Communicating with purpose

Transcription

1 Communicating with purpose Skills, methods and strategies 1

2 Contents Welcome and background 3 Introduction 4 Communication Skills 6 Communicating purpose 6 Communicating to audience 8 Inclusive and positive communications 10 Design principles 13 Plain Communication 15 Grabbing attention 17 Communication Methods 20 Online 20 Local media 25 Face to face 29 Bringing it together 34 Finding out 34 Writing the strategy 35 Final thoughts 39 Further information and resources 42 2

3 Welcome and background Communicating with Purpose The Communicating with Purpose training is delivered by Wales International Development Hub in partnership with Wales Africa Community Links and funded by the Welsh Government's Wales for Africa programme. The Hub The Hub is a new Wales for Africa initiative to support international development networks in Wales. It aims to enhance Wales' vibrant contribution to international issues, which are driven by the efforts of civil society and volunteers alongside the nation's legal duty to sustainable development. The Hub works with partners to organise networking and dialogue events, deliver training, develop new opportunities on joint working and provide information online at hubcymru.org including an events and training diary, downloadable resources and a contact book to find peers and colleagues. Wales Africa Community Links Wales Africa Community Links have always been strongly supported by the Welsh Government as part of their commitment to sustainable development. Community linking is a positive way of working towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) especially the goal of Global Partnership for Development. Linking We see working with a linking group as a personal journey. People change as a result of participating in international projects. There is a huge focus on change in this training because we believe it is important to concentrate on what changes are happening in both communities and what the results of those changes may be, good or bad. We encourage you to think about the consequences of any actions you may take, and whether this will lead to good, or potentially bad, change. You will also get to think through 3

4 and discuss some topics that we run more specific training courses on i.e. funding, accountability, monitoring and evaluation. Training themes Recurring themes within this training include culture, context, power, participation, history, emotional response and change. We hope you will reflect on each of these topics today and during your international relationships and project work over the coming months and years. There is a limit to what can be covered in a day, and we want to emphasise that whatever projects that you support in Africa and Wales, one must always keep these themes in mind before making decisions that affect whole communities. At the same time, it is important to focus on the positive impact of a well run community link project. Learning objectives Learners can: Use key communication skills Identify the range of communication methods available and how to use them Bring communication skills and methods together to create a simple communication strategy that contributes towards an organisations goals This course is aimed at community link groups who want to improve their communication skills and strategy. This training is not about learning to write a press release, or how to Tweet, although we touch upon these subjects. Instead, we focus on developing communication skills identifying audience and purpose, and using language, pictures and design effectively to get attention then creating a communication strategy that uses those skills through carefully selected methods towards a clear purpose. This resource book will allow you refer back to and expand on what you learn in the training session. 4

5 Introduction The methods we use to communicate are changing: mobile phones, websites and social media have all become part of how we send and receive information, and the volume of information readily available has increased. With potential information overload, it is more important than ever to take a co-ordinated and considered approach to communication to bring the best results for your organisation. This booklet is divided into three sections. Section 1: Communication skills Explains some of the key skills underlying all successful communications these are things to think about whether you re speaking at a school, putting up posters for an event, writing a press release, or Tweeting. Section 2: Communication methods toolbox Discusses the communication methods you can use as part of a communications strategy with some tools to help you get started, and places to go for more support. The intention is not that you use all these tools, but pick those that most suit your purpose and audience, as well as your own/organisations skill set. Section 3: Bringing it all together communication strategy Explores how you bring together your communication skills and tools to create a simple action plan (communication strategy). It also explores how put your strategy into practice, and to monitor how successful it is. 5

6 Communicating purpose Networking gone wrong skills Communication I work for a charity that does quite a complicated range of things. I remember going to a networking event just after I started and being asked, What do you do? I replied: I m a project officer. I work for a charity that promotes equality for women. We launched in 1992 and have done many different things over the years all with the objective of empowering women to take control of their own lives, by doing capacity building, support, mentoring and providing some finance for start-ups. We also have other partners in the local community of the 6

7 project who we work with to create and enabling environment. We ve done some previous work around girls schooling as well, which was great but we ran out of funding. I paused for breath. The woman was staring over my shoulder, looking bored. She made her excuses and left to talk to someone else. I had lost my audience. Being able to clearly articulate your purpose will help to get people interested, and to take action. It will also help others to get the message out on your behalf. The big picture The starting point is to be able to clearly state your organisation s overall purpose and how that fits in with the bigger picture. When you re involved with multiple activities, it can be hard to explain the overarching vision that brings them all together. But without this, your audience may be confused or lose interest. 7

