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EDUCATION PHILANTHROPY DIVISION OF ASCENDIUM EDUCATION GROUP

Media Center

We connect news media with helpful resources and supply grant partners with tools for effective outreach.

Content Tips

The work you do is incredibly meaningful. The best way to highlight that work is to feature the people involved in or affected by it. Using original photos, videos, and other content will highlight your story in an authentic way and resonate more with your audience.

Creating Content

Creating high-quality content is an art. Here are a few best practices to get you started.

  • Take both vertical and horizontal photos of the subject to allow for more usage options for both web and print.
  • Photos work best if there is a main point of focus. With responsive layouts, image containers can vary in size from device to device. Having a focal point ensures that the photo subject is conveyed correctly at all sizes.
  • Take high-resolution photos. Poor photo resolution impacts quality. It’s easy to convert high-resolution, print-ready photos to low-resolution photos for the web, but it’s impossible to turn low-resolution web photos into high-quality print photos.
  • Use these minimum resolutions: 100-150 dpi for web and 300 dpi for print.
  • GIF, PNG, JPG, and SVG are the most common formats for web graphics. JPG and TIFF are the most common formats for print.

Using Content

You’ve created amazing high-quality content. Now what? We recommend repurposing it across all your communication channels and sharing it with us as well so we can amplify it.

While the message may change depending on whether you use the content in an article or a social media post, using the content in as many places as possible will reinforce your story and be the best use of your resources.

Sharing Your Content with Us

We love amplifying the work you do on our own communication channels. However, we must have permission from everyone featured in your content to use it. While you may already have your own release statement, to ensure we can use the content without requiring an additional release, we recommend using or adding the following to your release.

For good and valuable consideration, [insert name of your organization] and/or any third parties with whom [insert name of your organization] shares, have my permission to use the photograph(s), electronic image(s), video(s), or voice recording(s) (“Content”) in their advertising, publicity, articles, news releases, social media channels, or other business-related materials, both print and electronic.

Social Media Tips

Social media is one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to communicate about your work. A few of the many reasons to use it include keeping your current network informed, increasing the visibility of your research and findings, and establishing connections you wouldn’t otherwise. Consider creating a social media plan with specific goals that you can evaluate and adjust over time.

Interacting with Us

Tag Us

We encourage you to tag us in posts about your grant award, updates on your work, insights on what you’ve learned, and more. We have different tags, depending on the platform.

These channels and tags are specific to Ascendium’s education philanthropy. They are separate from Ascendium Education Group’s corporate channels and hashtags.

Use Our Hashtag

Hashtags help categorize content on busy social media platforms. Besides tagging us, we recommend using our hashtag: #AscendiumEP. By using our hashtag, you extend the reach of your post, allowing it to display for people who may not otherwise see it. Using our hashtag also connects you to conversations on topics we post about.  

Engage with Our Posts

If we’ve tagged you in a post or one of our posts relates to the work you do, engage with it! This includes sharing, commenting, liking — or all of the above. This will help even more people see the work you’re doing.

Maximizing Your Social Presence

There are many ways you can maximize your social presence. We’ve included just a few of them here.

  • Post regularly in line with your social media goals. A content calendar can help you manage this.
  • Include a photo or video to help your post stand out in feeds. While stock images and footage work fine, try to use original photos and videos when possible to make your content seem more authentic.
  • Include a link that gives context to your post. This could go to a page, resource, or article on your website.
  • Tag the accounts of organizations and people you reference in the post.
  • Post during business hours so you can better monitor engagement. Although the best time to post differs by platform, generally, you’ll want to post between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
  • If others comment on your post, engage with them by liking or responding to the comment. This may be a good opportunity to direct people to resources on your website too.
  • Encourage your team to share the post with their social networks.

Media Tips

Having your work covered by the media is one of the best ways to build credibility and increase the visibility of your work. Getting covered is not always easy, though. It’s important to develop an engaging pitch that’s directed to the right reporter.

A reporter or editor must think your story is newsworthy to cover it. Answering the following questions can help you determine a newsworthy angle for your story.

  • What makes my program, research, or findings unique?
  • Why should people care about my program, research, or findings?
  • Is it an opportune time to share this story? (The story could be especially newsworthy if it ties into recent or current events.)
  • Would it be worthwhile to combine this story with another announcement or an event notification?

A reporter or editor must think your story is newsworthy to cover it. Answering the following questions can help you determine a newsworthy angle for your story.

  • What makes my program, research, or findings unique?
  • Why should people care about my program, research, or findings?
  • Is it an opportune time to share this story? (The story could be especially newsworthy if it ties into recent or current events.)
  • Would it be worthwhile to combine this story with another announcement or an event notification?

Now that you’ve determined the angle, you’re ready to develop a pitch. Keep the following in mind when you do this.

  • Be as detailed as possible.
  • Offer background information about your organization, people you serve, and the reason you serve them.
  • Include compelling statistics that support your angle.
  • Personalize the impact of your efforts. If applicable, share an anecdote from a person you serve (with permission, of course).
  • Avoid jargon so the average person can understand and identify with your story.
  • Make sure your materials are error-free. Proofread them and have someone else proofread them too.

  • Research the best media outlets to pitch your story to, making sure their audience is the right one. If they’ve covered your organization in the past, they’re likely to do so again.
  • Personalize your pitch for each media outlet you send it to, noting why your story is important for their audience to learn about.
  • Direct your pitch to the reporter who generally covers your topic.

Besides being inundated with ideas, reporters are trying to meet their next deadline. Give them a few days to respond to your pitch. If they don’t respond in that timeframe, take the initiative to follow up by emailing or calling. If calling, always ask if they have time to talk. If they do, briefly explain your story and ask if the topic is something they would be interested in covering.

Follow these best practices if you’re appearing on camera.

  • Wear clothing that makes you comfortable and represents you professionally. Neutral clothing that’s a solid color or has a subtle pattern works best. Avoid all black, all white, busy patterns, and accessories that make noise.
  • This seems obvious, but remember to silence all devices, such as your smart watch and phone, to avoid interruptions.
  • Relax and breathe. The interviewer wants to capture your natural responses. Gesture with your hands and smile when emphasizing certain points.
  • Make eye contact with the interviewer, not the camera lens. Focus on the person asking the questions and pretend you’re just having a conversation with them.

These best practices apply to all interview types.

  • Prepare talking points in advance. Watch interviews this reporter has conducted in the past, if possible, to see what questions they tend to ask. Anticipate general questions like “Can you tell us a bit about yourself, your organization, your work, etc.?” and “What are your goals, what challenges are you facing, etc.?” Note any data that’s key to your story.
  • Repeat the interviewer’s question at the start of your answer. For example, if you’re asked, “What are the goals of your program?” begin with “The goals of my program are…”
  • Ask the interviewer to clarify or restate any question you don’t understand.
  • Guide the interview. Give the interviewer the answer they’re looking for but feel free to build on it or pivot to the story you want to tell. Reporters will often follow your lead.

Additional Communications Support

We’re committed to helping our grant partners promote their work. If you have any questions about how to do that through social media, the press, or other communication channels, please reach out.

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