Christian Bates-Hardy Agenda Intro to Communications Tools and - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Strategic Communications for the Recreation Sector

Christian Bates-Hardy

Agenda

• Intro to Communications
• Tools and Techniques to Share Your Message
• Building a Communications Strategy
• Q and A

Defining Communications

Communications is connecting your audience with the message you are delivering, so that it is received, understood, and acted upon. At SPRA, we like to say that our job is to keep

• ur members current, connected and informed.

Two Greatest Challenges for Non-Profit Communications

• 1. Lack of Time to Produce Quality Content
• 1. Lack of a Strategy

Two Greatest Challenges for Non-Profit Communications

lack of clear strategy → lack of time to produce quality content

You Need a Strategy

By not coming up with a strategy first, we set

• urselves up to fail.

We need to plan strategically, and define our goals and objectives.

The Solution

• Know the tools that are available
• Take the time to plan
• Come up with a clear strategy

Success Looks Like This

clear strategy + quality content = successful communications

Why Communicate?

Why Communicate?

We communicate to:

• Inform
• Build understanding
• Change behavior
• Prevent misunderstandings
• Present a point of view
• Break down barriers between groups and

individuals

How Do We Communicate?

• Through mindful messaging
• Using the tools and techniques available to us
• Time sensitive
• Based on our available staff capacity,

knowledge and budget

• According to our Communications Plan.

Tools and Techniques

We communicate with our audiences using:

• Our website
• Our magazine
• Newsletters
• Media Releases
• Email
• Advertising Materials – Print and Online
• Videos
• Social media
• Word of Mouth

Our Website

Websites and Blogs

• Establish a permanent, stable presence online
• Your base of online operations
• Register a personalized domain
• Searchable using Google or Bing!
• Present your brand to the world online

Blogging on a Budget

• Squarespace (https://www.squarespace.com)
• Wordpress.com

(https://wordpress.com/create)

• Blogger (https://blogger.google.com)

Our Magazine

DIRECTION Magazine

• Published 4 times a year
• Published in print, then

hosted online with Issuu

• Available for free to
• ur members

Issuu

• Online publishing platform
• Upload and share documents to the public
• Supports hyperlinks
• Embedded reader
• Free sign up for basic service

No Magazine? No Problem!

• Contribute to other magazines
• Speak to the positive impact your work is

having in communities

• Find out when content deadlines are
• Be an advocate

Our Newsletter

• We share announcements, grants and funding
• pportunities, upcoming events and new

resources in our weekly newsletter.

Constant Contact

• Drag-and-drop editing (No HTML experience

necessary)

• Create contact lists
• Subscription is opt-in
• Mobile-friendly email
• Newsletter links drive traffic back to website
• Metrics track what your audiences read and

engage with most

E-Newsletters are E-ssential

• Easy to update
• Ability to build and maintain a contact list
• Send directly to the people who want your

information

• Shareable on social media
• Drives traffic to your website
• Must be opt-in

Email Marketing

• Include all of your program/event details in

your email

• Include your event poster if applicable
• Write from most important to least important
• Keep your email simple and direct
• Use an email signature
• Send at least one week prior to the

event/program

Media Relations

• Get to know the media in your community
• Build a Media Contact List
• Know the deadlines
• Tell a story

Be An Advocate

• Get to know the media in your community
• Build a Media Contact List
• Know their deadlines and send your release in

advance

• Tell a story

Writing For the Media

• Include the “Five W’s”
• Grab their attention with a great headline
• Write from most important to least important
• Write in the 3rd person
• Include your contact details
• Sample media release: Birch Narrows Youth

Leading in the Community

Sample Media Releases

• Our Headline: Birch Narrows Youth Leading in

the Community

• Eagle Feather News: Birch Narrows Youth

Extending Hand To Community Elders

Advertising

• Posters
• One-pagers
• Brochures
• Stand-up banners
• Social Media Postcards

Designer Tips

• Use colorful designs that will grab your

viewer’s attention

• Keep it simple
• Include your key messages
• Use the same design elements
• Use pictures of real people
• Acknowledge your partners

Save Time, Design Less

• Use the same design
• n multiple kinds of

ads to save time, money and energy

DIY Design Tools

• Adobe Photoshop Elements
• GIMP – GNU Image Manipulation Program
• Canva.com
• Free stock photos

Videos

• All you need is a smart phone, tablet or

camera

• Every Windows PC comes with Windows

Movie Maker installed, and every Apple computer has iMovie

• Upload your videos to YouTube or Vimeo
• Share them on social media and use them to

encourage participation

Social Media

• Social media is everywhere
• Social media is integrated with every internet-

ready device

• Social media is not optional. It’s essential.

You Need A Social Media Policy

• You or your employer should have a Social

Media Policy

• Have a policy in place before you start using

Social Media

• Your policy should set expectations for

behavior and prevent conflicts

Social Media Best Practices

• Plan first
• Post regularly, but not too often
• Use a personal voice
• Interact and engage with your audience
• Monitor comments
• Measure your progress

Which Social Network Is Right For You?