8 Elevator Pitch A great skill to be able to deliver a short pitch about your organisation which you can use in any face-to-face meeting, and adapt for other media. Start by asking yourself these questions, ideally with a group of stakeholders: 1. Why does your organisation exist? 2. What does it do? 3. What does it achieve? 4. Why does it deserve support? 5. What makes it different from all the rest? Once you ve answered the questions, craft your ideas into a short pitch, then practice. Communicating to audience Every day, we adapt our language and style to suit different audiences. The difference between speaking to your boss and your family for example, or small children and adults. But these are audiences we already know fairly well. The skill lies in understanding and adapting to less familiar audiences. We need to establish What interests/attracts these audiences? How can you adapt your communications to these audiences? Understanding audiences. Here are some of the things we need to find out about our audiences: What do they already know about your organisation and the bigger picture? Are they aware of your organisation/project/campaign? How do they like to get information? Think about type of media and style. What would be drivers for them to pay attention to your 8

9 communication? What would be barriers to receiving communications/ believing them? What is likely to make them act? (bearing in mind your purpose). To illustrate, 31% of year-olds use Twitter compared to 4% of 65+. The readership of the Western Mail has 9% year-old readers compared to 34% of 65+. This shows us that these media will be more efficient at reaching some audiences than others. Avoid stereotyping Taking demographic information into account is useful when your analysing your audience, but be careful of making assumptions. Adapting communications Examples from Wales: Reach Out Cameroon: Facebook page with photo stories and updates and a monthly e-newsletter: reachoutcameroon Riverside-Cassese Link: Local press coverage for the launch of the link Caerleon-Buea Link: Article in Cardiff magazine about the work of Cameroonian partners to empower women When you are clear about who your audience is, you need to choose the most appropriate communication methods (section 2) but also change your language, messages and style accordingly. For example You would be unlikely to ask an institutional funder for a few thousand pounds via Twitter, but one of your volunteers might raise money for a sponsored marathon in this way. On social media, the language is conversational and informal, which would not be appropriate for letters or press releases. 9

10 Inclusive and positive communication Language and images should be coherent with an organisation's values and vision. There are some values that are increasingly considered best practice throughout development. These include: Working in partnerships Tackling inequality Mutual benefits to partners in North and South With these factors in mind, there are some do s and don ts about language, pictures and video. Images/videos Get permission before taking and using pictures or videos. Think about camera angles. A high angle shot can make someone appear small or weak whereas a low angle shot can make someone look powerful or threatening. Think about colours as they convey the emotion of a picture. Explain the immediate and wider context. Use images of people involved in action. Avoid stereotypical images. For example, always showing of women as weak and vulnerable. Try to avoid pictures of people from the North helping people from the South as it creates a sense of inequality between partners. Try to avoid posed or passive shots. Avoid showing an overly bleak or overly rosy portrayal. X High angle X Bleak colours X No context X Vulnerable subject 10

11 Language Beneficiary, participant or partner? Inclusion or integration? West or north? Developing countries or the south? There are a lot of debates in international development about which words to use. These debates can feel arbitrary when your busy getting things done. But there is a cumulative effect on audiences when language is used again and again. For example, language about Africa often refers to helpless victims, reinforced by images. There is evidence that this leads to increased discrimination and stereotypical beliefs, which is unhelpful to promoting equality. As a first step, you can discuss and agree how your organisation will refer to your different stakeholders at both ends community links. You might also come up with language you prefer not to use at all. But is it more complicated than simply having a list of words. Below are some questions to think about in your communications. 1. Have you checked the accuracy of your communications? 2. Have you said where the information has come from? 3. If you ve offered anonymity, have you ensured individuals cannot be identified? 4. Have you checked your Caerleon-Buea Link photo: People in action 11

12 communications do not simplify the situation or present information out of context? 5. Have you imposed your own cultural values on others through your communications? 6. Have you avoided stereotypes on the basis of race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance and social status? 7. Have you given voice to those who have less power? 8. Have you thought about any harm that might come as a result of your communications? For example, repercussions for those you include in communications. Accessibility checklist: Size 12 font or bigger Align text left Contrast between text and background (see page 13) Use plain language (see page 15) Speak clearly and not too fast Allow plenty of space on forms Explain graphs or diagrams Provide alternative formats where needed (audio tape, large print for example) Follow website accessibility guidelines Accessibility Communications should be in a format that as many people as possible can access. Small print, poor colour contrast, speedy speaking, and complicated data are a few things that will make it hard for some people to understand or enjoy your communications. So, it s a good idea to check your communications for accessibility. Also, think about how you can practically respond to requests for communications in alternative formats, for example, large print. 12

