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CommunicationsEfficient

www.RuraliteServices.org 5605 NE Elam Young Parkway, Hillsboro, OR 97124

Writing and photography tips for Ruralite Services utility communicators and freelance writers

Who do you write for? Your editor? A subject? Your readers?

Whether you are tackling stories about utility programs or a feature on a community leader, never lose sight of the end game: your readers.

“When you’re trying to capture readers and tell them a story, the first thing I am fiercely conscious of is my audience and the story I’m trying to tell them,” says Michael Shepard, Ruralite Service’s CEO.

Before moving to the management side of publishing, Michael reported on state government and higher education for Washington and Idaho newspapers.

“I had to work really hard to say, ‘What’s the nugget I can take away from this interview?’” he says.

His advice? Worry less about what the person you interviewed wants you to say. Instead, focus on what will capture the reader. That makes for more compelling storytelling.

Hear Michael share a great example of a story lead in this video. —MichaelS@Ruralite.org

Story Tip: Write for Readers

Summer2016

Hold a Staff Photo Contest | 4Always Ask How and Why | 2 Five Postage-Saving Tips | 6 Customize Your Calendar | 7

Grab your pole, bait your hook and cast your line deep into the raging current as you learn to angle for a big communications catch at Ruralite Services’ “Workshop 2016: Reeling in Your Readers” Monday, October 3, through Wednesday, October 5.

As you cast for better communications, guides David LaBelle and Lori Russell help you add new gear to your writing and photography tackle box.

After being led through a refresher course on the basics, prepare to don your hip-waders and head out on your own with newfound confidence in your ability to get a bite—both with the written word and the camera.

See what fellow workshop participants net as your guides help you fillet the day’s catch during the group review session. End a productive day on the river swapping tips with seasoned veterans.

Do not let this workshop be the one that got away.

The workshop takes place next to the Deschutes River in Bend, Oregon. The former mill town reinvented itself as an

Hooks, Lines and PicturesLearn how to reel in readers at Ruralite’s workshop

adventurer’s playground. In addition to water pursuits, the mountain town 160 miles southeast of Portland is known for road cycling and hiking trails. Sunny days, low humidity and cool nights characterize the dry, high-desert climate, averaging October highs and lows of 63° F and 31° F.

Where: Riverhouse on the Deschutes, 3075 N. Business 97, Bend, Oregon

Cost: $350 for course materials and three days of instruction. Lodging, meals and transportation are not included (breakfast provided during workshop). Click here to register by September 7.

Accommodations: $109 plus taxes for a property view or $119 plus taxes for a river view. Call (800) 547-3928 and say you are with the Ruralite group.

Questions? Ask Mike Teegarden at MikeT@ruralite.org or (503) 718-3716.

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Your story may have a piece missing.Most writers are good at finding stories. They get across what a person does and

how they do it. But often these stories lack a special spark.Writers often check off who, what, when and where questions, but neglect why

and how. Asking why shines a brighter light on people you’re writing about. Why is _____ important to you? How did you find _____?

Why Ask Why?People often say when they got into a trade, but not why. Most jobs, even fun ones, get tedious if you do the same thing over and over again. Some people might burn out or get bored. Why does your subject keep doing it every day?

If you discover why someone is passionate about what they do—especially if they have been doing it for decades, in some cases—that shines a lot of light on the people you’re writing about, and pulls readers in.

QuestionsHow

Why and

MATTER

Interview Tip:

See How and Why, Page 3

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While editing, Associate Editor Brandon Pomrenke looks for the how and why of the story. Photo by Megan McKoy-Noe

How to Ask HowAsking how unveils a new level in a story. n How has technology changed what you do?n How did you discover this talent?n How would you like to be remembered?n How does it feel to _______?

How questions are wide open, and often give you clues leading to better questions. For example, imagine asking a woodworker how technology has changed the craft.

If advancements help, follow up with, “It sounds like electric tools are making one part of the job easier. Is there something you enjoy more about it now? Which do you like better?”

ExamplesHard Copy to Hard DriveBy Dianna TroyerUnited Electric Co-op Inc., Idaho

A local author, Gary Schorzman, wears gloves to protect aging newspapers as he conducts research. He’s spearheading a fundraising effort to digitize a library’s newspaper archives. Why and how?

Gary first thought of the idea … while spending years at the museum doing research for his books and the local newspaper about local towns in celebration of the county’s centennial.

“I had to write the information out by hand at the museum, then come home and write on my computer,” Gary says. “It was very labor intensive, but

definitely a labor of love.”Gary realized how priceless the

disintegrating newspapers were to others who were delving into the past, including genealogists, students and history buffs.

“We had to figure out a way to preserve this information for future generations,” he says.

