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Spread the Word About Dry Mouth
Spread the word about dry mouth to your patients and to your community. Distribute the Public Service Announcement (PSA) to your local newspapers and magazines. Or, if you have a Web site, consider adding a Web sticker.
Public Service Announcement (PSA) - PRINT
Public Service Announcement (PSA) - AUDIO
How Can I Distribute the PSA?
*Follow these simple steps.
- Compile Media List – Compile a media list of local newspapers and magazines that are likely to have audiences who may suffer from dry mouth. Gather their contact information to add to your list. Many media outlets have individuals who work in their public affairs or community service departments who are responsible for placing PSAs in their publication.
- Background Information – Before pitching this PSA to your local media outlet, learn more about the newspaper or magazine and its audience. Visit their Web site or pick up a copy of the publication.
- Make Introductory Calls – Make phone calls before you e-mail your PSA to the media outlets. Use these calls to confirm your contact information and build a relationship with your contacts. Ask for information about PSA submission requirements, such as size.
- Make the Pitch – Sample telephone and e-mail pitch scripts are provided below. The scripts provide an outline of the key messages you should cover during your phone conversation, in your voicemail message, or in your e-mail. Use the script as a reference to make sure you cover all the main points. Practice your pitch and read it aloud before you call. (Don’t read from the script, or else your message will sound canned.)
- Deliver PSAs to Media Outlets – Consider e-mailing the PSA to your contacts on your media list. Follow up within a week.
- Make Follow-Up Calls – If you need more than a week, continue placing your follow-up calls to your contacts to determine if they are interested in the PSA. If so, find out when the PSA might appear in print
- Provide Additional Information – Once you start calling your media outlets, some contacts may want more information about dry mouth. The “FAQs” and “Articles” sections on this Web site contain more details.
- Measure Success – Track the success of your efforts by finding out how many times the PSA ran. Work with the AGD public relations team to determine if calls to the AGD’s 1.877.2X.A.YEAR (find an AGD dentist hotline) in your state increased.
- Present Findings – Place your results into a report or memo to share with your AGD constituent and media@agd.org.
*Adapted from the USDA PSA guide
PSA Phone Script Template
“Hello, my name is Dr. XXX and I’m calling on behalf of the Academy of General Dentistry. Is this a good time to talk? (If not, find out when they are available and call them back.) You may not be aware that more than 32 million adults are at risk of dry mouth, or xerostomia, which is caused mainly by prescription and over-the-counter drug products. Dry mouth can lead to extensive decay, serious oral infections and make it difficult to swallow and speak.
“We want to help your readers better understand dry mouth and find the most effective treatment. By spreading the message with our public service announcement, people in our community will learn more about the condition.
“Is this an issue that you think you or your publication would be interested in using? If so, I will send you an e-mail that contains a link to our press-ready PDF. Please consider running it in your publication or on your Web site at the next available opportunity. Please contact me at XXX if you have any questions about dry mouth or our PSA. (Repeat your phone number, name and that you are a member of the AGD.)
PSA E-mail Template
E-mail Subject Line:
News About Your Readers That May be Tough to Swallow
Body of Message:
Over 32 million adults are at risk of dry mouth, or xerostomia, caused mainly by prescription and over-the-counter drug products. Dry mouth can lead to extensive decay, serious oral infections and make it difficult to swallow and speak.
The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) wants to help your readers better understand dry mouth as well as find the most effective treatment. We have developed a public service announcement to run in your publication or on your Web site at the next available opportunity. Download a press-ready PDF.
Thank you for your consideration. We know your readers will thank you too.
(INSERT YOUR NAME & DEGREE, e.g. Jane Smith, DDS, MAGD)
General Dentist
Member of the Academy of General Dentistry
(INSERT OFFICE ADDRESS e.g. 211 E. Chicago Avenue, Suite 900)
(INSERT CITY/STATE, e.g. Chicago, IL 60611-1999)
(INSERT PHONE NUMBER, e.g. 888.243.3368)
(INSERT YOUR E-MAIL, e.g. media@agd.org)
AGD>> Advancing the value and excellence of general dentistry. Visit us at www.agd.org.
Add Web Sticker to Your Web Site
A web sticker is a bumper sticker for the Internet. Place this sticker on your Web site and help your visitors receive
up-to-date dry mouth information. Just click on the link for the sticker you want to get the code to insert into your Web site.
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Add the Web Sticker to Your Web site:
Simply click inside the window below. Use your cursor to highlight the script, and copy (type Control-c or Apple-c) the script into your site and save (Control-s or Apple-s).
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Add the Web Sticker to Your Web site:
Simply click inside the window below. Use your cursor to highlight the script, and copy (type Control-c or Apple-c) the script into your site and save (Control-s or Apple-s).
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