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

Getting Your Message Across:
Effective Communications
Presented by
YOUR NAME HERE
Effective Communications

Workshop Outline
Introductions, ground rules
 General Communications
 Basic Communication Planning
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Message
 Target
 Tools
 Timing
 Tracking
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Wrap up & Evaluation
Introductions
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Questions:
What brought you here today?
 What do you want out of today’s
workshops?
 What is your favourite sound and why?
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Earned & Bought Media
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Earned Media
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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
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Publicity gained through advertising
You pay for this publicity
You have control over what is printed
Basic Communications Planning
1.
Message: What key message(s) do you want to convey?
2.
Target: To what stakeholders do you want to covey
these key message(s)?
3.
Tools: What is the best approach to reach each of these
stakeholders and how should the message(s) be
conveyed?
4.
Timing: When do you need to deliver the message(s) to
the stakeholders?
5.
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
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So make it count – pick a few simple
key messages
How to say it
Psychologists tell us that:
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The words you use account for just 7% of what people
believe (what you say: the verbal information)
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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)?

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All members or some? Why?
Are there others outside of your members
that need to hear this message?
Tools
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What is the best approach to reach
each of these stakeholders?
How should the message(s) be
conveyed?
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What do you currently use?
What would you like to use?
Communications Tools
Associations in Canada
When asked what tools they most use to communicate:
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e-mail (47 %.)
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 newsletters (19%)
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 websites (19 %)
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 e-newsletters (6 %)
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 news releases (2%)
 telephone conferences (2%)
face-to-face meetings (2%)
brochures (2 %)
news conferences (.7 %)
annual meetings (.3 %)
Tools for Ongoing Communications
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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
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Content
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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
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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
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Design
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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
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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
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Writing
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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
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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
1.
2.
3.
4.
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)
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5.
6.
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
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Build relationships – target particular papers and reporters
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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
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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
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Social marketing seeks to influence social
behaviors not to benefit the marketer, but to
benefit the target audience and the general
society.
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Steps
1.
2.
3.
4.
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
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4 P’s of Marketing
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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
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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
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When do you need to deliver the
message(s) to the stakeholders?
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For their preparation?
In order to take action?
To meet deadlines?
Plan to leave enough time!
Tracking
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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
[email protected] www.northwatch.org
www.northeastforest.net