13 Design principles With some methods of communication there is no need to think about design because there are conventions (press releases, letters) or no option to add any design (tweets). But, with newsletters, presentations, posters, websites, leaflets and similar, the design may be what entices or puts off an audience. Here are some tips to help with design. The most important tip throughout is to keep it simple. Spot the difference Ipso Factum Dea Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore Et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor Invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt Ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. Ipso factum Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla Facilisis at vero eros et.molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et.molestie consequat, vel illum.facilisis at vero eros et.molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla Facilisis at vero eros CALL US FOR MORE INFORMATION Compare the layouts on this and the next page: The differences between the two layouts highlight some good and bad design practice: 1. Choose a small number of fonts and styles and stick to them. For example, you may always use Calibri, size 12 for your body text, and Ariel for your headings. You ll need to think about text for your logos, captions, sub headings, quotes and any other types of text you use. In Office, creating and using Style Sheets is the easiest way of doing this. 2. Think carefully about font choice. Font that looks like handwriting is difficult to read. Some fonts are associated with specific things. Comic Sans, for example, is often used for children. 3. Be consistent the space between lines, paragraph indents, the space between objects and text 13

14 and bullets/lists. 4. Headlines and titles look best when they cross the width of the page/story. 5. Pictures need to be quite big to have an impact. Better one bigger picture than many smaller ones. 6. Objects (pictures/boxes) should not cut off small pieces of text as this makes it harder for the reader to navigate. 7. There should be strong contrast between background and text colour so readers can see the text properly. 8. White space looks good where it is used consistently, for example, spaces between objects, and space between text and borders But chunks of white space look unprofessional. 9. Be consistent with colours. Pick one or two on a page and stick with them. Ideally, they should complement pictures. 10. Unless you have a good design reason, avoid capital letters. They are much harder to read and give the impression of shouting. Use bold or larger font to emphasise. Italics are also harder to read. Ipso factum dea orem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed L diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore Et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor Invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt Ut Ipso labore et factum dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero Duis eos autem et accusam vel eum et iriure justo dolor duo dolores in hendrerit et ea rebum. in vulputate velit esse Stet molestie clita kasd consequat, gubergren, vel no sea takimata illum dolore sanctus eu est feugiat Lorem nulla ipsum dolor facilisis sit amet. at vero eros et. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla Facilisis at vero eros et.molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et.molestie consequat, vel illum. Facilisis at vero eros et.molestie consequat, vel illum dolore meu.facilisis at vero eros et.molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu.facilisis. 11. Some simple additions like drop caps can enhance the appearance, but be aware of gimmicks. For example, Word Art, shadows on letters, and underlining can look amateurish. 12. Use columns it can be difficult to read text spanning a whole A4 page think about the size of a novel as a maximum width. 13. Headings should be several sizes bigger than body text. 14

15 Plain communication Most people will have picked up something to read, only to put it down again when it s too long, boring or hard work. Or started to listen to a speaker, only to find themselves thinking of lunch. Using plain language can help to keep people engaged. There are a few guidelines that can help: Avoid jargon International development is full of jargon words that many people will not fully understand. These words also have many possible meanings. For example, if I look up development in the Oxford English Dictionary, there are 6 definitions, none of which have anything to do with achieving the Millennium Development Goals, or alleviating poverty! Look through your current communications to identify jargon, and find alternative words/phrases. You can use these alternatives when communicating with people outside the sector. For example, partnership can become working together. Where there are many meanings, make clear the one you mean. So instead of poverty you might put something like not having enough money for food or not being able to get medical treatment. Avoid unnecessary and overly formal words Go through your planned communication and reduce sentence length by eliminating any words you don t need. For example, We ve been in discussions about resources with our project partners. We ve ensured that the provision of resources will happen once per annum and there will be an investigation where this doesn t happen. (32 words). 15

