Online Support Groups

Lesson 3: Getting Members To Join Your Group

It's Time To Announce It

There are several ways that you can announce your group, some of which have already been discussed. There is one way to announce your group that many would not even consider at first, or second thought, your local newspaper!

Many newspapers have community announcement areas where support group meetings are listed. You should contact your local paper and ask them how you would go about getting your group listed among the other groups. Other possibilities with your local paper include asking about having a story done about your group, or seeing if your group would qualify for a 'business' announcement.

A listing in with other support groups would probably only list the name of your group, the web address of the group, and possibly your contact information and/or any 'meeting' times. Although this may not sound like much, just getting your group's name listed with other groups where people looking for information will find you may increase your membership levels of 'local' people.

A business announcement may be reserved if your group is more commercially orientated. However, you won't know if it could be announced here if you don't ask. Most newspapers have a form for business announcements and the staff will usually help you with filling this out so all the needed information about you and your group can be included and it will 'flow' and be readable.

Why would any reporter or freelance journalist want to write an article about your group? Several reasons, and you need to first 'sell' this idea to either the newspaper or the reporter. It is not as difficult as you might think, human interest stories are in the papers almost daily, and yours would qualify as such. First, ask if the newspaper has considered doing a story about online support groups and the growing public interest in them.

Mention that you have not read such a story in the paper before, and why you would be interested in reading one. Then, let them know about your online support group, why you created the group (the lack of one in your area, inability to attend scheduled meetings, and so on) and how other support groups about a wide variety of topics are being created on a daily basis. Let the paper know that you would be happy to be interviewed for such an article. Keep your letter or email to the paper no longer than one page and be concise. State your points without being too wordy or long-winded, and mention how you can be contacted and give the link to your group.

Getting a reporter or freelance journalist to write an article about you and your group will most likely gain more attention then a business announcement or a community group listing. However, using all three resources if possible is the best.

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