



                        Ŀ
                         The Computer Bulletin Board 
                                                     
                          Guide to Public Relations  
                        

                                    Ver 1.6


                                          (c) 1993, 1994 Robert Parson


                                    NOTICE

              The Computer Bulletin Board Guide to Public Relations is 
         copyright and remains the property of Robert Parson.  You are 
         encouraged to use this guide to help publicize your BBS in 
         particular and to help improve the image of BBSs generally.  
         You are further encouraged to distribute this guide and 
         accompanying materials at your discretion.  However, all BBS- 
         PR files named in this guide must be included in your 
         distribution.  This guide may not be sold for profit without 
         prior approval of Robert Parson, although the cost of disk 
         duplication and postage may be charged.  NO WARRANTY IS MADE 
         OR IMPLIED.  NEITHER ROBERT PARSON OR APHELION PROMOTIONS ARE 
         LIABLE FOR DAMAGES CAUSED BY THE USE OF THIS GUIDE. 

                                 Robert Parson
                                 2501 Phoenix
                             Fort Smith, AR 72901
                             501 646 9332 (voice)

                                  Support BBS
                    Paradox of Arkansas (Fred Ayers Sysop)
                                 501 484 0944
                                 501 484 0944
                    Jackalope Junction (Steve Prado Sysop)
                                 501 785 5381
                       Internet r.parson@genie.geis.com
                                GEnie R.Parson
                               Fidonet 1:3822/1

























                               BBS-PR 1.6 FILES

                 The following files are part of BBS-PR16.ZIP:

              README.1ST          A brief introduction to what BBS-PR is 
                                  all about.
              FILE_ID.DIZ         Description of BBS-PR16.ZIP
              BBS-PR1.TXT         Part 1 of The Computer Bulletin Board 
                                  Guide to Public Relations.  The guide
                                  you are reading now.
              BBS-PR2.TXT         Part 2 of the Computer Bulletin 
                                  Board Guide to Public Relations
              BBS-SAMP.TXT        Sample News Releases and Survey
              PRODUCT.TXT         A questionnaire and discussion 
                                  designed to examine your BBS
              SURVEY.TXT          A survey the author would appreciate
                                  filled out and returned.
              PR-RATES.TXT        Private Consulting rates for
                                  individual BBSs by Aphelion
                                  Promotions.
              PRINT-PR.BAT        A printing utility to make 
                                  everything look nice and neat.

                                Ŀ
                                INTRODUCTION
                                

              This guide came about because of my frustration caused 
         by the poor image BBSs have in the popular media; TV, Radio, 
         Newspaper and Magazine.  First, that image was tarnished by 
         stories of pirated software, then by stories of viruses and 
         most recently the rash of stories involving pedophiles using 
         BBSs to further their illegal activity (child pornography).

              This guide is not intended to be the final word on 
         public relations for BBSs.  Someone is always coming up with 
         a new idea or putting a new spin on an old one.  This is just 
         a basic guide with some general rules of thumb you can use to 
         enhance the image of your BBS.  Keep in mind that there will 
         likely be some things in here that you disagree with.  In 
         that case, I'd like you to write to me, state your case, and 
         maybe you can persuade me to see things differently.  

              In addition, I am not an attorney, cannot provide legal 
         advice, and this is not intended to be a legal guide.  I 
         strongly suggest you hire an attorney familiar with 
         Communications Law and First Amendment issues BEFORE you have 
         trouble.


















                                  Ŀ
                                  CONTENTS
                                  


         Who "They" Are.........................................1
              The Public........................................1
              The Media.........................................2
         Finding the Media......................................2
              Newspaper.........................................3
              Television........................................4
              Radio.............................................4
         Your Product...........................................5
              You are the BBS...................................5
              Graphics..........................................6
              Making Changes....................................7
         Tools of the Trade.....................................7
              Business Cards and Stationary.....................7
              Brochures and Fliers..............................8
              Do it Yourself or Hire Someone....................9
         News Products..........................................10
              News Releases.....................................10
              Public Service Announcements......................12
              News Conferences..................................13
         Handling the Media.....................................14
         Market Research........................................16
              Creating a Survey.................................16
              Making the Call...................................18
         Crisis Management......................................18
              Friendly Faces....................................19
              First Amendment at Risk...........................19
         Out of the Box.........................................20
         Final Comments.........................................21

































                               Ŀ
                               Who "They" Are
                               

                                  The Public

              A Summer 1993 survey by Dell Computer indicated that 55 
         percent of the public does not take advantage of 
         technological advances.  That in itself is the single biggest 
         Public Relations problem a Sysop faces.  BBS users, 
         obviously, fall somewhere in the remaining 45 percent.  

