Promoting your community activity.....

In order to promote your community association or event most local newspapers, The Gazette, Radio and TV stations will published information free of charge for non-profit groups, community services or for their fund raising events. These events must be inclusive and promote a sense of community good will. To have your event published, send your notice at least three weeks in advance, if you want the notice to appear more then once. Make sure the information about the your event or service has a contact telephone number, plus the dates it will take place. Information is accepted only in writing either by mail, Fax or Email (It best to either Fax or Email) Do not call in your information.

When sending information always list the : Who, What, Why ,Where and Time, Because of limited space do not expect to publish a long notice with a lot of details. Remember this is only a service, for non-profit community groups or fund raiser events . Do not send flyers expecting them to be edited. List briefly only one or two key elements of your event ...use short and direct terms so people will be aware what your event or service is about. Make sure the telephone number contact is responsible, has good telephone habits, and either a voice-box or answering machine. Always try to reply to any inquires within a minimum delay.

SSCP can help with drafting and forwarding your event notices. …Call or email me….(in advance) we can help put together notices and use our system so that at. O-N-E touch I can send emails and then faxes to all the media outlets we listed. Remember there is no such thing as too little publicity ……so use all the tools at hand …SSCP has a listing of community group-service Labal mailing list that can be made available (for a small Fee ) .

Be sure to place flyers and posters on Community Bulletin Boards at local Pharmacies, Malls and Food Stores. Churches halls are used for different community events and often have Community Bulletin Board. For events on important issue ask if it may be printed area church bulletins.

Regardless of how many notices we send out or post…Word of mouth still works best!!…So tell two friends about your event and have them tell two friends and before you know it The Word is Out!

Because of the many computer viruses- most Media-outlets or Community groups will not open attachments Send text files only with a clear direct subject line. Use Direct Text files and When sending out notices about Community. Services, programs etc….try to keep it in a simple text format directly in the context of your email…. Colourful images may look like they dressing up your notice ,however they increase the size of the Ks in your email , thus filling up the limit storage space most people have….therefore you email will be more likely deleted to open up space…smaller size emails are more likely to be saved ….and easier to forward to other contacts…. Also with all the virus most Schools, CLSCs, Media , Community groups do not open attachments ..so your message may never be even read, While less artistic ..Keep your E-mail’s .Small and Simple

When sending out mass emails to contact lists . I suggest that the email message be sent to One Direct email (maybe to yourself) and all the rest be sent through the BCC (blind carbon copy) function, therefore you would not be sending along your email list to be forward and go beyond the intended purposes. Ie: scammers….

Weekly Community Newspapers (covering the South Shore)

Saint Lambert Journal Saint Lambert-Greenfield Park-Brossard Journal Brossard-Greenfield Park

The Montrealer - A Newspaper for all Montrealers featuring community news and lifestyles…. Community section …514-369-7000 Fax notices to (514) 369-1362 or email andrew@themontrealeronline.com

The Gazeete publishes Community notices on the Frist Monday of the start of the Month ..Forward your info two weeks in advance … Their Website feature a Community section with ongoing events and programs ..

When emailing list the type of notice in the subject line / If your event covers more then one area of interest then cc; email to other community event columns send notice two weeks in advance

CFQR-Q92-Radio Fax; 514-766-9569 web-site: www.q92fm.com

CHOM FM97.7 fax: 514-846-4741 email chom@standardradio.com

French-language media: Include French language notices LA PRESSE -Fax 514-285-6808 Journal Montréal Fax- 514-521-4416 (go to the link below for a contact listing of radio/Tv stations)