+ tips for successful nonprofit communications strategies jennifer hefti, director of communications...
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Tips for Successful Nonprofit Communications StrategiesJennifer Hefti, Director of Communications & Community OutreachUtah Council for Citizen DiplomacyPhone: 801-832-3272E-mail: [email protected]
Getting the Word
Out!
+Learning Objectives
Strategic Communications Plan
Branding and Planning
Communications Research
Audience and Segmentation
Communications Toolkit
Media Relations
Social Media
Measurable Outcomes
Your Personal Brand
+Strategic Communications Plan
Your organization’s mission is the starting point for developing your strategic communications plan.
Mission
“To promote global understanding and respect between the people of Utah and other nations.”
+Strategic Communications Plan
What is your communications budget? How much staff time are you willing to devote to communications?
If you cannot afford a staff person, does anyone on your board have communications, marketing or media relations expertise?
Who will do the work—are they comfortable with and knowledgeable about marketing/communications?
What has your organization been publishing in print and online over the past two years?
How powerful and consistent is your brand?
Assess your Communications Infrastructure
+Strategic Communications Plan
1. Time Frame 90-day plan
2. Tools List all the tools in your marketing toolkit
3. Priorities Identify 3 priorities in the next 90 days
4. Action Steps Goal Key Message Toolkit
5. Review
6. Future Priorities
1-Page “Street Smart” Communications Plan
+Branding and PlanningDefinitions
Behavioral Branding Branding is how your organization behaves.
Alignment Communications Confronts your branding problems, not just on a strategic level,
but every day, with every email you send and every brochure or newsletter you publish.
Alignment Gaps Identify and state your problem State your audience State your message Choose your communication tool Get it done
+Branding and Planning
To manage the organization, programs, and services effectively
To raise awareness & inspire engagement
To sustain and increase support
To raise funds
To tell your story, to touch hearts and minds
Establish your Communications Goals
+Branding and Planning
Specific
Measurable
Attainable & agreed-upon
Realistic
Time-specific
SMART Communication Goals
+Branding and Planning
Make a good e-connection
Interruption vs. interaction
Phone first… then e-mail
The wonder of spellchecking
Your tone
Your signature block (email)
Thank you
Your voicemail message
Speakerphone
Easy steps you can take today
+Communications Research
Communications Research is vital to support your branding, fundraising, and organization’s awareness.
+Communications Research
Primary Research is research you conduct and create yourself. Online Surveys
Quick and easy to assemble Anonymous Most often free Provide immediate feedback Offer a wealth of information that can be useful in reports www.SurveyMonkey.com
Primary Research
+Communications Research
Focus Groups Focus Groups are meetings, a means to gather verbal
information from your stakeholders. Help you do a better job. Help assess client satisfaction with your programs and
services. Help you launch a new program or service. Help you understand people’s preferences for receiving
information online vs. in the mail (for example)
Primary Research
+Communications Research
Secondary Research is research that others have already published (free publically available research). Internet Search Engines (e.g. Google) Public or University Libraries Blogs Online Bookmarking Service (e.g. Delicious) Professional Nonprofit Associations
Utah Nonprofits Association (www.utahnonprofits.org) Society for Nonprofit Organizations (www.snpo.org) National Council of Nonprofits
(www.councilofnonprofits.org)
Secondary Research
+Audience and Segmentation
There is no “General Public”
Reach out to a specific subset of the “general public”
Start with three imaginary friends of your organization: People who have had an international experience (e.g.
travel, business, trade, etc.) People who speak a foreign language People who have studied International Relations
Develop your communications strategy for these three people (80-20 rule).
Three Imaginary Friends
+Communications Toolkit
Direct mailing: letters, postcards E-newsletters Annual Report Website E-mails Brochures Displays at events Posters, fliers, tablecloth, table tents PowerPoint presentations to local groups Partnerships with other agencies or businesses Online social networks [list your tool]
What’s your core toolkit?
+Communications ToolkitE-Newsletter
Benefits: Third-party e-mail marketing services (e.g.
www.constantcontact.com) provides you with user-friendly templates
Gives you immediate feedback on how many people open your e-newsletter and how many people click through
Average opening rate: 15% - 27%
Trend: According to the eNonprofit Benchmarks Study (2009),
more people are using alternative forms of communication (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, etc.) to get their information
+Communications ToolkitE-Newsletter
How to get people to open and read your e-newsletter From:
General – Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy Specific – Laura Dupuy, Executive Director
Subject line: Descriptive – “Rebuilding Diplomatic Capacity” – A Lecture by
Ambassador Lyman, March 17, 3pm Proactive – You are invited to… Support…
Include a link to click if the e-newsletter is not viewable Use graphics, but in moderation Use corporate colors to reinforce branding Focus intensely on the top part of your e-newsletter Timing (10:00 a.m./mid-week)
+Communications ToolkitE-Newsletter
+Media Relations
Nonprofit organizations are newsmakers. You are your own “media.” Build your own “media outlet.”
Traditional Media Outlets Newspapers, radio, and TV
Online Media Outlets Online newspapers, forums, blogs
Grassroots Media Outlets Inserts, fliers, school papers
What is the media?
+Media Relations
Letters, e-mails, and phone calls
Visit the newsroom
Send editors, reports, and journalists a press kit
Hold a “brown-bag lunch” once a year
Keep regular contact
Build media RELATIONS
+Media Relations
If you cannot influence the media DIRECTLY, who do you need by your side to get the word out? Your Board Members or Board of Directors/Trustees Your Members Your Volunteers Your Donors and Sponsors Organizations that have similar interests – PARTNER
It’s important to remember that the news media can only cover your organization periodically.