The Healing MachineBy Anne HermanTanner Electric Cooperative, Washington

A community designs a pavilion to house a theater, a veterans’ memorial and a carousel. Ernie Jenner, a woodcarver, teaches students how to carve animals for the project. Why and how?

“Carousels bring people together,” Ernie says. “For the time you’re riding, it’s impossible to be angry at anyone. You’re just there to have fun together.”

Ernie also believes carousels stimulate creativity.

“They open up a venue in our brain, a place we subconsciously long to be, but don’t know how to access,” he says. “Riding a carousel can take us there.”

The same might be true for a whole community. As for the animals, how does Ernie know when the carving is done?

“When it licks my hand,” he says. “And if I go too far, it bites me.”

Be Comfy, But CarefulGreat interviews are built on personal connections and trust. The more comfortable you are with the person you are interviewing, the better. Find something you both have in common.

But be careful not to write the relationship into your story. Often when you are asking why someone pursues a hobby, you may find you share similar passions. When that happens, watch out. Do not include personal experiences into a story. If a single, “I” or “we” gets into a paragraph, it may have to be rewritten to make it fit with the rest of the story.

Get comfortable with your subject. It shows in your writing and helps you uncover the why and how of the story. —BrandonP@Ruralite.org

How and Why, Continued from Page 2

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What Works for Me:

Photo Contest Boosts Staff Spirit, Skills

Peace River Electric Cooperative held a staff cell phone photo contest this summer. First place,at top, went to Louise Blackman for a

black-and-white picture of a beach. Second place, at right, was won by Crystal Harrison for capturing a tire swing at sunset.

Third place, bottom, features a sailboat by Diana Ganey.

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W ant to boost employee morale while improving your staff’s ability to take pictures on the go? Try a photography contest.Peace River Electric Cooperative in Wauchula, Florida, challenges

staff to be better photographers every summer.“We do this strictly as a diversion and morale booster,” says Mark Sellers,

communications coordinator for the utility. “I’ll hang onto the images in case I run across a use for them in print. As a bonus, I—and the employees themselves—began to see a marked improvement in staff photography skills. As employees became more familiar with their cell phone camera and more accustomed to composing shots, the photos I received improved.”

Focus on EngagementTwenty-eight Peace River Electric Cooperative employees entered 66 images in the cell phone photography contest. The high participation was a record for Mark, who has organized staff photography contests the past five years.

“Several of our linemen participated,” says Mark. “This group is notorious for being way too cool to enter contests.”

Mark streamlined the competition this year. Switching from a traditional photography contest to a cell phone photography contest doubled participation.

Moving from multiple categories to one clear theme also helped.

The 2016 contest challenged staff to capture a sunrise or sunset shot. The picture could be taken anywhere.

“I chose a sunrise/sunset theme because everybody recognizes a beautiful one when they see it,” Mark explains. “No worries with composition, grouping people into herds, etc. Just see it and snap it. This took a lot of stress out of the process for staff.”

Mark received pictures from Florida, Cancun, the North Carolina mountains and

even Hawaii. He did not set a file size minimum. “When I received very small pictures (less than 100 Kb), I asked the employee

to send a larger version,” he says. “The small photos usually resulted from an email program shrinking the image in order to send it more quickly. I would tell them I wanted their image to compare well against other participants’ images. That was enough to get them to send a larger version.”

Picture-Perfect ResultsRuralite Assistant Editor Mike Teegarden judged the contest for the utility. First place went to Louise Blackman, vice president of Member Services and Business Technology, for a black-and-white beach scene.

“I love the framing and composition used,” says Mike. “It was a bold choice to go black and white on a sunset photo; it brings attention to the silhouettes rather than the sky.”

Second place went to Lead Work Order Clerk Crystal Harrison for a picture of a tire swing at sunset.

“This photo makes me think back to my own childhood and the tire swing I used to play in,” Mike says. “Great use of light. I love those long shadows.”

Third place went to Diana Ganey, work order clerk, for a shot of a sailboat. “Who doesn’t enjoy a sailboat at sunset?” Mike asks. “The sun is in the perfect spot

makes this photo stand out.”Winners received a gift card of their choice: $60 for first place, $25 for second

place and $15 for third place.Want to know more about how Peace River Electric Co-op engages staff? You can

reach Mark at Mark.Sellers@preco.coop. —MeganM@ruralite.org.

“As a bonus, I began to see a marked improvement in staff photography skills.”

Mark SellersCommunications Coordinator, Peace River Electric Co-op

Staff Photo Contest TipsWant to try a staff photography contest at your utility? Here are four tips from Mark Sellers to make the contest easy and fun.

1. Entries must be cell phone pictures only.

2. Pick an easy-to-understand theme.

3. Location limits: For more entries, do not restrict where pictures can be taken. But location limits can be helpful if you want to use the pictures for local marketing efforts.

