The Highlands County Aktion Club in Sebring, Florida, U.S., is proof of how powerful storytelling can elevate a club’s community presence. The club’s Kiwanis advisor, Cindy Marshall, has over 40 years of experience in journalism and public relations — and she helped shape this five-step guide for Aktion Clubs that want to share their stories. 

1. Create a contact list.  

“Get to know the media sources in your area. The better they know you, the more you can achieve.”  ~Cindy Marshall 

  • Start by identifying popular media in your area — newspapers, radio stations, TV stations, newsletters, chambers of commerce and any other place where people get information. Next, find a primary contact — look for email addresses, phone numbers or submission forms. Then ask the right questions: 
    • “How would you prefer news items be submitted?” 
    • “Are there submission deadlines before events?” 
    • “What format would you like the information in? Flyer? News release? In the body of an email or in an attached Word document?” 
  • Keep a running list of your contacts, their submission preferences and their outlet. When events come up, you’ll know who to contact, how to contact them, and in what format. 

2. Write a news release or create a flyer.  

“A good release tells the whole story clearly. Always use the 5W’s and 2H’s.” ~Cindy Marshall

  • Effective news releases and promotional flyers have seven major components: who, what, where, when, why, how and how to contact (aka, “the 5 W’s and 2 H’s”). The “how” is how the public can support the project or get involved. By using all seven components, you make it easy for media outlets to share your story and for the community to get involved. 
    • EXAMPLE: The Aktion Club of Highlands County (who) is hosting a garage sale (what) at 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, October 26 (when), at 123 S. Main St., Avon Park, Florida (where), to help raise money for its holiday service project (why). The public is invited to the sale to support the Aktion Club (how). For more details, call 1-863-123-4567 (how to contact). 

3. Include photos whenever possible.  

“Pictures let people see our members’ hearts. They are some of the hardest workers and enjoy showing people what they can do.”  ~Cindy Marshall 

  • Photos bring stories to life. If you don’t usually take photos at your events, start now!  They don’t have to be professionally composed. When you include a photo, follow best practices: 
    • Identify the people in the image. 
    • Describe what is happening in the photo. 
    • Provide the 5 W’s with the image to reinforce key information — and a photo credit, if applicable. 
      • EXAMPLE: Aktion Club (who) member John Jones (people in the image) sets up garage sale items (what is happening in the photo) to prepare for the garage sale (what) from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 26 (when), at 123 S. Main St., Avon Park (where). The club is raising money for holiday gifts for youth in need (why). Photo taken by Jimmy Johnson (photo credit). 
  • Including photos may seem small, but many outlets do not promote or cover stories when a photo is not readily available. 
  • If you use photos from a professional photographer, club member or event attendee, ask for permission to use the images. The credit should read “photo by [name]” or “photo courtesy of [name].” If they do not want to be identified, the credit can be listed as “submitted photo.” 

4. Provide a follow-up story.  

“My members run the show and get out there to meet and greet the public to make a difference. Their success deserves to be recognized.”  ~Cindy Marshall

  • After your event, write a follow-up story using the 5 W’s and 2 H’s (see tip 2 above). Focus on the outcome. 
    • EXAMPLE: Aktion Club of Highlands County (who) raised $XXX for the club’s holiday project through its garage sale (what) last Saturday, Oct. 26 (when), at [general location] (where). Proceeds will support [describe project and who it will help]. [Insert quote from club representative thanking the public for its support and why that support was important] (how). For more details, call 1-863-123-4567 (how to contact). 
  • Don’t forget to provide photos! Use the guidelines for permission and credits in tip 4 above. 

5.  Use Facebook to connect with your community.  

“Share your stories and celebrate your success — your community wants to hear them.”  ~Cindy Marshall

  • Social media is one of the easiest ways to keep your community engaged. Facebook is a great platform for clubs. Here are a few tips: 
    • Quality over quantity: It’s not about how much you post, but what you post. Just two thoughtful posts a month can make an impact if they tell real stories about service and community. 
    • Use your tools: Facebook’s free “Meta Business Suite” lets you schedule a post in advance — perfect for promoting upcoming events. 
    • Join Facebook groups: Facebook groups connect you with others in your community. Those connections could lead to event collaboration with other organizations or with other Aktion Clubs. 
  • You can also share your club’s stories directly with us at aktionclub.org/share — we’d love to help showcase your members’ service and successes.

For the Highlands County Aktion Club, Marshall says, outreach is about empowerment, not publicity. 

“Empowerment is really the key to our club’s success,” says Marshall. “My members are the best advocates for their cause. I am just the mouthpiece that gets them in the door.”