For as long as I have been involved with Laughter Yoga the media has been the greatest asset we have had. Very rarely if ever have we had any bad publicity or reports about us. This in itself is interesting as what we do is “unusual, weird, radical, silly, childish, crazy, and bizarre” to use just a few words I’ve seen published and heard reported. So how can we make this FREE publicity work even better for us
Laughter Yoga and the print media
While print media is dying in it’s traditional paper format it’s continuing on line. They are always after newsworthy or community items to print depending on their target market and geographical reach. As the world is trending toward a more community based approach the best opportunity is to advertise our laughter clubs to the local community. I’ve found that attendees to my own club, along with other leaders I’ve talked to, have noticed that people generally won’t travel more than five to ten kilometers to get to a club. So local advertising is easy and the way to go
Laughter Yoga and the radio media
Radio is the most commonly used as it’s cheap, easy, instant, and can be done from anywhere there is a phone available. Very rarely do you have to go into the studio. When asked, the best thing to do is ask if they would like you to send through the five most commonly asked questions. They always say yes and it’s easy for you to respond. Just remember not to make it too rehearsed as you want to maintain that authenticity. At the same time you want to get your message across early as interviews sometimes get cut short. Oh and don’t forget to mention you website address as that’s how people will locate you at the end of the interview
Laughter Yoga and the TV media
TV is the most powerful as it combines pictures with the words and this is how most people learn. Also when they’re watching TV they’re usually only a few steps away from a computer to be able to research you more on the internet. Because of the pictures element the more color and movement you can provide the better. A TV interview is no time to become an introvert
Laughter Yoga and the social media
And finally there is social media. Somebody recently stated that this is the most self indulgent form of self promotion ever created and I agree. When we’re excitedly telling the world about how wonderful we are the benefits of Laughter Yoga it’s always good to be mindful of “what’s in it for me” to the reader. It may surprise you that nobody really cares about how Laughter Yoga has changed your life but how it will change theirs. As novice media reporters this is a handy hint to remember if you want people to respond to your social media message
Laughter Yoga and bad media
And finally there is the bad news that sometimes seeps out by any of the previous mediums. The important thing to do here is respond (or not) in a dignified way. Remember that Laughter Yoga is not for everyone and never will be and to try and convert everyone will send you crazy…if we’re not already that is (ha ha ha)
Enjoy Life
Merv