Choose The Right Network For You

• What network is most popular in your

community?

• What does your audience use?
• What kind of content do you want to share?
• How much time do you have available to

post?

There Are So Many Social Networks

The Big Two: Facebook, Twitter Photos: Instagram, Snapchat, Flickr, Tumblr Video: YouTube, Vine Others: Google+, Reddit, LinkedIN, WhatsApp, Slideshare, the list goes on!

Facebook

• Personal accounts
• Privacy Settings
• Pages
• Groups
• Events
• Notifications
• Publishing Tools
• Facebook Insights

Facebook Insights

• Watch your audience grow
• Track your page likes, views, engagements,

reach and more

• Find out what kind of posts your audience

responds to

• Compare with other Pages

Twitter

• A microblogging platform
• Must use 140 characters or less
• Share text, photos, gifs, and video
• Real-time
• Use #Hashtags to promote your programs and

events

Managing Your Social Accounts

• Managing your social media accounts and

monitoring your progress across multiple networks can be a time-consuming process

• There are several free tools that can help you

manage your social media accounts:

– Hootsuite – Tweetdeck – Content Calendar

Social Media Questions

When Do You Need a Communications Plan?

• Specific Initiatives or Marketing Campaigns
• Annual Plans
• Overall Strategies

Your Plan must fit your needs.

Communications Strategy

Remember This

It’s your plan It has to fit your needs

Building a Communications Plan

Every Communications Plan must contain these four essential categories:

• 1. Need/Opportunity
• 2. Goals/Objectives
• 3. Strategies/Tactics
• 4. Measurement

Building a Communications Plan

Need/Opportunity

• Issues, Audiences

Goals/Objectives

• Expected Outcomes

Strategies/Tactics

• Messages, Timing, and Cost

Measurement

• Evaluation

Executive Summary

• Should be included at the start of your Plan
• Provides a quick and convenient overview of

the Plan

• Summarizes issues, tactics, research, desired
• utcomes, timeline and measurement

mechanism.

Background

• Major events influencing your work
• Your Mission Statement, Vision and Values
• Clear and concise statements

Plan Overview

Executive Summary Background Need/Opportunity

• Issues
• Audiences

Goals/Objectives

• Expected Outcomes

Strategies/Tactics

• Messages
• Timing
• Cost

Measurement

• Evaluation

Need and Opportunity

• What are your needs?
• What is your greatest opportunity?
• What changes do you need to make in order

to be successful?

Issues and Audience

• What are the most important issues you need

to address?

• What environmental factors affect your work?
• Who is your audience?

SWOT Analysis

Strengths

• Great program

delivery Weaknesses

• Lack budget

and staff Opportunities

• Need for

programs to get people active Threats

• Need for

funding

Goals

• Keep them simple
• Achievable
• Long Term
• Connect your goals to your needs,
• pportunities and audience
• Capture the essence of what you need to

change

Objectives

• Be SMART

– Specific – Measurable – Attainable – Relevant – Time-sensitive

• Objectives lead to outcomes

– You want to impact people’s knowledge,

• pinions and behaviors

Objectives

• For every Goal you identified, brainstorm a

SMART objective.

• Bonus question:

– What are your Expected Outcomes?

Strategies and Tactics

• Key Messages
• Communications Mediums
• Timing
• Budget

Key Messages

• Audience-specific
• Enhance knowledge, understanding and

commitment

• Improve productivity, promote buy-in, answer

questions

• Simple and straightforward

Writing Key Messages

• Write audience-specific messages that relate

to your overall message

• Promote dialogue and two-way

communication

• Use audience feedback

Brainstorm Key Messages

• Write 1-2 key-messages for each audience

group you’ve identified.

• Messages should be no longer than a

sentence or each.

Communications Mediums

Think about the tools and techniques you are going to use to:

• Communicate your messages to your

audiences

• Achieve your objectives

Timing and Implementation

In your action plan, list:

• Your objectives
• Recommended steps
• Person responsible
• Partners
• Resource requirements
• Cost
• Start and due dates

Budget

• Outline your budget requirements for the

total lifespan of your strategy

• Use a budget worksheet to keep track of your

costs

• Follow your existing budget style or format

Measurement and Evaluation

Measure three things:

• Outcome
• Messages
• Delivery

Measurement Methods

• Media searches
• Interviews
• Surveys
• Track progress on social media
• Number of participants in your programs and

events

Your Communications Plan

You now have the basis for your own Communications Strategy!

Final Thoughts

• You don’t have time not to plan
• Strategizing will save you time
• Thinking strategically will advance your career
• You don’t always need to come up with a

Plan, but you do need to think strategically

• Be an advocate for Recreation

For More Information

For more information or a copy of this presentation please contact:

Christian Bates-Hardy Communications Consultant cbates-hardy@spra.sk.ca 306-780-9268

Any Questions?