              Those who fear technology are the ones that are the most 
         difficult to explain electronic communications to.  They may 
         see computers as taking over their lives.  There are chips in 
         their cars, in their microwaves, in their stereos, and in 
         their VCRS.  Computers send them their utility bills, credit 
         card bills, track their income tax payments, and note when 
         their daughter is born.

              Those in that 55 percent are not necessarily 
         technophobic.  Most of them are just technologically 
         disinterested.  These are the people that we should be most 
         concerned with from a Public Relations standpoint.  What they 
         know about computers, modems and BBSs comes from the 
         mainstream media.  A reporter assigned to a story about BBSs 
         may or may not fully understand what they are reporting on.

              The remaining 45 percent includes you and me, the expert 
         user, the average user and the novice user.  This group 
         doesn't need quite as much public relations massaging since 
         it already knows the benefits of using a modem to connect 
         with other people.

              People that were overwhelmed when they first called a 
         BBS and decided it was too tough to try again also fall into 
         that 45 percent.  They have computers, they may be 
         technically adept, they can probably even program a VCR.  But 
         the mysteries of 8-N-1 elude them.  In addition, there are 
         those who were at one time active in the BBS community, but 
         are no longer involved.  Maybe they had a falling out with a 
         Sysop or another user.  These are both disaffected users

              There is also the group of people that have modems 
         because it came with their computer but they have not used 
         it.   Some because they don't know they have one, some 
         because they aren't interested in using it.

              How can you distill all these diverse groups into one 
         simple Public Relations campaign?  Simply put, you can't.





                                                           BBS-PR pg 1











                                   The Media

              News can be defined broadly as something that is out of 
         the ordinary (such as a murder) or something that is a matter 
         of public record (such as a City Council meeting).  
         Generally, though, news is a change in the status quo.

              Many people get upset over what is perceived as a 
         liberal or conservative slant in the news.  Because both 
         sides get upset about slanted news, that indicates to me that 
         most media coverage is unbiased or at least politically 
         moderate.  So-called objective reporting is a relatively 
         recent invention.  Before the American Civil War, most 
         newspapers were just a cut above political tracts.  But 
         journalism history and theory is not our topic.

              Most stories involving BBSs involve a crime that has 
         been committed, usually pirated software, viruses, or 
         pornography.  Even though one BBS may be raided for 
         improprieties, it reflects poorly on the entire BBS community 
         by guilt through association.  This is similar to many 
         American's mistrust of all Arabs due to the misdeeds of a 
         few, as an example.  It isn't fair, it isn't right, but it's 
         The Way Things Are.


                              Ŀ
                              Finding the Media
                              

              The easiest way to find out who you need to talk to or 
         write to is by looking in the phone book.  All the TV and 
         Radio stations and Newspapers will be listed under those 
         categories.  You might want to also look for Magazines and 
         News Services.

              A phone call can uncover a lot of information.  You will 
         need the media outlet's voice number, fax number, address and 
         the person to talk to or send mailings to.

              Your best luck in the Public Relations arena is going to 
         be in the local media.  Remember that not all your public 
         relations efforts are going to be successful.  For instance, 
         most News Releases are thrown in the trash.  But if you keep 
         at it your efforts will pay off.









                                                           BBS-PR pg 2










                                   Newspaper

              Because of the rise of electronic information 
         distribution, many people have predicted the demise of 
         newspapers.  That's unlikely, at least for the next fifty to 
         one hundred years.  Yes, readership has declined.  
         Newspapers, though, are chameleons and are able to adapt.  
         Thirty years ago most newspapers looked like the New York 
         Times.  Most newspapers now have much more open and 
         "friendly" looks.  

              They are also the most powerful of all the media.  No 
         other media shapes and forms public opinion to the degree 
         newspapers do.  This is usually because they have larger news 
         staffs and much longer traditions than broadcast media.  
         Print also has a permanence that broadcast does not have.    

              As a Sysop, your Public Relations efforts should start 
         with the Editor or City Editor, whichever the case may be.  
         These Editors will assign stories to a reporter.

