Immigration Matters toolkit

Start by following our social media accounts, where we share content relevant to the initiative and to your community:

• https://twitter.com/CitImmCanada
• https://facebook.com/CitCanada
• https://instagram.com/citimmcanada

Share the content that will resonate with your audience, something they can see themselves in or will take value from. When posting, add your own local insights and build connections for your audience. We encourage you to use the hashtag #ImmigrationMatters and tag IRCC in your post (please refer to the list of IRCC departmental handles for each platform provided above).

Here are 3 examples of social content from our channels that might be pertinent to your community. Ideally, you would situate the story in your own local context.

Example 1. An IRCC Facebook post about the economic impact of immigration in Canada:
#DYK? ~1 in 4 workers in Canada are immigrants? As of 2016, 600,000+ self-employed immigrants were employing 260,000 Canadians.? In 2016, over 1/3 of nurse aids, orderlies and patient service associates were immigrants? #ImmigrationMatters.

Example 2. An IRCC Facebook post about the health-care sector:
More than 40% of newcomers working in Canada’s health-care sector between 2011 and 2016 were employed in residential care facilities, nursing and home health-care services. Learn about how #ImmigrationMatters to Canada’s health-care sector and future.

Example 3. A tweet highlighting an Immigration Matters video about Friesens Corporation:
When the local employment market wasn’t able to fill available jobs, Friesens Corporation decided to look outside of Canada. See how immigration has helped grow their business in Altona, Manitoba. #ImmigrationMatters

We’ve created a suite of Immigration Matters visuals that you can download and use to supplement your own social media and web content. As each graphic is available in both official languages, we ask that you post both English and French versions.

Download files

The visuals are saved as .zip files for faster download. Generally, .zip files can be opened with the default software installed on your computer. To download and unzip the files below, follow these instructions:

1. Right click the file link below and click ‘Save as’
2. Save the file to a location of your choice or open it to see the contents

Generic (no theme) (.zip file, 8.3 MB) Economy (.zip file, 2.2 MB) Business (.zip file, 2.1 MB) Health and Social Services (.zip file, 2.4 MB) Settlement (.zip file, 2.3 MB)

Each .zip file covers a different aspect of Immigration Matters: the economy, business, health and social services, and settlement. We’ve also included a file of generic images, not related to a specific theme. In each file you will find graphics for Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, as well as a range of banners for your website. (If you require a web banner with different dimensions, please contact us and we’ll prepare one to your specifications).

Each graphic in the .zip file is formatted as a .jpg which works best when used online. If you require files formatted for print, please contact us.

Examples of the available graphics

Facebook economy example

Twitter health and social services example

Instagram settlement example

Web banner example

Contact us to order Immigration Matters buttons or business cards for use at local events:

Buttons (available in blue, purple (shown), green and pink)

Business cards (available in blue and purple (shown) or green and pink)

(We’ll do our best to accommodate your request, but please be aware that quantities are limited.)

All stories should clearly show the positive impact of immigration in a community. The focus should be on the community as much as the individual.

This positive impact can have a wide scope and can come from any point in the immigration process, including first, second, third and fourth generation immigrants, and onward. One common theme is that perseverance and hard work pay off. An essential part of this initiative is to address the obstacles to integration and show that they are surmountable.

Showing how people have overcome challenges makes a story more compelling. However, the challenge may not be an obstacle the immigrant has faced. For these stories, it will more likely be a challenge the community faced that the immigrant helped overcome. These stories are about how a community was transformed thanks to an immigrant or immigration, so it is important to show the transformation that takes place.

We’re looking for clear and compelling stories that you want told and retold. Stories about:

• demonstrable differences in a community, or challenges overcome
• smaller communities outside larger urban centres
• places that have survived or thrived thanks to a particular immigrant, or an influx of newer immigrants, as well as more established communities that were built on immigration
• historic and present-day examples showcasing immigrants’ contributions to communities in a variety of areas:
  • entrepreneurship/small business
  • arts, culture, music
  • health/medical
  • food
  • sports
  • academia
  • charitable/philanthropic activities
• immigrants who create jobs for Canadians, who deliver and improve our social services, including health care, or who help enforce our laws and uphold justice
• immigrants demonstrating their commitment to their community and Canadian society

• Determine who you want to talk to and what they are likely to say. Aim to interview at least 3 people:
  • a community influencer tied to the topic/story (for example, a mayor or a chamber of commerce representative)
  • a community member/citizen who is directly affected or has benefited
  • the immigrant
• Choose strong characters who will provide compelling stories and emotion.
• Ask for specific examples and try to get quotes and statements from people who were the ones directly affected/influenced/benefited.
• Verify with each interview subject that their preferred name, organization and contact information is correct.
• Ensure each interview subject signs a personal release and consent form (DOC, 18 KB) to authorize sharing the story publicly.
• Most people are reluctant to talk to strangers about things that really matter to them, so try to build a relationship with the person you are interviewing.
• Explain what you want and how their interview will fit into the bigger picture of the story you are telling.
• Most people being interviewed are eager to help. However, remember that you are talking to an individual who may be nervous or unsure about what to say or do.
• Be empathetic, show respect and don’t overreact to any surprising answer.
• Thank the interviewee afterward for taking the time to participate.