4. Limit entries to one daily per employee. This keeps entries manageable and forces staff to pick their best shot.

Need Help?Ruralite Assistant Editor Mike Teegarden judges a wide array of photography contests for utilities throughout the year. Need an unbiased photography judge? Contact Mike at (503) 718-3716 or MikeT@Ruralite.org to learn more.

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All utilities battle returned mail. Do you know how to protect yourself from returned postage fees?

Barcodes SaveIn June, Ruralite Services received 3,285 returns for all four publications. Ruralite began using the post office’s full-service intelligent mail barcode a few years ago, allowing members to receive most address returns electronically. There is no charge for the first two offenses. After a utility has been told about an address problem twice, they are charged 31 cents for each return. The barcode system saves Ruralite members about $21,000 annually on address-return postage fees.

Only 185 of June’s magazines were physically returned to Ruralite’s office (the rest were electronic returns). Each paper return costs 57 cents.

Addresses should be fixed promptly. Otherwise, the problem compounds monthly. Not only do you lose the money spent on printing and mailing, you pay for repeat address offenses.

What Triggers Returns?Returns stem from two main causes: old or improperly written addresses. If a consumer moves, the post office forwards first-class mail for a year. Magazines use the more affordable periodical rate, and are only forwarded for 60 days. Then they are returned to Ruralite Services and, eventually, the utility.

The other return trigger—improperly written addresses—is a tougher challenge. There are five steps you can take to ensure most of your magazines make it to consumers safe and sound.

1. Make sure mail pieces are properly addressed. Street names need to be accurate, not abbreviated or shortened to what it is known by locally. Include St., Ave., Pkwy., etc. in the address. Having an address formatted correctly can result in huge savings.

The per-piece rate ranges from 14 and a half cents for a perfectly addressed local label to just over 47 cents for an improperly addressed magazine not in the local area.

2. Include secondary information (suite, space or apartment numbers). Not having these details can cause the mail piece to have a higher postage rate because of the missing information or, due to periodical delivery rules, the mail piece can be returned for insufficient address.

3. Be accurate. If Apt A is used and it should be Apt 1, the mail piece could be returned for insufficient or no known address. Most mail carriers will deliver the mail piece, but some postmasters tell carriers it is incorrectly addressed and should be returned.

4. Cut excess hyphens. Do not use a hyphen unless it is an official part of the address. For example, using ‘PO BOX 3500-148’ when it should be ‘PO BOX 3500 PMB 148’ will not help the piece be presorted, so you will be charged a higher postage rate.

5. Add STE and PMB. When working with suite and private mail boxes (PMBs) in an address, the proper format should be ‘123 ABC STE 10 PMB 151.’ An address of ‘123 ABC 10-151’ will be charged the highest postage rate for that area, and has a greater chance of being returned by the post office. Proper formatting gets the best rate and ensures delivery.

Delivery Rules for Letters vs. MagazinesBills and magazine postage follow different rules. Letters are sent first class for 47 cents each. First-class mailing delivery standards require the post office to make every attempt to deliver the mail.

Magazines are sent at a periodical rate—less than half the first-class price. But the periodical rate does not meet the same standard of delivery. The better the address, the better the chance of having mail delivered.

Questions? Call Linda Wiseman at (503) 718-3717. —LindaW@Ruralite.org

Most of Ruralite’s address returns are electronic. But paper copies still come in. Every month, returns are sorted and sent to individual utilities. Photo by Linda Wiseman

Five Secrets for Postage Savings

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Use Ruralite’s custom calendar options to tell your story. Showcase the dates and places important to your community.

Three Ways to Make it MEMORABLE. Add your logo, messages and dates using

black overprint in the common calendar.

Showcase your logo, local pictures, dates and messages with a custom 4-color calendar.

Work with our designers to turn the calendar into an annual report or other dual-purpose piece.

Ask your editor how to make your calendar memorable in 2017.

1.

2.

3.$500 off

custom colorfor 2017*

*For orders of 1,000 or more

Want to help your annual report shine? Clatskanie People’s Utility District in Clatskanie, Oregon, bundles it with its member calendar. They insert the award-winning solution into a local newspaper. Everyone within two zip codes receives a copy each November.

“The calendar is a great annual report vehicle,” says Clatskanie PUD Customer Relations and Services Manager Sarah Rossi. “Our customers get something useful with the calendar and are more likely to read some of our report since it is in the same document.”

Ruralite’s annual 32-page calendar offers customizable pages. Normally, the pages include generic energy-efficiency and safety messages. Clatskanie PUD uses the pages to share:n Letter from the general managern Board of directors list, photosn Audited financial data, graphics n Statement of income, balance sheetn Candid staff photos In the 2015 calendar, each month’s

dates are paired with a 1930s through 1960s-era picture of an important local event, local business or iconic local streetscape. Sarah sourced the pictures from the Clatskanie Historical Society, the local library and members of the community.

