Highlight Your PTA/PTSA

Public Relations Strategies

Public relations is implementing a strategy to get the word out about your PTA. Public relations is crucial to the success of the PTA. If your members don’t know what you are doing, how do you expect non-members to find out and want to join the PTA? When you communicate to those who support PTA and to those who are not members, everyone knows what PTA is and how it benefits children and their education. In the digital age of public relations, strategies for your PTA can take advantage of many Internet-based tools.

Here are some suggested ideas for public relations strategies:

• Contact local education reporters and establish a relationship with them. Send the reporters a PTA calendar and PTA newsletters. Send them a thank you note each time their media outlet provides coverage. In the age of e-mail, a personal, post office delivered thank you note can garner much attention.
• Have a World Wide Web presence for your organization such as a web site, blog, social media connection, or E-mail address.
• Plan promotions of your PTA within your community so that every member knows the calendar and when events and meetings are scheduled.
• Provide a personal touch strategy: invite friends, business leaders, or elected officials to a PTA meeting and recognize them. Go one step further and ask your board members to greet members at the door for each PTA meeting.
• Promote an advocacy strategy with new voters by sending a birthday card to students who turn 18 years old that includes a voter registration card and information on how PTA is advocating on legislation that affects children and youth.
• Promote media participation by writing an editorial or letters to the editor, commenting on PTA-related blogs, calling in to radio talk shows, or creating an expert panel for a television talk show.

Be the voice of the PTA— tell your news because it is your unique news about your children.

Do you have pictures of your PTA/PTSA in action? The Michigan PTSA would like to highlight your activities and accomplishments.

Submit your pictures and articles for possible use in the e-Bulletin, on the website, or in other MPTSA communications to dee@calldeedee.com.  Send requests for more information to the same e-mail address.

Letetia “Dee Dee” Kemp-Jarrett
Communications & Public Relations Chair

Thanks to Dwight Hunter – Public Relations for the Tennessee PTA – for his help writing this article.

Michigan PTA - 3300 Washtenaw Avenue, Suite 220 - Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104
Email: director@michiganpta.org - Website: www.michiganpta.org - Phone: (734) 975-9500