Community influencer:

• What has the immigrant done to benefit the community?
• How has the community changed/improved as a result?
• What was the community like before they arrived? What were the gaps?

Community member:

• How did this person influence you?
• What changes have you experienced as a result of their work/presence?

Immigrant:

• Focus here should be on the values they share with Canadians, and why they wanted to contribute to the community.
• Why did you choose Canada? What is it about Canada that attracted you?
• How did you feel when you learned you were selected to come to Canada?
• What is it about this community that made you want to give back?

In the simplest terms, earned media is the opposite of paid media exposure (such as advertising). Earned media is exposure gained through outreach efforts.

Media is earned by developing good relationships with the people and organizations who create the content we consume. This means “pitching” a unique or captivating story to bloggers, social media influencers, reporters, editors and producers.

Step 1: Identify your outreach objectives

• What are you hoping to achieve?
  • for example, you want to promote a story about the positive impact that a particular immigrant has made on your community or region

Step 2: Research influential content creators in your area

• In particular, look for those who have covered similar stories or have expressed interest in the subject in the past.
• gather their contact information (email addresses, phone numbers, social media “handles”)

Step 3: Develop a proposal for a story (or stories) that may be of interest to each content creator, reporter, editor or producer

• The story proposal is your “pitch”.
• Develop pitches that align with the recipients’ previous work or the interests of their audience.
• Focus on subject matter, geographic location, demographics, and new and interesting topics not previously covered but of interest.

Step 4: Tailor your pitch to each recipient

• Pitches can be in the form of an email, a direct message on social media, or a phone call.
• If applicable, personalize each pitch and reference the recipient’s previous or similar work that aligns with your pitch.
  • for example, “You’ve recently written about a Syrian family that has settled in Canada so we think this story may also be of interest to you and your readers/viewers”
• Keep it brief but captivating. If it is too long, they will lose interest.
• Always include ways for the recipient to easily access more information.
  • for example, hyperlink to press releases, a website, research, similar stories or contact info, this makes their work easier
  • keep in mind that some may do the story without ever responding to you about the pitch

Step 5: Pitch the story via email, a direct social media message or a phone call

• The pitch must clearly reflect the aspect of the story you feel will catch the interest of the listener, reader or viewer. this is the story “angle”
• If the pitch is made via email:
  • use a unique and captivating subject line and include the recipient’s name
  • for example, “Attn: Anne Jones – Immigrant makes significant contribution to economy of Gravelbourg”
  • ensure that emails are sent from professional email accounts to give credibility to the source
• If contact is made via a direct social media message, make your note short and courteous.
  • direct messages are an entry point, not the place for the full pitch
  • ask to continue the conversation over the phone or via email once they have responded
• If making contact by phone:
  • be courteous and respectful of the person’s time and ask to set up an alternate time to discuss, if needed
  • offer to send a follow-up email with a summary of the discussion and additional details
  • if no answer, leave a brief message and follow up immediately with an email (making note of the call)

Step 6: Wait 2 to 3 business days, and follow up with a phone call

• If a content creator, reporter, editor or producer seems interested but isn’t keen on the angle, be prepared to provide creative alternatives.
  • for example, If they’ve already covered a similar topic and aren’t keen to do so again, offer a different angle or an entirely new topic
• Use good judgement to assess interest.
  • follow up once or twice at most and then stop if they don’t respond, or reply with a clear “no” at any point
• Remember: it is important to maintain good relationships with media outlets beyond the scope of this project.

Step 7: Work closely with anyone who chooses to cover your story

• Provide them with any details or contacts they need in a timely manner.
• Assist with setting up interviews, as requested.
• Be responsive!
  • remember that media work to deadlines
  • the decision to run with your story may be made on the day before, or even on the same day a media outlet will run it (particularly in the case of television and radio)
  • be prepared to accommodate what may seem like last-minute requests for further information or interviews

Step 8: Monitor the coverage your story receives and evaluate your efforts

• Close the loop with reporters, editors and producers.
  • thank them for their time and effort
  • also thank those who turned down the opportunity, but took the time to respond
• Keep a record of all the coverage, including notes on the tone of the articles.
• Did the result meet your objective from Step 1?

Note: When dealing with reporters, keep in mind that it is their job to report critically. While a media story may be largely positive, there may also be some opposing views, as it is the reporter’s job to present multiple perspectives on a topic.

Remember: earning media coverage is not easy. It requires strategy, tact and persistence. For every 10 pitches, you may only get 1 positive response – but that coverage can still be very influential.

The more you do it, the stronger your relationships with content creators, reporters, editors and producers will be, and the easier it will be to get earned media coverage in the future.