16 This can become: We ve discussed resources with our project partners. We will provide resources once a year and will investigate if this doesn t happen. (21 words). Use active verbs where possible Active verbs make easier-to-read sentences than passive ones. An example of a sentence with passive verbs is: Focus groups and surveys were done so what was needed by teachers could be found out. With active verbs, the sentence becomes: We did focus groups and surveys to find out what teachers needed. Think about sentence length Aim for an average of words per sentence. Try to mix short and long sentences to keep the reader interested. For example, We work hard to include our stakeholders in all our activities, from designing projects through delivery to monitoring and evaluation, which is why the impacts of our projects last long after we have gone. This is a 34 word sentence! But we can break this down: The impacts of our projects last long after we have gone. Why? Because we include our stakeholders in all our activities, from designing projects, to delivery, to monitoring and evaluation. Break up text In written communication, long blocks of text can intimidate readers. Break up text with: Bullet points Pictures Pull-quotes Numbers/instructions Be careful with numbers Not everyone will understand percentages and statistics, so keep them as simple as possible. For example, one in three people die young (not 33%). Or the camp was the size of 5 football pitches (not 5 acres). 16

17 Grabbing attention Pick up a newspaper or a magazine. Flick through the radio or television channels. Read your Twitter Feed. What makes you pay attention? We encounter a such a never-ending stream of information that it takes something special to get us to stop and read or listen. This will vary depending on audience, but here are some tools you can use to get people to stop and pay attention.. Method 1: Straight to the point The 5 Ws are used to communicate news. The first sentence has Who? What? Why? Where? When? This explains the topic quickly to the audience. Yesterday, hundreds of people in London marched to raise awareness of violence against women. Method 2: People s stories Bring your communications to life. For example, On a good day, Hawa makes $4 a day, which isn t enough to feed her family. But she pays more tax than the giant sugar company down the road. Method 3: Use a picture or video: This still is from Wales for Africa, 7 years on. Method 4: An evocative description Describe a place, person or experience using senses of smell, touch, taste, sight and sound. For example: The once-white tents stretched as far as the eye could see. Three days of pouring rain had created a wet landscape of small lakes and tiny streams. Barefoot children played in freezing muddy water. New Internationalist,

18 Method 5: A Shocking or surprising fact, or question Use a quote, statistic, fact, claim or question that is unexpected. For example, A billion of us go to bed hungry every night.. Oxfam, 2013 Method 6: Humour If appropriate, use a joke, funny anecdote or video. The Lampeter-Bore Community Link made a video of Kenyan school children doing a version of Call me Baby as part of their fundraising communications (below). ( c=home&website_name=1tree1child). 18

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20 Communication methods This section can be as a toolbox; it is not necessary to use every communication method for each campaign/strategy/audience. Instead, select those communication methods that best match the task in hand, and the skills available to complete that task. This section is not a comprehensive guide to all methods, but gives some starting points and tips, as well as places to go for more information. Online The biggest advantage of online methods is the low price; the disadvantage is getting noticed among so much information. 20

21 Website Why get a website? A website can be a base for your online (and other) communications. Often, when people want to find out more about an organisation, they type it into a search engine. If your website is the first thing that comes up, you are in control of first impressions. Many organisations spend a lot of money setting up a website, paying for designers and web managers. But, for most, a simple and free or low-cost website will be sufficient. There are a few places you can get a free website online, for example, or There are disadvantages to free sites, such as less attractive domain names, adverts, limited time or space. Another option is a low-cost web hosting site, which allow you to create your own websites but get support when needed. Alternatively, you can use some social media sites as your webpage, although this gives you less control of design and domain name. Website top tips Follow the design tips Keep it simple If you can t update the site very often, stick to basic information, and link into your more up-to-date feeds (Twitter, Linked In, a blog) Web pages are easiest to read when there is no need to scroll sideways at all or up and down too much. Keep home pages light videos and large pictures may take so long to load that people may give up and move on. Resize images so they are 10-15kb. Have good navigation Design and label web pages clearly so users can move from one to the other easily. Give links in a different colour saying what they link to (not click here ) Set the screen size small and consider people on tablets and phones Link to your other online activities like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and blogs. Not too many links Beware of gimmicks like animated text they can be distracting and stop the website from working properly 21