“People love our calendars with historic local photos,” she says. “They look forward to receiving them each year, and

Make Calendars Memorableget upset if we don’t send them out early enough. People send them to relatives that used to live in Clatskanie and now live out of the area to help keep their connection to our community.”

Ruralite Assistant Editor Jennifer Brown and Graphic Designer Duy Mai work closely with Sarah on the annual project.

“Duy and Jennifer are awesome to work with,” says Sarah. “They both do an excellent job understanding my vision of what theme and overall look I want for the calendar. Duy finds a way to take my ideas to the next level, bringing the design to life in our combined report and calendar.”

Clatskanie PUD’s 2015 combined calendar and annual report won first place, Best Annual Report, in the Northwest Public Power Association’s 2015 Excellence in Communication Contest. Click here to see the report.

Want a Memorable Calendar? Ruralite’s calendar provides an affordable way to keep your logo and message in front of readers all year long. You can customize a few pages in the common calendar or put your mark on all 32 pages, like Clatskanie PUD.

The common calendar showcases reader-submitted scenic and wildlife shots from across the West. Make the calendar more helpful by using a black overprint plate to add important dates (annual meeting, scholarship deadlines, rebate reminders, community festivals

and more). For a special touch, use our 4-color custom option to switch out some or all of the pictures with shots from your community.

The deadline for 2017 orders is September 23. Allow extra design time if you want a custom calendar similar to Clatskanie PUD’s version. Ask your editor about special discounts to make custom options more affordable than ever in 2017, or contact info@Ruralite.org. —MeganM@ruralite.org.

“Duy finds a way to take my ideas to the next level, bringing the design to life in our combined report and calendar.”

Sarah RossiCustomer Relations and Services Manager, Clatskanie PUD

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Communications RuraliteServices.org (503) 357-2105Efficient

Jennifer Brown Earns CCC and PromotionRuralite Services’ Jennifer Brown recently earned her title as a Certified Cooperative Communicator from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. She was promptly promoted from associate editor to assistant editor.

To become a CCC, Jennifer submitted a portfolio of work and passed an intense four-hour examination during NRECA’s CONNECT ’16 in Portland. The certification honors communications skills and electric cooperative industry competency.

“Becoming a CCC means I have joined the ranks of a successful, dedicated group of people who work their hardest to improve communications in a complicated industry,” Jennifer says. “I am proud to be included.”

Jennifer joins four other Ruralite staff with the CCC credential: Managing Editor Curtis Condon, Content Marketing and Development Manager Megan McKoy-Noe, and Assistant Editors Mike Teegarden and Pam Blair. Since 1985, more than 300 electric cooperative communicators have attained CCC status.

The CCC program was created to strengthen and enrich the professional skills and abilities of electric co-op communicators. This is done through establishing professional development goals and obtaining knowledge and skills necessary to electric co-op communications. —KathiV@ruralite.org

Let us know how we can help!

Curtis Condon, CCC Managing Editor | (503) 718-3718CurtisC@ruralite.org

Follow us for writing tips and ideas RuraliteServices/

Kathi VanderZanden Director, Communications and Marketing(503) 718-3724KathiV@ruralite.org

Jennifer Brown, CCC Assistant Editor | (503) 718-3719JenniferB@ruralite.org

Mike Teegarden, CCC Assistant Editor | (503) 718-3716MikeT@ruralite.org

Linda WisemanMagazine Assistant(503) 718-3717LindaW@ruralite.org

Charlie StanleyWebsite Solutions Manager(503) 427-1414CharlieS@ruralite.org

Duy Mai Graphic Designer(503) 718-3721DuyM@ruralite.org

Pam Blair, CCC Assistant Editor | (503) 718-3723PamB@ruralite.org

Megan McKoy-Noe, CCCManager, Content Marketing(678) 468-9600MeganM@ruralite.org

Brandon Pomrenke Associate Editor | (503) 718-3722BrandonP@ruralite.org

Ruralite Services won first-place awards for www.RuraliteServices.org and a member guide from the 2016 Cooperative Communicators Association Excellence in Communications Awards. The winning ideas were developed

by Ruralite’s marketing and communications team. From left are Duy Mai, Megan McKoy-Noe, Victoria Hampton, Kathi VanderZanden and Charlie Stanley. Duy holds a stone commemorat-ing the wins. It was placed by a tree outside the office. Ruralite will surround the tree with stones marking staff achievements. Photo by Curtis Condon

Ruralite Website, Guide Win National Awards

Victoria HamptonMarketing and Editorial Specialist(503) 718-3739VictoriaH@ruralite.org

Michael Shepard CEO | (503) 718-3725MichaelS@ruralite.org