              You may be tempted to change your mailing list to a 
         certain reporter.  Although this may seem like a good idea, 
         reporters tend to change jobs on a fairly regular basis (this 
         is especially the case in broadcast media).  You might opt to 
         add a reporter to your list, but make sure you continue to 
         send material to the Editor.

              I do not recommend offering to write a column.  You will 
         run out of things to write about much sooner than you think.  
         Not only that, newspapers have access to syndicated columns 
         that may not deal specifically with BBSs, but will touch on 
         them occasionally.  

              The opinion page provides several opportunities to get 
         your name and the name of your BBS out.  The Letters to the 
         Editor section can be quite effective in telling your 
         message.  You might even be asked occasionally to write a 
         guest opinion.  Use those opportunities whenever possible, 
         but be wary of writing too many Letters to the Editor.  If 
         they get printed often, you will lose your impact and become 
         just another shrill voice on the opinion page.

              News about computers and computer technology tends to 
         become lodged in the Business section of a newspaper.  If 
         your paper has one, you need to put the Business Editor on 
         your mailing list.

             Be careful with multiple mailings to newspapers.  If you 
         have a News Conference, you could have several people from         





                                                           BBS-PR pg 3










         one newspaper there.  There are few things that annoy editors 
         more than finding out that the paper had "overstaffed" a news 
         conference.  It might be wise to note on the announcement the 
         departments or individuals that are getting copies.


                                  Television

              Television thrives on good video.  Too often, a story 
         with good video will override a good story with no video.  
         That is part of the reason why even though nearly everyone 
         watches tv news, hardly anyone trusts it.  Despite that, 
         television can get your message across to more people in a 
         shorter period of time.

              Assignment Editors are the people that tell the 
         reporters what stories they will tell that day.  Most of your 
         productive work with tv stations will be with the Assignment 
         Editor.  Assignment Editors work with the Producer, and both 
         are supervised by the News Director.

              Should you be lucky and they are interested in doing a 
         story about the current state of art in BBS technology, 
         remember that you need to make yourself visually compelling.  
         Show lots of activity on the screen, blinking on the modem, 
         the tangle of wires for the phone lines.  

              Present yourself as a business professional, even if you 
         are operating a one-line, non-commercial system.  That 
         doesn't necessarily mean you need to wear a suit and tie, 
         although that would be a good idea.

              BBSs have become the whipping boy of tv news during the 
         past year.  Sex and Pornography are probably the topics they 
         will be most interested in, especially child pornography.  If 
         you are called out of the blue someday by a tv reporter 
         wishing to do an interview, those are the likely topics.  Be 
         prepared to dodge bullets.  


                                     Radio

              Radio Journalism is a dying art.  There was once a time 
         when no radio station would even think of not having a news 
         department.  Now many stations have only a morning newsperson 
         that rewrites the morning paper, and they might not have even 
         that.  It's very tragic.

              But there are still a very good number of radio stations 
         with active news departments.  For the most part, you will 





                                                           BBS-PR pg 4










         deal directly with the News Director.  Some larger stations 
         may also have an Assignments Editor.

              Radio stations will be looking for stories that can be 
         told very quickly and have good "sound."  Normally, a radio 
         reporter will simply be seeking an interview.  But there may 
         be an occasion in which a reporter is doing a special report 
         or a series.  BBSs don't really have much sound to record, 
         but there is some.  Modem tones, connection alarms, and ANSI 
         music are a few.

              Because the pace of radio news departments is even 
         faster than tv, believe it or not, it won't be uncommon for a 
         radio reporter to call on the phone to get a comment on a 
         breaking story or even a follow-up on a story idea you may 
         have presented them with in some correspondence.

              If you are contacted on a "slow" news day, you and your 
         BBS could be included in a number of radio newscasts.  Even 
         in music intensive formats, radio news tends to be listener 
         active-- that is listeners pay close attention to the news.

              News/Talk stations are particularly good targets.  They 
         are nearly always looking for good people to interview on the 
         air.

                                Ŀ
                                Your Product
                                


                                You are the BBS


              First of all, you have to think of your BBS as a 
         product.  Whether you have a 32 line commercial BBS, a single 
         line hobby board or somewhere in between, you are selling a 
         service.  Just as with any other product, you have to decide 
         where and how your public relations efforts should best be 
         spent.  Would you sell Lambroghinis in rural Oklahoma?  You 
         can try, but you probably wouldn't sell very many.  And what 
         happens when your Lambroghini has a major recall?  How would 
         you handle the Public Relations crisis?

