are used - this makes good picture material.
· Give some stories about how CC skills have been applied by some of your couple participants. Readers enjoy the stories and they tie the skills to real people.
· Be able to provide the names and contact information of one or two "satisfied couple participants" - couples whom you believe to be articulate about what they received from the class. Naturally you must clear this with them first.
· Have dates and contact information about your upcoming classes available. In fact, regularly send this information to your local media - newspapers, radio and TV stations - for their community calendars. It was because of seeing an announcement for Louise and David's course at the Ozark Guidance Center that a reporter contacted them to do the article. And, whether or not you get an article published at this point, you will still spread the word about your COUPLE COMMUNICATION classes.
· Once an article is published, laminate it to have on display or put it on a bulletin board in a waiting area for future potential class participants to read. You may also be able to get reprints or reproduce it for marketing material about your work.
A good feature article can be an excellent, cost-free way to promote your instruction of COUPLE COMMUNICATION.
If you have experience with feature articles or other ways
of promoting your classes through the media, and wish to share
ideas from your efforts, please contact us.