Time to start getting buzz going:

The Media is not our enemy - it is ultimately our friend. I have just finished a several month long media campaign for Manitoba Arts and Culture Week - an awareness campaign with no dollars for a media buy.

So I want to pass along a few things I learned from that effort.

1. A good story will get covered.

Its about staging it. Find a personality, a local celebrity someone who has the royal jelly and get them to speak out. Start small buy that reporter a cup of coffee and tell them what your trying to do. Contact your local public access television folks - they are always looking for something and are plugged in to the community in a larger way than core media - they exist to provide local content. Some even let you do your own shows. So do it. Start talking about Green things and green issues there where someone is willing to listen. Find an angle a new way to tell the old story - come up with a strong visual the camera is telling a story too.

2. Don't underestimate the power of a good letter to the editor.

Its a little known secret that many columnists are really not university / community college trained journalists. Some started out writing letters to the editor. Some just make sense and good comments and humor is a very effective way to communicate. Write a letter to the editor. IF you keep it short, sharp and to the point it will get published. Use a word processor - spelling and grammar count. This is one of the spaces that belongs to us the readers of these organs of information dissemination. If you have a good command of the language - offer your local paper a free column "on spec" on green practices. Green Gardening what ever your specialty is - offer your opinion but in a straightforward and digestible way 200 words is almost too much.

3. Some papers have holes in their classified advertisements - that can be filled with Public Service Announcement fillers.

You have seen them for the Cancer Society and the like. Build one for you local eco project or group maybe even for your local candidate though some papers have a policy against political ads and won't publish them. Others will if you do their work for them.

4. Save email addresses from like-minded people and use them but don't abuse them.

From time to time you will get email on an issue, an invitation to something, a chain letter, a blurb from the local soccer coach. Save those contacts. A week before the election (when ever it is) a well worded letter endorsing your local candidate and short explanation why you are doing so to your friends in your community , local church group, mountain biking club etc, might and can make a difference. Save them and don't forget to use the b.c.c. option. Nothing infuriates folks more than seeing their name in a list of 300 people. Also be aware that some email servers will not process a message with too many names in an address block. You may have to experiment.

5. Social Marketing Works.

Use facebook/ myspace to tell friends about an event - start one for your EDA but be mindful it is not the place for state secrets. It is amazing how powerful, if you are prepared to surrender a little privacy, that tool is. There are apps like Canadian Politics where you can proudly declare your support for the party on your facebook page.