              Now may be a good time to look at your BBS and take an 
         inventory.  If you haven't already done so, print the file 
         PRODUCT.TXT included with this package.  It will help you 
         take stock of the strengths and weaknesses of your BBS.  

              PRODUCT.TXT examines the inventory and looks at some of 





                                                           BBS-PR pg 5










         the immediate public relations problems that could occur as a 
         direct result of the features of your BBS.  Since this file 
         goes into depth about particular items on your BBS that may 
         cause some Public Relations problems, we won't discuss it in 
         detail here, but we will touch on some of the same issues.

              The first and foremost question you should ask yourself 
         is "Why should someone call my BBS?"  To answer that 
         question, let's create two BBSs to use as examples:

              Beta BBS has message bases, files and a couple games.  
         Delta BBS has message bases, files and a couple games.  
         Nothing really different here.  The Sysop of Beta BBS is an 
         active participant in his BBS in that he writes messages on a 
         regular basis.  The Delta BBS Sysop turns up on occasion and 
         makes an announcement.  Hmmm.  Looks like Beta has a slight 
         edge; the Sysop doesn't seem so unreachable.  There is 
         nothing wrong with Delta BBS, but it seems so ordinary.  
         There are hundreds of other BBSs using the same software in 
         the same manner and it appears the Sysop is an out of state 
         landlord.  

              If there is only one weapon I can give you in your 
         Public Relations campaign that weapon would be yourself.  You 
         must allow your personality to become a part of the BBS.

              In this manner BBSs are identical to TV News.  They may 
         offer the same plate, but the plate is presented a little 
         differently.  You might like the person who does the weather 
         more than the other station's weatherblond.  That is why you 
         watch Eyewitness News instead of The Newscenter or whatever 
         the case may be.


                                   Graphics


              Sometimes a subtle change in the graphics scheme can 
         make a big difference in how a user perceives your BBS.  If 
         you use a lot of bright,garish colors a caller may get the 
         impression that the BBS is loud and brash.  Look closely at 
         how TV stations use color.  They generally use two or three 
         colors to set the overall graphics image and everything else 
         is either based on those colors or is worked into them 
         somehow.       

              You should also examine how your menus are laid out.  
         Your first concern should be whether they make sense.  A 
         caller shouldn't have to scratch his head trying to figure 
         out what he should do next, unless he really has no idea.  





                                                           BBS-PR pg 6










              Secondly, is the picture busy?  A busy menu page takes 
         longer to draw and is harder to read.  If after the screen is 
         drawn and you find yourself distracted, chances are your 
         layout has too many elements.

              Graphics artists for print publications talk about what 
         is called "white space."  That is the amount of nothingness 
         that surrounds text and pictures.  The more there is the more 
         pleasing to the eye the page is.  There is nothing wrong with 
         using a background to support your menus, but it should be 
         unobtrusive.


                                Making Changes

              Whenever you change or add something you need to think 
         to yourself "Is this something that my users need or want?"  
         You also need to think of the image you want your BBS to 
         present.  If you have a Science Fiction themed BBS, that new 
         CD-ROM of Civil War statistics may not fit in very well.

              I want to make the point, though, that you might prefer 
         to run a BBS that offers something of interest to everyone.  
         But if you do have a thread that runs throughout the entire 
         system you need to think twice before making a change or an 
         addition.  If it doesn't feel right to you then it probably 
         won't be kosher with your users.



                             Ŀ
                             TOOLS OF THE TRADE
                             


              You have your computer(s), phone lines(s), software, 
         message bases, and file areas.  But do you have your 
         stationary and business cards?  Unless you are running a 
         commercial system, you probably don't (and many commercial 
         systems don't either).


                         Business Cards and Stationary

              From time to time you'll want to write a letter as the 
         Sysop of your BBS.  This letter may be to a user, your city 
         officials, your Congressman or even to local media outlets.  
         Your letter will carry more weight if it is on stationary.  
         Make sure it has the name of your BBS, mailing address, voice 
         line and data line.  Your name and title are options since 





                                                           BBS-PR pg 7










         you will be signing it anyway.

              If you work as a salesperson, an engineer, or any other 
         service oriented business, you wouldn't think twice about 
         getting business cards.  They are an essential part of your 
         business armament.  You hand them to every new person you 
         meet during the course of your day.  You should do the same 
         for your BBS.  

