Outreach Materials
This page hosts easy-to-use marketing materials for people to spread the word about Recovery International and RI Discovery. Whether you are a group leader, meeting participant or someone who simply supports all the great things this organization does, we encourage you to take five minutes and spread the word using the resources on this page.
For more information, links, examples and documents contributed by RI leaders and members, go to the RI Marketing Learning Community site.
https://sites.google.com/site/rilearningcommunity/
1. Word of Mouth
Did you know that 68% of the people who come to meetings come because they were told about Recovery International by a friend, family member or professional? Encourage all of your meeting participants to tell people about Recovery International and what it means to them. Especially talk with your doctor or psychiatrist/psychologist and ask if you can leave some materials in their office for their patients. You can request trifold brochures by emailing [email protected] and we have also developed a flyer with tear-away phone number slots for you to customize, print and post just about anywhere (see below).
2. Craigslist Ad
Craigslist is a free online service where people can post announcements in their area. Groups that use Craigslist have shown great success from this free service. All you need to do is add the text for the listing, list an email address and that's it.
Click here for instructions on posting to Cragslist. We have provided copy for you to use for your posting below.
Sample Craigslist Ad Copy
Stress?
Anxiety?
Worries?
Problems at home?
We can help!
Join Our Recovery International Self-Help Meeting
Group meets every week.
Day, Time
Location
Contact: Name (if preferred), phone and email
www.LowSelfHelpSystems.org
Recovery International is a program of Abraham Low Self-Help Systems.
3. Tear-Away Flyers and Ask Me Sign
This new marketing material is a great way for you to easily spread the word about your meetings on any bulleting board where local groups and people post announcements. We have also made it customizable so you or someone in your group can replace the meeting details with your own and even change the middle section listing the conditions.
All you need to do is customize it, print as many as you want, cut along the dotted lines between each tear-away piece and then post these in as many places as possible in your neighborhood. Have some of these available at each meeting and encourage meeting participants to do the same.
The Ask Me Sign can be given to a friendly professional, or business, for placement in their office. It can be printed on heavy paper and used as a table tent or cut in half and framed for the wall.
Community Group Tear-Away Flyer
RI Discovery Community Group Tear-Away Flyer
Telephone/Online Chat Group Tear-Away Flyer
4. Start a Facebook Community for Your Group
Find someone in your group or a friend or family member, if you are not comfortable doing this, to start a Facebook community for your group. Much like the Recovery International Facebook community, you and people in your meetings who are on Facebook can invite others to join the community.
The benefit to having such a page is for word-of-mouth outreach, because people can easily invite their Facebook friends to join the group and then you can add all of your meetings to the schedule and invite those people.
Visit Facebook to learn how to start your own group page.
5. Direct People to Our Web Site, YouTube and Facebook Pages
We have developed resources to make it easy for you to share the story of Recovery International and what it means to people. If you are not comfortable sharing your own story, you can direct people to our Web site, our YouTube community and our Facebook page. All three sites have plenty of stories, examples and video testimonials about Recovery International.
6. Bring a Tri-Fold Brochure or Flyer to Your Doctor
On your next doctor's appointment, bring one of our tri-fold brochures or a tear-away flyer and ask if you can leave it with your doctor for him/her to share with their patients. Tell them what Recovery means to you and the many other people in your meetings and that what we provide is an adjunct to the care they provide their patients.
Keep a small supply of our tri-fold brochures handy for meetings or even in your car, in case you meet someone who might be interested in Recovery International. You can order brochures from [email protected].
7. Connect With Local Mental Health Groups
It is important to connect with your local mental health affiliates, such as NAMI, MHA and DBSA. They can be a great resource to draw people to your meetings and vice-versa. Headquarters can help you track down the contacts in your area so you c an build those relationships, which are so important.
8. United Way 211
United Way 211 is a free service provided by United Way to connect people in need with local resources. To be listed on their page you have to complete an application but there is not charge. Visit www.211.org to see if there is a service in your area and to learn how to apply. If there is not a 211 service in your area, there is another form you can complete with United Way to get one started.
9. Going to a Local Event?
If you have been invited to participate in a local mental health event, where you will either give a presentation or have a tabletop, contact [email protected]. Headquarters has many other resources you can use at these events and can work with you to ensure you have everything you need.
10. Start a Blog
One way to continually get the word out about your group and what Recovery International means to you is through a blog, which is essentially an online journal. Once you have a blog started, we will link to it from our main Web site, so you have access to the 11,000+ visitors we get each month. Many may be from your area, would read the blog and may come to a meeting.
Again, find a volunteer or volunteers to blog about your group. The more people you have contributing to the blog the more content you will have with the least amount of stress on the contributors. And they don't have to blog daily or even weekly. Take it in part acts.
The two most popular blogging sites are www.blogger.com and www.wordpress.com. Both sites explain how to set up your blog and walk you through the process.
Once you have established your blog, email the blog URL to [email protected].
8. RI Bookmark
RI bookmarks that can be printed out on card stock or shiny photo paper and then cut into individual bookmarks. BEFORE you print the Outreach or Setback bookmarks, put in a contact name and phone number at the bottom. These can be given out to group members, as give aways when you meet someone, a reminder for a doctor and many other places.
