Getting your campaign a shout out in the local paper or even on local radio can really help build a buzz around what you’re doing. It’ll now only get new people looking at your page but also really energise and excite your friends, family and colleagues and should get them pledging in even greater numbers than before.

To help your story gain traction we’ve put together our recipe for cooking up the perfect story to tempt in even the wiliest of journalists.

Whether you’re shooting for your local paper, national radio, a blog, or even the international press, here are our top tips for getting into the media:

1. Keep your press release punchy. Open with a killer headline.
2. Include all the crucial information about your challenge in the first paragraph, tell them what makes it unique.
3. Sell the personal story of your challenge – your hopes and fears.
4. Try and tie it into the bigger picture – a national story about climate change, perhaps?
5. Do your research – know where your story would fit best (e.g. National, local, or specific interest? Sports, news, or society?). To help you answer this, ask yourself why you want the coverage, who you want to read about it, and who might be interested in reading it. And once you’ve decided, be sure to check their publishing deadlines.
6. Know who to contact – get a personal email or phone number, and remember their name.
7. Keep it to no more than one page, double spaced and short paragraphs.
8. Include:
   • The date
   • A good photo to bring your challenge to life
   • A quote from you, putting it all in your own words (because, let’s be honest, the rest of the press release might sound a little formal)
   • Some quotes from a few of your supporters, and what they’ve pledged to do. In many ways, they’re the story…
   • The link to your Do Nation page. Doh!
   • Your contact details – are you happy for an interview or photos?

9. Finish it with ‘ENDS’ or ‘###’ to indicate the end of the press release – that’s just a funny old tradition, in case you didn’t know the end was the end…

10. Follow up with a phone call – nothing brings something to life like a human voice.

If you follow these steps, we reckon you’ve got a great chance of getting yourself some coverage. We’d love to hear about any coverage you get, so make sure to let us know by email, Twitter or Facebook.