How to Develop and Implement Effective Communications Plans for Any Scholarship Program

Transcription

1 How to Develop and Implement Effective Communications Plans for Any Scholarship Program

2 I m Angie. I help people & organizations find their voices. Then make them heard. Relentless Resourceful Passionate Ringmaster

3 What we ll cover Why a plan matters. Determine where you are. Define where you want to go. Identify your target audience and what s important to them. Make the most of your budget no matter the size. Develop your own plan.

4 70% Percentage of nonprofits best describing their strategic communications plan, in one way or another, as non-existent. Source: NonProfit Marketing Guide.com

5 So, what s the point?

6 Communication is a business strategy. Defines your brand and reputation. Builds trust. Uncovers opportunity. Helps you fulfill your mission.

7 Phases of Strategic Communications Planning Research Planning Execution Measurement Gain knowledge and insights Define a plan that achieves business goals Implement an actionable plan Determine your success and adjust accordingly Primary: Focus groups Interviews Surveys SWOT analysis Secondary: Reports Media Goal Audience Objectives Strategy Messaging Tactics/ Programs Resource planning Timeline development Implementation Outputs Outcomes ROI/ROM

8 First, ask WHY. Before WHAT and HOW.

9 Where are you? Understanding your starting point and environment.

10 Communication Self-Analysis Reactive or proactive? Tactical or strategic? Disciplined? Measurable? Existing tools what you have? What you need? What you waste?

11 Who is your audience? Why should they care?

12 You can only meet your audience WHERE they are if you know WHO they are.

13 Who are your stakeholders? Donors Community Partners Colleges & Universities Educators Parents Students

14 Hone in on your target audience Map stakeholder groups Prioritize Gather insights Identify what keeps them up at night

15 Education Technology Audience: CIOs 90% male Age core target Influencers State Chief, district CIOs, vendors, foundations, bloggers & industry trades How a typical day looks Meetings, meetings, meetings, worrying about problems all night What makes his day No glitches What he cares about most Meeting budgets and timelines How he defines success All data secure System stability - always on Painless rollouts What limits him in doing the best job Antiquated systems Budget cuts Lack of technical capacity Disconnected data formats What keeps him up at night Keeping the system up and running What he reads CIO magazines, business publications, MSNBC, the next big thing

16 Education Technology Audience: Educators 86% female Age core target Influencers Other educators, teachers unions, parents, bloggers, industry experts How a typical day looks Teaching, juggling and grading papers How she defines success Efficiently managing her schedule Knowing students have progressed Being appreciated What limits her in doing the best job Not enough time in the day Not enough real information Competing priorities Being able to identify what students need What makes her day Seeing the light switch on in a kid s head What she cares about most Making a difference in students lives What keeps her up at night Keeping her job due to budget cuts What she reads Homework, social media, publications in teachers lounge, education trades, local/national media

17 EVERYTHING you communicate must be relative and relatable to the audience.

18 SWOT it away Strengths. Weaknesses. Opportunities. Threats. All the things that are hard but necessary to admit.

19 SWOT Analysis HELPFUL HARMFUL INTERNAL Strengths Weaknesses EXTERNAL Opportunities Threats

20 Now, write a plan. Mission. Goals. Objectives. Strategies. Tactics.

21 Communications Plan Elements Mission Goals Business goals Objectives Strategies Tactics Communication goals Source: Public Relations Society of America

22 Mission: Reason your organization exists. The vision that guides your planning for many years.

23 Cure for All Example Mission: Save lives by meeting the most critical needs in our communities and investing in breakthrough research to prevent and cure cancer.

24 Goals: More specific than a mission. Often related to one aspect of the mission.

25 Cure for All Example Goal: Use its tremendous reputation as a leader in the cancer community to increase its influence and visibility in the health policy arena.

26 Objectives: Specific milestones that measure progress toward goals. Must include desired outcome, level of accomplishment and time frame.

27 Cure for All Example Objectives: Add 2 new board members within one year who can further our policy efforts to make cancer research and access to quality screening and treatment important priorities for politicians at every level of government. Increase the number of breast cancer screenings by 10% within one year of the 2008 election. Set record participation during the Annual Cure for All Walk in Washington, DC in 2008.

28 Measurable Objectives Quantitative Media coverage (# of stories) Reach (circulation/audience) Prominence Message delivery (consistency) Target media reach Spokesperson citations Tone (positive coverage) Third-party endorsements Qualitative Awareness Comprehension Attitudes Behaviors & Actions Business Results Revenues Market share Employee retention Profits

29 Strategies: General, thoughtful approaches to achieve objectives.

30 Cure for All Example Strategies: Help recruit a balanced board of directors, who are wellknown for their health policy expertise and can help raise funds. Build the organization s reputation as a major health policy player in Washington, D.C. and promote the policy agenda. Demonstrate how new policy efforts will help Cure for All reach its ultimate goal of curing breast cancer within the next 25 years.

31 Tactics: Specific activities conducted to implement strategies.

32 Cure for All Example Tactics: Leverage high-level contacts of executives and develop relationships with potential board members to gauge interest/qualifications for the board. Develop a news bureau that helps Cure for All build a reputation as the "go-to" source on breast health policy issues. Work with Congressional offices and DC influencers to form race teams in a "challenge" between the member offices, community organizations, etc. Design a series of digital content to share via social media channels per the integrated communications campaign calendar.

33 Use only what you need. Finish on-budget. On-time.

34 SELECT from your toolbox Digital Media Relations Community Relations Public Affairs Partner Influencer Relations Crisis Management Internal Website Blog Facebook LnkedIn Instagram Flickr Twitter Google RSS Feeds YouTube Search Engine Optimizatio n (SEO) Paid media Newspaper Newsletters Trade magazines Local media TV Radio Board meetings Community mtgs Networking Briefings Events Newsletter Digital Events Roundtable Dedicated website Materials Digital engagement Content marketing Networking Events Social media Website Spokespers on training Intranet Newsletters Boards Posters Messaging

35 Where do you want to go? Beginning with the end in mind.

36 Define success early so you know when you achieve it. Measurement Determine your success and adjust accordingly Outputs Outcomes ROI/ROM

37 Some final deep thoughts

38 Define your story before you begin to tell it. You re not on an elevator. You re in an aquarium holding a fishing pole.

39 KISS your messages: Keep it simple, Silly. Then others can share the love.

40 Content. It deserves your attention and a strategy.

41 Social media isn t evil when used correctly. Paid campaigns are necessary to reach new audiences.

42 Press releases don t get media coverage. Stories do.

43 Angie Austin Gaskill Relativity Consulting Group relativitygroup.com