Public Relations Guide for Rural Housing Organizations (manual

THE IMPACT OF NEW TECHNOLOGYIt is no secret that that the Internet is redefining marketing. As expressed by Michael O’Tooleas part of an online panel discussion, “the Internet has the potential to erase the artifice ofmarketing that we have all lived with since the industrial revolution” (O’Toole 2002). It isstrongly recommended that your organization become conversant with the Internet, even if atthis time you do not have Internet access.WebsiteThe creation of a website need not be a time-consuming part of your PR work. Usually awebsite reproduces PR items already in existence and disseminates them to a much wideraudience. When considering whether the expense of computer technology to create digitalslide presentations is worth the effort, do not forget that such presentations may be used onyour website.Three of the six organizations used as case studies in this guide had Internet sites in 2002 andreported that they were of great benefit (see Appendix C). The other three said that havingwebsites would greatly enhance their PR work. Proyecto Azteca wanted its own website toeducate the public about colonias. Lee County Community Development Corporation inArkansas already had web pages as part of the websites of two of its funders; having its ownwebsite would allow it to share local information with legislators. HDC in Oregon hoped tohave a website where it could make information available about smart growth, a state focusthat affected the organization’s work. It would use the website to recruit volunteers andperhaps have certain pages linked to specific interest groups, such as churches. From previousexperience, Linda Netherton of HDC believed it would not take much time to maintain andupdate the website “even with all the bells and whistles.”Appendix B contains more information about the creation of websites, including a listing offree services.E-mail and the MediaElectronic mail has been accepted as a legitimate distribution method for corporate,government, and nonprofit communications (Lee 2002). Its advantages are obvious: e-mailarrives instantaneously, saves time, and is easier than faxing. That makes it an excellentchoice for sending news releases, media alerts, and other communications to the media. It iswise to find out from each reporter or editor whether this is his/her preferred method ofcommunication, since some reporters still do not like it.Do not expect to receive a response – not getting one does not mean that your message wasnot read or taken seriously.Be sure to include the e-mail address in the contact person’s information and also the URL(Internet address) for your organization’s website, if you have one. Do include the completeHousing Assistance Council 39