Perspective
+Media Relations
Read, listen, watch!
Make a list of your local media outlets Print and online newspapers (e.g. Salt Lake Tribune) Blogs (UtahPolicy.com) Radio (e.g. KCPW – Utah NPR Affiliate) TV (e.g. KUED – Channel 7 – PBS Affiliate)
Create a media contacts database Name Title Department/Beat Contact Information
Create a Media Database
+Media Relations
Describe the story in a way that resonates with your mission, the values and needs of your audience(s), and is also interesting to journalists, or “newsworthy.” Contact information Who? What? When? Where? WHY? About your organization
Frame your Story & Craft your Message
+Media Relations
Call reporters and alert them to your news
Pitch via e-mail and then follow-up by phone
Include support materials (e.g. logo, relevant pictures with proper credits, etc.)
Tip: Upload your images to an online service, like Flickr.com, and then include the link in your press release.
Submit stories/events to: Online community calendars Public Service Announcement (PSA) Facebook Twitter
Send in the mail or fax
Distribute Your Message
+Media Relations
“Spray and Pray” You blast out a press release and hope for the best (e.g. calendar
listings)
Pitch calls You want to interest the reporter in a specific story. Get the right person
for the story you are pitching.
Exclusive or advanced pitches You call a media outlet to offer them something no one else will get.
Plan & Pitch
+Media Relations
Op-ed Articles
The opinion page, opposite the editorial page in most newspapers, is commonly overlooked as PR tool. This space has the potential to provide your nonprofit organization with four to six publicity articles each year (under 700 words).
Deliver Your Message
+Media Relations
Online News Rooms
To develop good relations with the media, you want to make information easy for them to access. One way to do this is through an online news room. On your website, include a link for “Media” or “News Room.” Archived Press Releases Photos Organizational background information Organizational facts Story Starters Published Stories
Deliver Your Message
+Media Relations
Public Service Announcements (PSAs)
A nonprofit TV or radio Public Service Announcement is free to your organization and can be customized with your logo.
Online Community Calendars NowPlayingUtah.com KUER.org KCPW.org KSL.com
Community Boards Libraries Coffee Shops Retail shops and businesses
Deliver Your Message
+Media Relations
Photo first, then headline, then story A picture is worth a thousand words.
“What picture would tell this story?” Your headline positions the story in the
reporters mind as either important or not. Focus on content.
Press Release
+Media Relations
Put the RIGHT face on your story Show you are at the center of a solution
Consumers respond much more favorably to stories that portray a solution-oriented “difference maker” than stories about someone’s suffering.
Tip: Choose stories of individual people changing for the better as a result of your organization’s efforts.
Press Release
+Media Relations
Frequency How often should you contact reporters?
As often as you have a legitimate reason to do so.
Proximity “The Trend is Your Friend.”
Watch your local, regional, and national news, and let reporters know how your organization is addressing the issue in your community.
Press Release
+Social Media
Social Media Marketing Plan Choose your social media priorities
Google Blog YouTube Facebook Twitter Wikipedia
Determine your policies Prioritize the tools you choose and master them
Social Media Marketing Plan
+Social Media
Your website should focus more on visitors than on your organization. “What three questions would visitors want answered when
visiting your site?” “What three actions do people want to take by visiting your
site?”
Your website is only useful if people can find it. Use the right key words How many other sites link to you?
Track your web traffic
Your Website
+Measurable Outcomes
Website Virtual host statistics – Usage statistics Insert real-time stats on your website (e.g. Google Analytics,
http://whos.amung.us, etc.)
E-mail: Open Rate Request a read receipt E-mail marketing reports (e.g. Constant Contact)
Google Alerts “Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy” “UCCD” “Citizen Diplomacy”
Online News Room Archive media exposure
Track and Evaluate
+Your Personal Brand
“Be the model every day of what your nonprofit stands for, both on paper and in person.”
- Steve Cebalt, Nonprofit Consultant
YOU can affect the way your organization is perceived.
YOU can affect the message.
Think about your personality and voice – your personal brand.
Always say “Thank You”
Grow Your Credibility
+Your Personal Brand
Constant Contact Learning Center www.constantcontact.com
Marketing Profswww.marketingprofs.com
Jacob Nielsen www.useit.com
Public Relations Society of America www.prsa.org Greater Salt Lake Chapter - www.slcprsa.org
Nonprofit Marketing Guide www.nonprofitmarketingguide.com (Kivi’s Blog)
Nonprofit PR Forumwww.nonprofitprforum.blogspot.com
Keep Learning
+Get the Word Out!
“Effective communication is 20% what you know and 80% how you feel about what you know.”
- Jim Rohn, American author & motivational speaker
Effective Communication Starts With You
+Get the Word Out!
Steve Cebalt. The Communications Handbook for Nonprofits and Foundations, 2010. www.CommunicationsHandbook.com.
Kivi Leroux Miller. The First 100 Days in Your New Nonprofit Marketing Job, 2010. www.nonprofitmarketingguide.com
2009 eNonprofit Benchmarks Study, 2009. M+R Strategic Services and the Nonprofit Technology Network. www.e-benchmarksstudy.com
2010 Nonprofit Social Media Benchmarks Study, 2010. M+R Strategic Services and the Nonprofit Technology Network. www.e-benchmarksstudy.com/socialmedia
Bibliography
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Tips for Successful Nonprofit Communications StrategiesJennifer Hefti, Director of Communications & Community OutreachUtah Council for Citizen DiplomacyPhone: 801-832-3272E-mail: [email protected]
Getting the Word
Out!