Strategic planning

I DEVELOP STRATEGIES THAT MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR COMMUNICATIONS BUDGET BY FOCUSING ON TWO QUESTIONS: WHO YOU NEED TO DO WHAT IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL? WHO BECOMES YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE, AND WHAT IS USED TO DETERMINE THE CONTENT AND FORM OF YOUR COMMUNICATIONS MATERIALS. THE COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY TIES ALL OF THIS TOGETHER INCLUDING MESSAGING, TIMELINES, TALKING POINTS, PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT METRIX.

I learned my communications skills working at Greenpeace International, the folks who invented the “mind bomb” ( xx)

ADVOCACY: New awareness campaigns are launched every day, but little if anything is different after. People who know more or are more aware are not more likely to act. Consider, for example, the Occupy Movement, or countless campaigns that work to raise awareness of particular conditions or diagnoses. Awareness can be part of change, but unless it’s connected to a call to action that gives people something specific to do that they believe will make a difference, it’s useless. This idea–that more information will result in better decisions or new actions–is referred to in academia as the information deficit model. But we often refer to it as a majestic unicorn. Unicorns are beautiful and lovely, but were never real. And the information deficit model was debunked nearly as soon as it was captured.

These questions are:

  1. What do we want to be true that isn’t true right now? What would be different if more refugees were protected?

  2. Whose behavior change is critical to making that happen? This is about targeting a narrowly defined audience whose action or behavioral change is fundamental to your goal.

  3. What would they believe if they were taking that action? In other words, what does that narrowly- defined audience care about most and how can you include that in your messages?

  4. Where are their eyes? (or ears). Answering this question helps ensure that your tactics will connect with where they are, whether you’re using social media, posters, face-to-face interaction, or the news media.

One where everyone recognises the role of communication in their work and can apply basic principles to a more thoughtful and effective approach to communication. And one that measures belief and behavior change, not awareness.

Four Questions Mission-Driven Communicators Need to Ask

by Dee Donavanik, Scott Circle Communications, on 8/21/18 8:00 AM

Good communicators know how to craft a message that resonates with a target audience. It sounds simple on the surface, but truly effective communicators need to do many things before they can make an impact. They need to make sure their messaging is clear and concise. They need to understand what audience they are really trying to reach, and then listen to that group in order to understand its needs. And beyond simply creating a message, they need to determine the most effective ways to make sure that message reaches their targeted audience.

Most mission-driven organizations ranging from local nonprofit groups to Fortune 500 corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs are trying to reach a wide variety of stakeholders at any given time. Those responsible for communicating on behalf of these organizations need to understand that there is no “one size fits all” message. If you want to truly make an impact with your messaging, here are some questions to consider before you develop your communications strategy.

WHO are you trying to reach?

Before you even start drafting a message, you need to know who it is you are trying to reach. The overall tone and language used will differ depending on the recipient. The way you speak to a board member will differ from how you interact with a potential partner organization or donor. Messages for the public or for a reporter will focus on something different than a message meant for influential policymakers.

WHAT information are you trying to get across?

Your messaging should have a consistent theme and convey your organization’s overall mission, however, different audiences will ultimately focus on different types of information. The general public might not necessarily care about facts and figures, but this information might be crucial to someone considering making a sizeable donation. On the other hand, you might need find a way to evoke some emotion, through case studies or testimonials, in order to convince a reporter or policymaker to pay attention to your cause.

WHY is it important the audience knows this message?

Know the underlying goal for why you’re reaching out to this particular audience, and what action you ultimately want its members to take in response. Are you trying to inform the board to keep trustees engaged with your organization? Do you want people to make a donation? Are you trying to have people share some information so it gets widely distributed? Does a policy need to be changed?

HOW will you reach them?

These questions are meant to be a springboard for communicators working to make a difference. Some messages might resonate with multiple audiences, and some platforms might lead to more engagement than others. There’s no single secret strategy that works on every target, every time. Ultimately, YOU are the expert on your mission and your messaging. Remember, the most important thing you can do to develop an effective communications strategy is to ask questions!