Given at the London Youth Games Conference in December 2014.

1. Suchandrika Chakrabarti
Community Newswire Manager
Media Trust
@SuchandrikaC

2. Positive change through the power of media
• Open courses- Regular training sessions on marketing, digital and PR
& media relations led by industry professionals
• Bespoke training and consultancy – Expert-led tailor made training
and consultancy packages to meet the individual needs and
requirements of your organisation
• Productions – Award winning films for charities
• Community newswire – Our free-to-use Community Newswire service
helps charities, communities and citizen journalists get their stories into
the national and regional media

3. What is Community
Newswire?
• A free news distribution service
• Created in 2004 as a partnership between
Media Trust and Press Association – 2014 is
our 10th
anniversary
• PA is the national news agency for the UK
and Ireland
• Founded in 1868, PA delivers text, pictures
and videos to all major UK news
organisations

4. How does it work?
1) Press release
received by Media
Trust
2) Chosen press
release written
up as news by
PA journalist
3) News story
distributed to
media
organisations

5. Using Community
Newswire

6. Engaging with other members
of the London Youth Games
On Facebook On Twitter
facebook.com/have
ringlyg
twitter.com/WandScho
olGames

7. Social media vs. offline
media

8. Overview of useful platforms
• Using your page as a blog
• Showcase for multimedia
• Lets supporters know
about updates
• Passive, closed
• Openness allows for new
connections
• Conversations with current
and new supporters
• RTs can make new allies +
underpin tone
• Can get lost in the ever-
updating feed
Facebook Twitter

9. Do Something Brilliant on
Facebook
facebook.com/dsbrilliant

10. Promoting your content on
Facebook
1) Choose the image first

11. Promoting your content on
Facebook
2) Keep the headline snappy

12. Promoting your content on
Facebook
3) Be friendly! 

13. 10 top tips for
Facebook
1. Have fun, be fun
2. Be topical, timely and relevant
3. Be visual (see below)
4. Be concise – think of mobile
users
5. Be open to discussion
6. Ask questions
7. If you’re having a slow day, post an
inspirational / shareable pic or quote
8. Don’t beg for likes
9. Post full links within FB – they
get 3x more clicks
10. Develop an authentic tone

14. Do Something Brilliant on
Twitter
@dsbrilliant

15. Promoting your content on
Twitter
1) Keep your tweets well under 140 characters
- Easier to digest
- More scope for retweets
- Allows for comment

16. Promoting your content on
Twitter
2) Get a link in

17. Promoting your content on
Twitter
3) Create / jump on to an appropriate #hashtag

18. 10 top tips for Twitter
1. Follow other projects, see how
they’re doing it
2. Respond quickly with with .@ so
everyone can see your replies
1. Answer each and every query –
others can see when you don’t
2. Always shorten your links
1. Aim for <125 characters
2. Ask questions, solicit opinions
7. Share great articles linked to your
cause
8. Twitter displays pics in the timeline,
so try to get as many in as possible
9. Use lists to sort other users into helpful
groups, plus add a community feel
10. Consider Twitter takeovers from
happy beneficiaries to occasionally
vary the tone

19. Best times to post – harness
that afternoon slump!
Facebook Twitter

20. Peak times for audience
interest
Facebook Twitter

21. Worst times to post – they’ve
been set free from the screen!
Facebook Twitter

22. Are those timings true of teens?
Research your audience!
Teenagers have more unstructured time on their hands,
particularly in the school holidays. However, they might have
strict teachers...

23. If not, I hope you feel like this…