22 Being found The best websites are easy to find on a search engine. Some ways to improve this are: Give your website a title and some key words (called tags) to help search engines find it. The option will probably be in settings, in the Search Engine Optimisation section (SEO). Give each page a descriptive title (not page 1, or untitled). Give the site and each page a brief description Social media There are huge numbers of social media sites and formats Bebo, Pinterest, Tumblr, Flickr. There is not room here to go through each one. We focus on the most common sites, but the advice is applicable to any social media tool. Number crunching 10 million people in the UK use Twitter On average, 1 spent on online fundraising by charities raises billion people use Facebook worldwide Twitter What is it? An open forum for sharing ideas, stories, videos and more. Individuals and organisations write Tweets (written entries of no more than 140 characters). Many people use Twitter just to receive information, rather than to contribute. For example, you can follow international development organisations and campaigns to get communication ideas. What can I use it for? Getting information: Use Twitter to find out what is popular to get ideas for your own communications. Look at what is trending (what people are frequently writing about), or search for things being said about a specific topic. Sharing information: Tweet campaign messages, photos, stories, news, expertise, and videos. 22

23 The challenge Getting followers. There is so much information on Twitter, that it is tough to get people to follow you. You ll need to be active on Twitter, follow lots of people, post interesting content, and promote your Twitter account to you stakeholders. Twitter is also entirely public, so everyone can see what you write, and what is written about you. How do I get going? Open an account, then spend some time searching. Search for similar organisations or topics, or what s popular in your area, to see what others are writing, before starting to Tweet yourself. Linked In What is it? A professional networking site. You don t connect to friends but to professional links. People use it to promote their organisation, look for jobs or new recruits and to connect to larger networks of people in their sector. What can I use it for? Linked In is designed for promoting oneself and organisation professionally. Share articles, stories, successes, plans, videos and links with your professional network. It s also useful for having discussions for other people in your sector across the world, for tips, advice and expertise. You can ask for endorsements and recommendations from your stakeholders. Any problems? The profile is of a person rather than an organisation. There is also some setting up time to get the profile fully complete. How do I get going? Open an account and populate it with as much information as possible. Do include a photo, profile and information about yourself. Start to connect with your networks and read what they are posting. Join groups you are interested in and their conversations. Link to your website and other interesting videos, articles etc. in your posts. Link to any media coverage you ve had. Start to get recommendations. 23

24 Facebook What is it? A social network. Although you can have your settings so that everyone can see your posts, most people keep their Facebook page private, only viewable by those they have accepted as friends. People write about their daily lives, post photos and keep up with friends and family. What can I use it for? You can set up a like page from your Facebook account that represents your organisation. You can also use groups to organise meetings and events online. Any problems? Facebook is primarily a social network. Many people don t want their customers and colleagues to see their personal Facebook account because it s private. There may be photos, or information about relationships that you don t want to share. Check your personal privacy settings before using Facebook as a tool for your organisation. Social media content It s very easy to spend a lot of time on social media without achieving a lot. It can also be difficult to find interesting things to say on a regular basis. Try to identify themes to follow that reinforce your messages. For example: Retweet useful information written by others Post a tip or fact of the day relevant to your organisation's work. Post a comment on a current news story that impacts you/your partners Post a discussion topic on something that affects you/your partners. Answer people s responses Add news stories about your organisation, volunteers, staff and partners - include photos Respond to other people s posts and conversations on relevant topics Use a social media management tool, such as Hootsuite, to manage all your social media accounts and to post to several at the same time If there is a controversial issue, either don t respond through your profile, or agree a response as an organisation. 24

25 Other online methods These include: Blogs. These give commentary on a particular subject. For example, you might blog about funny fundraising stories, your link partners activates, the progress of your project or issues affecting your organisation. For example, www/ wcia.org.uk/html or fairtradeblog.tumblr.com/ People receive a large number of s, but they can be useful to send updates, or e-newsletters. Free software, such as Mail Chimp, make sit easier to write ed newsletters and manage your mailing lists. Just Giving: Allows you to collect money online. Local media The local media is a free source of publicity for your organisation. It also helps with credibility and accountability. The first step is to identify what news the media might be interested in. What is news? News for your organisation might include an event, the launch of a project, a visit, achieving an outcome/funding target, a success story...the list could go on. The factors that get a journalist s interest are: Timing: News must be up-to-date what is happening now? Does it link to anything else (bigger stories) going on? Also, if there is a huge event or news item happening, your story may get lost. Size: The more people/resources affected, the more likely a story is to 25

