STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

Transcription

1 STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS What being proactive looks like when we stop talking and start doing Shanelle Matthews

2 Goals: Give a concrete definition of strategic communications Convey the utility of strategic communications Outline best practices in strategic communications Goals

3 1. Strategic communications is a blueprint that details the strategy for creating visibility for your work. 2. It is a manifestation of your individual, project, or organizational goals and expressed mission/vision statement. 3. It is, in part, your approach to influencing your audience to do the thing you want them to do. What is strategic communications?

4 Communications Strategists Communications Directors Media Strategists Communications Coordinators Organizing Directors Organizers Field Directors Movement Building Directors Who does strategic communications

5 Where to start: The strategy before the strategy

6 What s the problem you re working to solve? Articulate your problem Who is being harmed? Who is doing the harming? Who else is working on this? Where to start: The strategy before the strategy

7 What can YOU do about it? What specific skills do you bring? Who/what do you need to fill the gaps? Do you have time/capacity to follow through? Where to start: The strategy before the strategy

8 What is your goal? Is it SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relatable and time-bound)? Where to start: The strategy before the strategy

9 Who are you trying to reach? Who has the decision-making power to give you what you want? Do you know what they care about? This should be a person not an institution. Where to start: The strategy before the strategy

10 Who else are you trying to reach? If the person with decision-making power is out of reach who can persuade them? This is your secondary audience. If you get to the point where you have to delineate an tertiary audience, reconsider whether or not your goal is attainable. Where to start: The strategy before the strategy

11 Develop your strategy Identify your tactics, timeline, and benchmarks Where to start: The strategy before the strategy

12 Evaluate Did you accomplish what you wanted? If yes, high five! If no, what happened? Where to start: The strategy before the strategy

13 The Strategy

14 Goal(s) What are you aiming to achieve? Audience(s) Whose knowledge attitudes and behavior must be changed to meet your goal? Message(s) What are the barriers and benefits to your audience thinking, feeling or acting on your issue? Tactic(s) What tools will you use to get your messages to your audience? Evaluation How will you measure success? The Strategy

15 Have a clear ask. Use your networks. Hold someone accountable. Don t be afraid to get gritty. Ask for help from issue or content experts. Know the arguments for and against your policy goals. Plan your media. Use an editorial calendar. Identify and train your spokespeople. Hold your people accountable. Restructure if necessary. Best Practices

16 Example Problem: The Maximum Family Grant (MFG) Rule endangers the health and wellbeing of infants born into poverty and intentionally limits the reproductive decisions of poor women. Goal(s): Convince California Governor Jerry Brown to repeal the Maximum Family Grant Rule in California. Change hearts and minds of California voters with regard to cash assistance welfare recipients. Example

17 Audience(s): Gov. Jerry Brown (Primary) Pro Tem Kevin DeLeon (Secondary) California voters (Tertiary) Example

18 Messages: 1. We tried it for twenty years and it didn t work. It is time to eliminate this harmful, wasteful policy and re-establish programs that promote long-term stability and security for California families. 2. One in four California children live in poverty. By repealing the maximum family grant rule and supporting families in times of need, we have an opportunity to change that for thousands of California families. 3. Providing California families with the resources they need helps us build strong, healthier, and happier families. Example

19 Tactics Place 3 op-eds written by former legislators in the Sacramento Bee, a paper that the Governor reads. Gather signatures on a petition supporting the repeal from individuals in Kevin DeLeon s district and deliver them to his desk. Develop a storytelling campaign where families who are harmed by the MFG rule tell their stories. Share this on social media and aim to get 4-5 prominent progressive news outlets to report on it. Example

20 Evaluation: We will be successful if the bill makes it out of both houses and Gov. Jerry Brown signs it. We will be successful of the Pro Tem feels pressure and advocates for the bill in his or her house. We will be successful if we see that California voters are signing the petition having a healthy and forward moving conversation about poor California families. Example

21 Strategic communications is not social media. Social media is social media and it is one tactic or tool that can be used to share the information in your strategy but it is not a plan or a strategy itself. Strategic Communication is not a list of tactics. What strategic communications is not:

22 A journalist A pollster A graphic designer A web developer An IT person An artist A copy editor Often these roles and the work these people provide are muddled into strategic communications. Once you have a plan in place, you may need a person with this expertise to support you in reaching your goal. What strategic communications is not:

23 Social Media Petitions Direct mail Press conference Media advisory Rally Town hall meeting Conference Tools

24 Plan your work and work your plan. Tell them what you re going to tell them. Tell them. Tell them what you told them. Adages

25 STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS What being proactive looks like when we stop talking and start doing