Dear GiGi, We run a relatively new non-profit organization focused on scientific research to cure a rare disease. We are very excited to be funding our first research projects. Any thoughts as to how we can get the best bang for our (very little) buck in terms of announcing the news?

Congratulations on securing funding for your first research projects! I’ll lay out a few ways in which you can hopefully get traction from the announcement.

1. Identify your target audiences. It’s crucial that you’re constantly aware of whom you’re trying to reach. This will save you the effort of blasting news to a diffuse audience who may not notice or put much stock in your message.

2. Identify appropriate outlets and journalists. Once you identify your audiences, figure out which outlets make the most sense to reach them. Then, conduct an online search to see which reporters and bloggers are covering health-related nonprofits or rare diseases and reach out to them with a compelling message.

3. Utilize social media. Twitter and Facebook are free! But simply having a Facebook page and a Twitter handle is not enough. Engage users by telling them about the disease, asking them to provide their stories, and linking to interesting articles in the news. Try Tweeting directly at key influencers in your space to draw their attention to your cause.

4. Leverage affiliations. You may know high profile people who have the disease or are otherwise personally linked to it and would help get the news out. Furthermore, the founders and/or funders of your organization may have existing networks they can utilize to spread the word.

Online searches, social media, and existing relationships are relatively low cost avenues for spreading news and getting traction from an announcement. These tactics may help your organization get the attention it needs!

Stay on message,