26 be reported. Proximity: Audiences need to identify with stories this can be through place, culture, or some other element. Is there a local, regional or national perspective (depending on newspaper)? How might the issue affect the audience? Human: Stories should include people at their heart. They should create an emotional reaction. Human interest does this in a way just statistics and facts often can t. Celebrity: Stories will be much more likely to be covered where a celebrity is involved. Unusual: Make sure there is something unique about the story - there is so much news it s important to distinguish your story from the crowd. Bad: Bad news is more likely to reported than good news, as is something that is controversial. Getting news to the journalists The easiest and most common way to do this for local media is through press releases. Writing a press release 1. Create a template which includes Press release in big letters across the top of the page and your logo on letter head paper overall, the release should be 1 page (2 maximum). 2. Include the date and time of the release 3. Include any photo opportunity details in a separate box near the top All important detail in first paragraph Increasing detail Decreasing importance 26

27 4. Write a headline make this short and to the point 5. Write the release follow the pyramid structure (previous page). Keep it short, simple and factual. Opinions in quotes only. 6. Include editor s notes at the bottoms with references and any other details. 7. Include contact details at the bottom make sure these are accurate and the person will be available during working hours. 8. Attach photos (high quality JPEGS). 9. Make sure you have permission to use photos and quotes. 10. Contact journalists so they are expecting your release. 11. Send out your release. 12. Check it has arrived follow up with a phone call. Press releases are likely to be most effective for local media. For national media, a very brief idea of the story, rather than a full release. Letters and phone-ins Radio programmes have phone-ins (often with the option to Tweet), and newspapers and magazines have letters pages. These can be a good way to get information beyond local media. Upcoming events Most local newspapers have an events section. Give plenty of warning about your event and include the following details: What is the event? When and where is the event? What is the background of the event? What will be available for photographers or TV crews? Being the go to person Keep records of contact you have with the media, so you build a database of journalists. On first contact, call the switchboard and ask to speak to the news desk. Find out deadlines. Magazines can 27

28 often have deadlines quite a long time before the publication date. If you build relationships with journalists you can become the go to person when there is news on a particular topic. For example, if you are an organisation that promotes gender equality, you might be asked for a quote when this topic is in the news. To be a go to person, you should be available and give good quotes at short notice. Radio and television interviews Preparation is key to a good interview. An interview is a conversation, not a speech, so you need to listen to and answer questions. Before the interview Define 2 or 3 key points Ask: Is this what the audience needs to hear? Why should they care? Revise if necessary. Prepare examples, case studies or anecdotes that illustrate your key points. If there is time, work on making your points memorable turn them into Sound bites. Practice with a colleague Anticipate questions and think of how you ll answer Find out details about the interview will it be in a studio, another location or on the telephone. If the latter, make sure you have a clear line in a quiet place. During the interview Stick to your points Avoid controversial statements unless planned Acknowledge a question say yes or no or answer directly. Refuse to answer if you have to. Select a key word or phrase from the question to link into your main points Say what you planned then be 28

29 quiet. Repeat your key points Don t allow interruptions of a main point keep talking Speak clearly and not too fast Use your voice tone as in conversation don t speak in a monotone Illustrate points with examples For TV interviews, keep eye contact and don t fidget Don t wear clothes that are distracting (bright, checked, striped, high contrast etc.). Allow your face and hands to express how you feel don t be too stiff Look professional don t overdo the make-up, jewellery or hair. You want what you say to be remembered not how you looked! Never say anything you didn t mean to say, or let words be put in your mouth. Phrases That s an important point, but even more important is I can understand that people think that, but I can t speak for but our experience is Let me put that into perspective. It s important to remember that We ve all got to work together on I m sorry. I m not in a position to answer that at the moment, but what I can say is...never ~ No comment....always Face-to-face Personal contact, face-to-face a great way to build trust. Networking An easy way to build your organisations profile is to get out and meet people. You can often find supporters in the most unexpected places (the gym, the lift, the supermarket). There are many events in the international development sector to network at ( but don t restrict yourself. Conferences, 29

30 training, seminars, talks, and similar outside your sector will be less saturated and may be very useful. Finding places to network Search the internet, look on local noticeboards and check the media for what is coming up in your area. Identify which events you might find your target audiences at and prioritise these. Having the most impact Use your elevator pitch when asked what you do Don t hard sell fit yourself in with the purpose of the network Listen, ask questions and build relationships. Focus on getting to know people not on getting something from people Don t stick to the same people. It s important to say hi to people you know and to find out how they are, but also seek out new audiences. Find a way to remember people s names Have something to give people a business card, a leaflet, a website Ask for a free stand at events Offer to give free talks, taster sessions or activities at events to get more coverage Help others give them useful resources, introduce them to people you know, refer customers to them Be positive smile a lot, don t complain (no yawning, fidgeting or looking bored). Always be nice about others no gossiping or bad-mounting Be patient and calm Following up Keep a database of everyone you ve met, their contact details and any other notes (see example on next page) Keep promises if you ve said you will do something, don t forget Contact everyone you have met, either by or phone 30