              Business cards are an effective way of getting the word 
         out about your BBS.  You don't need anything fancy.  Just the 
         name of your BBS, your name, your title, a mailing address, 
         your voice line and your data line.

              As for your title, I would recommend System Operator.  
         The average person on the street, including some who claim to 
         be computer literate, may not understand what "Sysop" means.

              If you have even the slightest reason to write someone 
         on BBS stationary, then you should do it.  Always carry some 
         BBS business cards with you and pass them out at every 
         opportunity.  Stationary and business cards are inexpensive 
         and extremely effective.

              One word of caution, though.  If your BBS is not 
         affiliated with your professional career, you need to make 
         sure you keep the two separated.  This can be a problem when 
         handing out business cards in particular.  You might be 
         tempted to give a client cards from both work and your BBS.  
         Should you do this, the client must be made aware that they 
         are two completely separate entities.  Not only that, but 
         your boss might not be too keen on the idea.


                             Brochures and Fliers

              Brochures are also good promotional items for BBSs.   
         Although they are not as necessary as business cards and 
         stationary, they can be very good tools.  Brochures can be 
         left at computer stores, taken to conventions, or used to 
         send in response to advertising.

              Good brochures don't necessarily have to be 
         professionally produced, printed on glossy stock paper and 
         using four colors.  You can produce an effective brochure 
         using a desktop publishing program at home.  

              A brochure should hit on the main points you want to 
         make, have some graphics, and entice the reader into calling.  
         A brochure is intended to introduce your product to potential 





                                                           BBS-PR pg 8










         callers.  Don't feel you should fill up the entire brochure 
         with a lot of copy.  For one thing, if there's a lot to read, 
         most of it won't get read unless it is extremely compelling.  
         The majority of the time, though, simple will suffice.

              When developing your brochure, you should design it by 
         cutting the page in thirds and deciding what needs to be on 
         which page.  Obviously, you want the name of the BBS, the 
         phone number and maybe a graphic on the front.  You get to 
         the nitty gritty of what is on your board inside.  The middle 
         section of the outside should be left blank so you can put an 
         address on it.

              A flier generally is one page, and follows roughly the 
         same guidelines as those for a brochure.  In general, though, 
         you layout for the entire page instead of in thirds.

              I mentioned "white space" earlier, and I want to 
         emphasize that again, especially in regard to your printed 
         materials.  The more white space you have, the more pleasing 
         to the eye your layout is.  Of course, that doesn't mean have 
         a blank page with only one sentence on it.  You do need to 
         keep your pages from looking cluttered and busy.

                                Do it yourself
                                      or
                                 hire someone

              Personal computers have liberated us to do work 
         ourselves that we would previously have hired someone to do.  
         That includes personal publishing.  There are a number of 
         desktop publishing programs available at your friendly 
         neighborhood computer store.  There are even some available 
         as shareware.
         Ŀ
                             Do it yourself!                        
         advantages                             disadvantages       
                                                                    
         inexpensive                            time consuming      
         print when needed                      dot matrix printers 
                                                usually inadequate  
         complete control                       graphics or fonts   
                                                may not be available
                                                                    
                                Hire someone                        
                                                                    
         professional layout assistance         some loss of control
         consistent print quality               large print runs    
         fast service                           expensive           
         





                                                           BBS-PR pg 9










              As you can tell from this table, choosing whether to 
         produce your own stationary and business cards or having it 
         produced by a printshop is really as much a matter of 
         convenience as it is anything else.

              When we talk about expensive, that is compared to doing 
         it yourself.  For roughly $75 you can have some basic 
         stationary and business cards printed professionally.  I 
         think it's worth the investment.

              When you think about what to put on your stationary and 
         business cards remember that "conservative never offends 
         anyone."  Keep the layout clean and simple, especially on the 
         cards.  If you have a graphic that is used to help identify 
         your BBS you should use it.

              Colored paper and spot color can be very effective.  But 
         you need to be very careful.  Your information can be hard to 
         read on dark paper.  Spot color is exactly that-- a small 
         touch of color to highlight something on the page.  But it 
         can be put in the wrong place.

              A couple things to note about having your work done 
         professionally:  colored paper and spot color usually cost 
         extra.  The printshop will also likely charge you to have a 
         graphic scanned and placed on your stationary or business 
         cards.


