Taking the pain out of communications planning

Taking the pain out of communications planning ...

CharityComms September 2012Randallfox.co.uk

#TBC

Our task for today ...

Share the pain ... common key challenges, barriers, any ‘golden moments’

Sanity check ....understand the principles of good communications planning

Share what works ... tools, templates, ideas

How to bring colleagues on board

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Planning principles – busting some myths

Providing information is the primary goal of communications ....

Strategic planning is just a paper exercise/ticks the boxes for board, Trustees, etc ...

An all-singing launch is the most important element of a comms plan ...

Others? ...

Totally unscientific pie chart

Planning hierarchy

When it all comes together ...When it all comes together ...

Explorer Families – active, educated, enthusiastic

Strategy vs. tactics

Vision, Mission, Organisational goals – fundamental but not in our territory. Push for clarity/guidance if necessary.

Strategy plan – how to focus and prioritise in order to deliver organisational goals/objectives. And how do we resource that?

Ideas/content/stories/ products– the tactical, delivery plan which must include evaluation

10

A strategy template

Policy makers

Funding orgs

Individual supporters Practitioners Beneficiaries

(C2DE parents)

•Our research & analysis = authority on literacy

•We transform lives in the poorest communities

•We support practice in schools

•Reading for enjoyment

•Importance of talk

•Role of family

Donate/ fund/ fundraise/ support

Website/ newsletter/ social media

Join network

Attend training

Website/ newsletter / social media

Aud

ienc

eM

essa

ges

Cal

ls to

act

ion

Support your child’s literacy

Website/ newsletter/ social media

Annual plan – basic principles

• Plan in line with budget round

• Work within organisational planning framework ... but you can also add to/enhance it

• Plan across deptartments and with colleagues

• Expect change but agree some boundaries (organisational priorities, lead times, review periods, circumstances under which one project will be shelved and another come on board)

Planning for the year – how to prioritise activity?

Annual delivery plan

Campaign plan – some basic principles

• Timing is everything – control the flow

• Build relationships – involve, engage, don’t make every communication an ask

• Channel integration - the more they hear in a variety of channels (that are popular with them)—the more they’ll remember you and respond.

A sample campaign planQuarter Channel/lead Audience 1 Audience 2 Audience 3

Quarter 1 Publication/X Activity summary

Events/X Activity summary

PR & media/X Activity summary Activity summary Activity summary

Blog/X

Review of progress against communications objectives

Quarter 2

Review of progress against communications objectives

Quarter 3

Etc ....

Tools and Tips

PEST template & some prompts

SWOT template and some prompts

Auditing – the random supporter test

• Take a random sample of up to five of your supporters, stakeholders, those who feel like representatives of key audiences

• Analyse what they are likely to have received/heard/seen about and from you in the last year

• Make packages for each of these sample supporters – include examples of all communications they have received or are likely to have seen/heard in the last 12-24 months. Where possible include hard copy examples of every piece of communication.

• Look at these packages as objectively as possible (use fresh or external feedback where you can)

• What picture are you presenting to each of these supporters about your organisation? Is it coherent, is it clear, is it engaging, is it enough, is it too much, is the tone right, are you asking enough, are you thanking enough?

• Draw conclusions and carry forward into future development.

Objectives template

Objective for (specific audience – never ‘general public’) ..................................................

To achieve: AwarenessEngagementAction

Specifically to: Create/Generate/Prompt/Increase/Maintain/Reinforce/Decrease/Minimise

Effect Attention/knowledgeInterest/develop a positive attitudeJoin/visit/sign-up/buy/disseminate/change behaviour

Performance measurement .........................................................

Timeframe .........................................................

Keep the spark/creativity

• Workshop technique – yes, and ...• Forfeit box• Prompt questions:

- What trends can we link to?- What problems can we solve in new, better, different ways?- Can we make something complex simple?- What are our competitors doing – can we extend, challenge, adapt?- Take time out for surfing and report back – you tube, podcasts, read,

listen, watch what you wouldn’t normally

(CIPR Innovation and Creativity Toolkit)

Using technology ...

• Mind map

• Huddle.com

• Google docs

• Pinterest

Great planning = more creativity

Randallfox.co.uk