NCSF launched our new Media Kit at the end of 2014 featuring suggestions of interview topics by Susan Wright, Barak and Sheba. We launched the press release through PR Newswire, and it was reposted on 137 websites in the first 24 hours. It went out through the Associated Press and appeared in Google news alerts. In the first 24 hours it was viewed by over 1,000 journalists who either clicked through their email notification or accessed it directly as a member on PR Newswire. According to the industry benchmarks, we hit an 86 out of 100 for generating engagement, so that’s a success considering our target niche is narrow – we’re not going to attract the industry writers for transportation, technology, etc.
In 2014, I gave 32 interviews to reporters from mainstream media to blogs and podcasts. The 2013 interviews included: The NY Times, NY Magazine, Atlantic Monthly, CNN, Playboy, Bay Area Reporter, Slate, Jane XO, Alternet, andtwo Huffington Post Live appearances that led to me getting a registered as a Huff Po blogger. The following are our yearly stats:
2015 – 16 interviews (as of March 6th)
2014 – 32 interviews
2013 – 42 interviews
2012 – 63 interviews (Fifty Shades bump)
Barak and Sheba joined the media team in late 2014 and have given several interviews. Rapture of Rapture Leathers was also brought onto the team and he can represent kink businesses and is located in Michigan. Guy in New York City (TES’ former media rep who I worked with for years) also recently joined the media team. The goal is to locate a media rep for each region since news reporters often want to speak to a local person.
Jsin created podcast PSAs tailored to specific niches – leathermen, pansexual, vanilla-ish – that he is distributing to podcasts. Jsin and Barak also created videos to accompany our 50 Shades of NCSF palm card campaign.
As usual, NCSF provided media back-up for Folsom Street East. I also continued the media training program for groups and individuals who wanted to learn how to talk to reporters about kink, polyamory or the Lifestyle.
NCSF published 15 Guest Blogs in 2014 by experts in various fields, up from five Guest Blogs posted in 2013.
The media team continued to extend NCSF’s reach into social media. The following is a list our social media stats:
NCSF mailing list: 5,767 up from 5,528
Facebook (www.facebook.com/NCSFreedom) 1597 Likes, up from 1009
Twitter (https://twitter.com/NCSF) 7,226 followers, up from 6,559
NCSF FetLife News (https://fetlife.com/groups/439) 4,552 members, up from 4,101
NCSF Consent Counts (https://fetlife.com/groups/46202 ) 1,410 members, up from 967
Report by Susan Wright