South Central Llama Association

(This press packet was sent out to camelid organization presidents from Camelid Community. It was designed to be used with the camelid care brochure , and the poster features the same artwork. Tips on using press releases to raise awareness of llama and alpaca events and activities are included, as well as a sample press release and a llama/alpaca fact sheet.)

One of the easiest ways to start raising public awareness and interest in owning camelids is to take advantage of the events your organization or farm already has on the calendar by inviting the public to attend and offering them the opportunity to get “up close and personal” with your llamas and alpacas. You can do that by promoting these activities through your local newspapers and radio and television stations with the use of a press release for each event.

A sample release is provided to use as a guideline for promoting everything from a llama or alpaca show to a fiber workshop to a farm open house. The first paragraph should include the name of the event and its date, time and location. Use the rest of the release to provide additional details on what the public will be able to see and do, especially emphasizing any hands on opportunities. Include directions to the event and an e-mail address or phone number the public can contact for more information on it. Also include your organization’s name and web site as a source for information on camelids in general. It’s best to keep the release to one page if possible.

Most local media are eager to promote your events if they are open to the general public. You can mail or e-mail the release or drop it off in person at your local newspaper or broadcast station. Many newspapers also are happy to have a photo provided with the release. It can be a shot of something that will be happening at the event (spinning, shearing, cart driving, etc.) or even a generic llama or alpaca photo showing the type of animal the public will be able to see. A photo also helps draw the reader’s eye to the story on your event.

Do some homework on your local media. Does the newspaper have a special section, column or reporter for which your release would be a natural fit? Does the radio or television station have a regular time they highlight happenings in the community? If you want your item to run in a particular edition or at a certain time, what is the deadline to make sure that happens? If you are working with a weekly newspaper, you usually have to work farther ahead than with a daily publication, though dailies often have certain features or calendars that run on specific days of the week. Get to know your local media’s needs in order to make the most of your publicity efforts.

It is a good idea to include a fact sheet on llamas and alpacas along with your press release. It helps educate reporters about camelids, and they will often use that material to expand on your press release or to write a sidebar story that runs alongside the item on your event—thus helping to educate the public about llamas and alpacas and perhaps encouraging them to attend your event and see these interesting animals for themselves. A sample fact sheet is also included. In addition, you may want to include a copy of the brochure developed by Camelid Community called “The Basics of Alpaca & Llama Care” for more background information.