31 Name Jamie Jamison Hank Hankson Julie Julieson Organisation Money Foundation Self employed (Web design consultant) Role Trustee University student Phone st contact Social Media Training, Speed networking event, Gym, Jan 2012 Feb, 2012 Dec 2012 Follow up Help given Help received Outcomes Details Phoned for meeting Sent info about free Leadership Management Wales free training Foundation offers funding for small charities (up to 1000). Also manager in small accountancy firm. Currently lookng for training for team leaders to say 'nice to meet you' and that I ve passed on contact details Passed details to friend who is looking for website designer Does cheap web design. Looking for new customers. Sent poster advertising for volunteers Put poster up at uni about volunteer recruitment 2 new volunteers Studying economics at Cardiff University Presentations and talks Have you ever been to a terrible talk or presentation? What made it so bad? In contrast, have you ever been captivated by a speaker? Why? By asking 31

32 yourself these questions, you can identify good and bad practice to follow. Preparation Plan your talk or presentation, using all the skills of knowing your audience and purpose, and practice if you re nervous. Make sure you ve got the timing right. Handling the nerves People mostly have a hard time in presentations because of nerves. What helps? Don t say you re inexperienced or nervous it will make the audience feel uncomfortable Chat to individuals in the audience as they come in make friends then focus on these people during the talk Smile at people when they smile back, you ll feel better Take lots of deep breathes Take it slowly If you have physical reactions to nerves, ignore them. If you re redfaced, it doesn t matter; people will soon stop noticing if you carry on as normal. If you shake with nerves, don t hold anything Have water available Dress so you feel comfortable Presentation aids 32

33 Using props, aids and interaction These not only make things more interesting, they also take the pressure and focus away from you. 33

34 Bringing it together This section will take you step-by-step through writing a communications strategy. What is a communications strategy? It s simply an explanation of: Your reasons for communicating, What you re going to communicate How you re going to communicate When you re going to communicate Where you re going to communicate Who is responsible for communicating How you re going to monitor the success of your communications Finding out Just like at the beginning of any project, it s important to find out where you are now before writing a communications strategy. This means answering some key questions: What perceptions do your audience currently have of you and your organisation? What communications have been successful for you in the past? What communications have been less successful? What communications skills can you draw upon within your 34

35 organisation? This might involve a detailed survey of all your audiences, or just having some conversations with key stakeholders. Surveys are a good way to reach more people, but it is hard to get people to take the time to fill them in. Using a tool like Survey Monkey (suveymonkey.com) makes it a little quicker and easier. Other market research you can do online. Find out more about who lives in your area through Stats Wales (www. statswales.wales.gov.uk) for example. Writing the strategy This section goes through the elements that make up a strategy, step by step. Identifying objectives In the communications skills section, we discussed clearly articulating your purpose/vision. The objectives of the communications strategy should link to this overall purpose. Firstly, identify what you hope to achieve from a communications strategy and how they contribute to your vision. Then turn these ideas into clear objectives, as shown in the table. Communication hope Raise awareness in schools. Raise money Get volunteers Specific objective 100 school children will be aware of our project within the next 6 months. Get 1000 in private donations by June Over next 2 years, 10 new volunteers contributing average of 2 hours per week 35

36 Defining your target audience Influence on policy and resources Primary audience: Key people or groups you communicate with directly. There can be several primary audiences. Secondary audience: Wider networks of people who you wish to receive your messages. These may benefit from hearing the messages or have an influence over your primary target audience. Interest in your organisation For example, if one of your primary audience is school children, teachers and parents would be secondary audiences. The simplest way to map you target audiences is to make a list, but there are two tools (above and below) used to distinguish between audiences, which can help you to prioritise. Audience interest table Audience Private donors Advice Policies/ practice Finances Success stories Events No No Yes Yes Yes You would need to choose your own columns and row headings. This example is partly filled in as an example 36

