Getting Your Message Across: Effective Communications

Getting Your Message Across: Effective Communications Presented by YOUR NAME HERE

Effective Communications • Workshop Outline • Introductions, ground rules • General Communications • Basic Communication Planning • Message • Target • Tools • Timing • Tracking • Wrap up & Evaluation

Introductions • Questions: • What brought you here today? • What do you want out of today’s workshops? • What is your favourite sound and why?

Earned & Bought Media • Earned Media • Publicity received from having reporters, editors or internet sites cover your message, event, organization, etc. • It isn’t free and it can’t be bought • You have little control over what is printed • Bought Media • Publicity gained through advertising • You pay for this publicity • You have control over what is printed

Basic Communications Planning • Message: What key message(s) do you want to convey? • Target: To what stakeholders do you want to covey these key message(s)? • Tools: What is the best approach to reach each of these stakeholders and how should the message(s) be conveyed? • Timing: When do you need to deliver the message(s) to the stakeholders? • Tracking: How will you know if you have succeeded in reaching the stakeholders with your message(s)?

Message • What key message(s) do you want to convey? • Clear • Concise • Consistent • If you want them to take action, be clear and make an action request

How to Say it • Whoever you're communicating with will forget: • 25% of what you say within 24 hours • 50% of what you say within 48 hours • 80% of what you say within 4 days • So make it count – pick a few simple key messages

How to say it Psychologists tell us that: • The words you use account for just 7% of what people believe (what you say: the verbal information) • 38% of what people believe is down to your tone of voice (the way you sound: the vocal information) • But the majority of what people believe - 55% - is down to body language! (the way you look while you're talking: the visual information)

Target • To what stakeholders do you want to covey these key message(s)? • All members or some? Why? • Are there others outside of your members that need to hear this message?

Tools • What is the best approach to reach each of these stakeholders? • How should the message(s) be conveyed? • What do you currently use? • What would you like to use?

e-mail (47 %.) newsletters (19%) websites (19 %) e-newsletters (6 %) news releases (2%) telephone conferences (2%) face-to-face meetings (2%) brochures (2 %) news conferences (.7 %) annual meetings (.3 %) Communications Tools Associations in Canada When asked what tools they most use to communicate:

Tools for Ongoing Communications • Brochures or flyers • Blogs (web logs) • Direct mail • E-mail messages • List serves • Magazines • Newsletters • Newspapers (neighborhood) • Online discussion groups and chat groups • Posters and bulletin boards • Radio announcements (PSA’s) • Telemarketing • Television ads • Web pages • Yellow Pages

Writing Newsletters • Content • Don’t use jargon • Write about issues that concern people • Share success stories and stories written by members of your group • Reinforce key messages from the campaign in every article • Writing • Keep it short and simple – not too much text. • Use bullet points for complex issues to highlight the main points • Involve as many people as possible in planning, writing and distributing newsletters

Writing Newsletters • Design • Use standard masthead/design • headings clearly indicates the content of the article • Repeat organizing themes and key messages about issues • Use cartoons, photographs, charts or other illustrations • Call to action • Include a membership form or other way of joining or taking action • Indicate clearly what people can do about the situation or how they can get more involved.

Writing a News Release • Writing • Write from the perspective of a reporter • Include the most important information in the first two paragraphs • Be concise • Use bullets • Make up a good headline • Use press release format • Content • Make sure your press release is newsworthy • Make the information is new, make it interesting, make it different • Use quotes from people important to your news - public officials, celebrities, etc. • Include a website, contact person and other means for the reporter to get more information • Create a photo opportunity if possible • Establish yourself/your group as an expert on the topic

Structure of a News Release • Headline - 10 words or less • Sub headline - a few more words • Lead Paragraph - includes who, what, when, where, how of the story, and the hook • Body Paragraph(s) - use the inverted pyramid structure for your news release (most important information first) • back up what you said in the lead paragraph • use quotes for perspective or from experts • explain your organization and what you do • -30- This signals the end of the news release • Contact Information - Include full contact information where they can get more information

Sample News Release Social Justice Group December 20, 2007 For Immediate Release PRESS RELEASE SJG HOSTS TENTH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS EVE PARTY FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE The Social Justice Group is hosting a party for homeless people on December 24. It will be held at The Great Hall of the John Jones Building at Olive and Independence from 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. Boxing great Sugar Ray Leonard, Ed Simmons, George Starke and Ricky Sanders are expected to make appearances at the party for homeless children and their mothers. Mayor Sharon Sampson and Secretary of Health Louis Adnard have been invited to attend as well. Polaroid has contributed film and cameras to allow the children to take away pictures of themselves with their favorite athlete or politician.

Sample News Release In addition, food will be served, gifts will be distributed clowns and magicians will entertain, and performers will present a show for the children. The District Government will provide transportation for the families from the shelters it operates to the HHS building. "For those who are homeless, Christmas is a time of enormous emptiness and loneliness and pain. It is a time of memories of better days. A time of hopes and dreams abandoned, just as they themselves, have been abandoned," said SJG spokesperson Juliette Fennelly.” Christmas Eve -- the night of great and joyful expectations -- is particularly difficult for those who little to expect but more of the same. That is why we have had this party for the last ten years.“ Over fifty organizations, and businesses, and hundreds of individuals have joined with SJG to plan this years parties (see attached list). -30- For more information contact: Juliette Fennelly -- 202-393-1659 425 second Street, Washington, D.C. 20001

News Release Extras • Build relationships – target particular papers and reporters • Make it personal • send it to people who are interested in who you are and what you are doing • take the time to find out who these people are and build a relationship with them • write a personal note to each reporter you send it to • find out how your targeted reported likes to receive press releases (in person, fax, email) and send it that way! • look at how your targeted reporter writes, and emulate their style • Follow up • call the reporter once you are sure it has arrived and make sure they got it • ask if everything is clear and if they have any additional questions • if they haven’t read it, tell them why it is important to them • provide additional information if needed

Social Marketing • Social marketing seeks to influence social behaviors not to benefit the marketer, but to benefit the target audience and the general society. • Steps • Identify the barriers and benefits to an activity • Develop a strategy that utilizes “tools” that have been shown to be effective in changing behavior • Pilot the strategy • Evaluate the strategy once it has been implemented Adapted from: http://www.social-marketing.com/Whatis.html & www.cbsm.com

Social Marketing • 4 P’s of Marketing • Product – physical, service, practices or ideas • Price – customer cost: money, time, embarrassment • Place – the way the “product” reaches the “consumer” • Promotion – creating & sustaining demand for product • 4 additional P’s of Social Marketing • Public – internal & external groups involved in program • Partnership – others who have similar goals • Policy – if policy changes needed to support program • Purse Strings – where to get needed program money? Adapted from : http://www.social-marketing.com/Whatis.html

Timing • When do you need to deliver the message(s) to the stakeholders? • For their preparation? • In order to take action? • To meet deadlines? • Plan to leave enough time!

Tracking • How will you know if you have succeeded in reaching the stakeholders with your message(s)?

Thank you! • For information on other workshops: NORTHWATCH Box 282 North Bay, ON P1B 8H2 Tel: (705) 497-0373 Fax: (705) 476-7060 northwatch@onlink.netwww.northwatch.org www.northeastforest.net

Getting Your Message Across: Effective Communications