Presented by Megan Lee, See3 Communications as workshop for the Women In Development North group. Marketing and communications take place today in an attention economy. When time and focus of your constituents is at a premium, your strategy and approach must earn and retain their attention in order to tell your story, convey your value, and engage your constituents in your mission.
2. About See3
Since 2006 we've been helping organizations to find and
realize their vision for better online communications.
Every day we're creating strategies and media that have
impact for our clients' goals like fundraising, advocacy,
recruitment, awareness and more.
OUR TEAM OF AUDIO-VISUAL PRODUCERS, STRATEGISTS, MARKETING
PROS, DESIGNERS, AND DEVELOPERS ARE COMMITTED TO BRINGING YOUR
GOOD WORK TO THE PEOPLE INVESTED IN YOUR ISSUE.
4. Agenda
• 5 New Rules of the Game
• Communications Strategy Approach:
• Program Decisions
• Context
• Strategic Choices
• Communications Activities
• Measurements of Success
• Reality Check
• Wrap Up
5. 5 New Rules of the Game
Communications Revolution with the Printing Press
Control & Command
6. 5 New Rules of the Game
Communications Revolution with Social Media
Connect & Collaborate
7. 5 New Rules of the Game
Rule 1: Live in the Attention Economy
8. 5 New Rules of the Game
Rule 2: Be Social
Think about “listen and”
12:1 ratio of adding value
9. 5 New Rules of the Game
Rule 3: Add Value
Otherwise:
Content should be newsworthy, unique, controversial,
timely, immediately useful and/or funny
10. 5 New Rules of the Game
Rule 4: Be Real
About tone
and personality
No parrots or
ventriloquist dummies
As well as Transparency
Excerpt from Charity:Water “Personal Annual Report” email
“we expected your proof to be ready in September, but delays in the field
have put us behind schedule”
11. 5 New Rules of the Game
Rule 5: Strengthen the Network
Know - map the issues, people and conversations
Knit - connect people to each other, be a weaver
Organize - bring people together for collective action
Grow - create ways to bring new people into the network
Transform - evaluate the purpose, success and next steps
12. Smart Chart Approach
Six Step Plan
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Program Decisions
Context
Strategic Choices
Communications Activities
Measurement
Reality Check
Created by Spitfire Strategies
http://www.smartchart.org/content/smart_chart_3_0.pdf
13. Program Decisions
Identify the Broad Goal
•
•
•
•
Think organizational mission
Vision for change
Long term
Big hairy audacious goal
14. Program Decisions
Identify the Objective
•
•
•
•
Behavior or Policy Change
Should support the broad goal
SMART goals
No silver bullets
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Time-bound
Examples from Smart Chart:
Save the children Pass legislation this year to ensure every child
in the state has access to quality health care
Save the
environment
Increase the number of households recycling in
our community by 5 percent this year
End foodborne
illnesses
Establish a single federal agency that
oversees food safety by the end of next year
18. Strategic Choices
General Public
is never an
audience
Activity
Work to Identify:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Audience
Readiness
Core Concerns
Theme
Message
Messenger
Tap into your audience’s
existing concerns
to help make the issue
personal to them.
Watch for insider
and/or industry
speak which
audiences will
ignore
21. Reality Check
• Is the strategy doable?
• Are your resources in line with strategy?
• Are you motivating the right people to take the right
action?
• Are your choices consistent?
• Are there any assumptions that need to be tested?
• Is there buy-in from your organization?
23. Where does this approach fit in?
The Smart Chart combines Communications Strategies
& Marketing Plan content.
Communications
Strategies
- Audiences
- Messages &
Messengers
- Channels
- Near Term
Marketing
Plan
- Fit into overall
Strategic Plan
- Budgets &
Resources
- Includes Long
Term planning
25. Where can I start?
•
•
•
•
Identify the Quick Wins
Start the Conversation Internally
Start the Conversation Externally
Consider Lean Marketing
Key Links:
Full Smart Chart 3.0 PDF
Lean Marketing Article
Editorial Content Calendar Tips & Ideas
Beth Kanter's Networked Nonprofit and Measuring the Networked
Nonprofit Books
Communications, Marketing, and Planning Link Roundup from National
Council of Nonprofits
First, we’ll cover “5 new rules of the game” which are a collection of points meant to levelset & acknowledge the landscape we’re communicating in today and how it has changed.Then, we’ll walk through a Communications Strategy approach called the Smart Chart. It is designed to help identify the key messages & tactics to be used in your day-to-day communications as well as where those communications fit into the overall plan. We’ll spend most of our time in the middle two sections doing a deeper dive.
Insane amount of information on a daily basis
Be Social means Listen AND…. 12:1 ratio of adding valueAmnesty International USA posts an interesting story about how only 5 members of congress bothered to show up for a girl’s testimony about life under drones. Their post linked to a blog post with more info, but also fed back on comments to equip and motivate those who reached out to them.
Content should be newsworthy, unique, controversial, timely, immediately useful and/or funnyOrganization bears the burden of proof here. Ideas:- Listen to your audience online and let them know you hear them by making change.- Don’t spam or blast out marketing messages constantly, people will become numb to them.- Don’t “can” your messages, in social media it’s ok to have personality, in fact you should. People want to feel like there is a person at the other end of what’s coming at them.- Be careful not to spread misinformation. Always know your facts. When in doubt, double check.- Always remember that anything you put on-line can and will be used against you.- Every time you send something out ask yourself if it’s useful. - Ask questions- On Twitter, Retweat things you found useful or share blog posts or other good resources throughout your network- Figure out what people are looking for and help them find it, even if you don’t provide it- Target people that you are most certain will be interested.
Be Real means having a voice, recognizing and leveraging that voice. What would you say in person? Conversational tone. Okay for them to know there’s a person on the other side.
So naturally inwardly focused, by putting some outwardly focus out there you can strengthen and grow community. Puts you in other conversations with other people. Takes intentionality.Know – go to conversations, don’t just try to pull to youKnit – connect to each other, strengthens your role as a leaderOrganize – crowd funding possiblyGrow – recognize a need for new people and go after thatTransform – implicit measurement
From Spitfire Strategies and Communications Leadership Institute. Avoid assumptions, have solid reasoning for your decisions. OR acknowledge assumptions and find a way to plan.Goals: How do we know what to say? How do we know where/when/how to say it?
Doctor to change practice, Board members to change Corporate Social Responsibility Policies, Legislatures to change
Internal: what staff resources tools do you have to use, VolunteersMedia mavens, or communications barriers ingrainedAccess to research, data or partnerships and coalitionsReputationExternal: Present state of the debate?Timing ConsiderationsOther organizations working with or against youMisconceptions/misinformation to overcome
Frame: least likely. Not if people know you, but know your issue.Fortify and Amplify: Likely if you’re in a good position. Bringing an issue to completion. Do not need to shift the conversation but expand and move forward.Reframe: Likely if you’re losing the debate. Don’t continue to fortify and amplify if you’re losing.
Throughout the Process, not just at the end! Makes it much more painful and likely to be avoidedDecision metrics vs vanity metricsMap to goalsGoogle AnalyticsLanding PagesFacebook Insights
All great questions
Building buy-in is incredibly valuableThink up & down & across the org structure as well as outside the org. Board/Key Stakeholders.Don’t let your campaign be a surprise to your closest constituents. Bring them in early, give them tasks and goals to make it go into their networks.
Formalize & Socialize the plan internallyOperationalize the plan