While it might seem challenging to carve out enough time to create a robust communications strategy for your non-profit organization, the benefits will be worth it. The biggest benefit to making a communications strategy is that you will gain clarity on how communications will help accomplish your organization’s mission and what you need to do to.
Creating a communications strategy will:
1. Give you time and space to consider all the variables you need to keep in mind before you create content
Part of developing a strategy is conducting an environmental scan and thinking about all the things that might affect your organization’s communications. When you have done this thoughtfully during strategy creation, you’ll be confident in the plan you’ve created and know that you have a solid grasp of the expected.
Thinking about, and planning for, the expected means that when something unexpected comes up, you can shift focus to that while being assured that the expected pieces are still going to be running smoothly. Of course, do be aware that the unexpected may mean you need to make changes to the expected things you’ve planned.
2. Help you consider your audiences
Just like you have time to consider all the variables that impact your communications, part of developing a strategy includes considering all your potential audiences.
For any organization, there will be multiple groups or types of audiences. The only way to know whether you’re communicating with the right ones is by thoughtfully considering who you need to connect with to have the most impact and which audiences will help you achieve your mission.
Figuring out who your audiences are isn’t something that happens instantly – and having a communications strategy will mean that you’ll be consistently sharing your message with the groups that will be aligned with what you are aiming to achieve.
3. Crystallize your key messages
People need to hear something seven times before they remember it long-term. This is why having clear, consistent messages is so important.
Your key messages section outlines what you’re going to say and how you’re going to say it repeatedly throughout your campaign. By taking time to write out your key messages, you will clarify for yourself what matters most to say to help achieve your goal.
Having your key messages spelled out also helps remind you to stay on track with your messages and ensure you are including them in all your materials and content.
4. Outline your next steps
Your strategy is your step-by-step plan. Once you’ve created it, you can work the plan without worrying about whether what you’re doing is going to be impactful or aligned with your non-profit’s goals.
By having a communications strategy, you’re eliminating guesswork about what you should do next. You’re making it easy to know what to do in the short-term and how those actions will contribute to your long-term goals. Your strategy helps you visualize how all your communications activities work together over time to successfully.
Time, staff capacity, and budget are often limited commodities in non-profit communications. Creating your strategy will help you make the most of all of the resources at your disposal.
5. Showcase your communications expertise
Once you’ve finished your strategy, you can feel confident you have a well-researched, well thought-out communications strategy that you can share with management and your colleagues to let them know how communications is helping your organization accomplish its mission.
Having a documented strategy gives you something to point to when there are spontaneous ideas or off-the-cuff suggestions that come up. If they fit within what you’re working towards, great! If they don’t, having the strategy provides you with a way to explain why and informs others about what types of things you are doing.
Need assistance developing a communications strategy?
Discover the comprehensive, direction-setting strategy I offer through the Mission Pack or a project-specific strategy I offer through the Launch Pack.
Have a communications strategy in place and would like to receive some expert feedback?
I offer a Lunar Exploration Consult where we can discuss questions or ideas about your strategy.