37 Identifying key messages You now know why you re communicating and to whom. The next step is to identify the messages you want each of your audiences to get. What do you want each of your audiences... From this, you can identify the messages that will achieve the results you want. For example, a key message to institutional donors might be, We re professional, well-respected and reliable. To individual donors, it might be, Your money really makes a long-term difference. Deciding your communication mix The methods of communication you use (section 2) should be chosen for your audiences, purposes and suitability for delivering key messages. But it s important to be realistic in terms of the skills mix in your organisation. For example, if you are not particularly confident on computers, and have never used social media, bear this in mind when deciding how to use Twitter, Facebook and Linked In as part of your strategy. Look at the demographics of each tool to see if it will reach your audience. Monitoring and evaluation You re putting valuable time and resources into communications, so it s important to know how well it s working. This will mean knowing your starting point and measuring progress. Some questions you can ask include: Have you reached your objectives? Did you reach the intended audience? 37

38 Did you use the right tools? Did you exceed allocated resources (time, money, etc.)? If so, why? Did your audiences understand the messages? Some indicators for people seeing your communications include: Hits on your website (you can use Google Analytics for example) Number of Likes on a Facebook page Number of followers and retweets on Twitter Number of publications your story has been printed in Feedback from your stakeholders Comments on a blog Feedback forms from events/presentations/talks Number of people in your contact database Strategy templates You now have all the elements of a communications strategy. All that remains is to put the elements together into an action plan with allocated responsibility and set timescales. There are many templates you can use for a strategy, but you can use any format, as long as your strategy: 38

39 Example strategy template Purpose of organisation: Overall communications objectives: Audience Key messages Method Timing Responsibility Monitoring Final thoughts Staying on message This is partly about applying the consistent design and language skills identified in section 1. But also about making sure everyone in the organisation understands the key messages and sticks to them. As events unfold, you may need to develop organisational views on particular topics. For example, an organisation promoting sustainable energy sources will need to take a clear stance on biofuels and nuclear power, and make sure you communicate this to staff and volunteers. 39

40 Setting expectations Many organisations are run entirely by volunteers who lead busy lives jobs. When you re putting communications our there, people may want to get in touch. So, it s important to make it clear how, when and how often someone will be available to respond. Referring to other organisations Wales Africa Community Links Wales Africa Community Links Project is an innovative scheme that was launched in 2007 by the then First Minister of Wales, Rhodri Morgan. The project has been developed in partnership between the Wales Civil Society MDGs (Millennium Development Goals) Task Force and BUILD UK (Building Understanding through International Links for Development), developed and managed by the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) with funding from the Welsh Assembly Government s Wales for Africa scheme. The project supports and develops the network of Wales Africa Community Links, to enable them to increase their impact on the UN Millennium Development Goals for making poverty history. The project supports community groups in Wales with funding, advice and expertise, information and events. All activities are underpinned by the Gold Star Award good practice framework, piloted and developed in Wales for the UN. The UN Gold Star Awards The award aims to recognise the best to inspire the rest a beacon of inspiration for quality community links. Both in Wales and Africa the awarded linking groups have shown they are: Involving people from across the community Exchanging understanding and building partnership Running projects which are making a real difference to local development 40

41 Building sustainability for long-term change The Hub he Hub is funded through the Welsh Government s Wales for Africa programme and hosted by the Welsh Centre for International Affairs, while its strategy and direction is owned collaboratively by those organisations which were vital to its inception and who now make up themanagement committee. Working with partners across the Welsh sector, the Hub s primary activities include delivering a suite of trainingopportunities to build the capacity of the sector through access to resources and connecting to peers to enable more groups to contribute more effectively. The Hub supports voices on policy such as the ongoing work on the Sustainable Development Bill - and facilitates dialogue and discussion on other topical issues such as the Sustainable Development Goals. To support networking, collaboration and promote the diversity of activity in Wales, the Hub maintains a calendar of events, campaigning opportunities and a contact book of who s who in the sector. The Hub s goal is to become a focal point for organisations working on international development. It aims to support a stronger more cohesive international development sector in Wales with a greater impact in the world by facilitating organisations to work together to deepen their effectiveness, bringing benefits to citizens and communities both in Wales and the global South. 41

42 Further information and resources Design How to use style sheets a very simple getting started guide: Choosing fonts - If you want to know more about choosing fonts, try Plain English Writing your elevator pitch Communication strategy steps and tools assets.panda.org/.../wwf_communications_strategy_template t_.doc Social Media Getting started on Twitter as an organisation: business.twitter.com/twitter-101 Social media use: The Guardian voluntary sector network has several blogs about this topics with good tips. Search engine optimisation Google s guide to being found is a good start and easy to follow. static.googleusercontent.com/external_content/untrusted_dlcp/ 42