SWB Consulting Services recently had an opportunity to present on the topic of Marketing and Communication Strategies to the National Rural Health Association. This blog is a summary of that presentation.
1. Define the Marketing Goals
Defining your goals, or the purpose of the communication or marketing effort is an important first step. This will help you determine the best approach(es) to disseminate your message.
Goals to consider - are you trying to:
- Build relationships?
- Demonstrate the impact of the organization's work?
- Motivate people to take action or get involved in the cause?
- Encourage support for your cause?
- Thank volunteers and supporters?
- Recognize sponsors?
Strategies to consider
- Prioritize content
- Work within budget/time/resources
2. Determine Your Target Audience
Now that you know what you need to communicate, you need to determine to WHOM you are communicating it. For example, your goal may be to thank volunteers and supporters. But, the approach you take should be very different for a major donor to your organization vs. a person who donates a small amount once a year. HOW you communicate needs to make sense to the recipient of the communication.
To whom are you aiming the communication?
- Current members/participants
- Potential members/participants
- Decision makers
- Elected officials
- Major donors/sponsors
- Midrange donors
Strategies to consider
- Manage your list - be sure to know who is who
- Segmentation works! Determine which segments are appropriate for the message you plan to send
3. Plan Your Approach
Depending on what your message is, one or multiple approaches might be required. And, you might need to roll it out in phases to your different segments. For example, if your business is launching a new initiative, you will want to get your Board to buy in first, followed by major donors/sponsors, who you may approach personally. The next group may be your regular supporters that can be reached through personalized direct mail or email. Once your "insiders" have been reached is when you would consider more generic vehicles like your website, social media and press releases.
Methods to consider
- Personal visits
- Personal phone calls
- Direct mail
- Emails
- Newsletter
- Website
- Social media
- Press releases
- Others?
Strategies to consider
- Tailor content to the format
- Tailor format to the audience
- Use graphics, pictures, and video to tell the story
- Include surveys, polls and other forms of engagement
- Schedule a predictable frequency
- Like, follow, tag; and ask others to do the same for your sites
- Cultivate local reporters
4. Craft Your Message
Your message - the MOST important part. Effective messaging will feel personal to the recipient. The better you know the segment, and the smaller group, the more personal you can make the message. You want the person to feel that you are speaking to THEM. Tell a story. Stay away from technical language and jargon. Use short sentences and short paragraphs. Depending on your piece, it's appropriate to forget the rules of writing you learned and write as you speak.
Methods to consider
- Produce content in batches and pre-schedule distribution
- Take advantage of professionally developed campaigns related to your organization’s mission to fill in gaps between your messages
- Sprinkle in advocacy opportunities
Strategies to consider
- What does your audience want to learn from your organization?
- What information will interest your targeted readers?
- What is new/different/unexpected?
- Ensure a variety of topics that might appeal to a variety of readers
- Show the IMPACT of your Organization
5. Analyze Results
Be intentional about reviewing your results. Don't just look at them, collect them so you can compare historical data. Measure results not only as a whole, but also by the individual segments. You may find that what appeared to be a "losing" campaign either by volume or by cost had some very rewarding segments. Or, you may find that a "winning" campaign can be more effective in the future by tweaking how some of the segments are communicated with.
Methods to consider
- Turn on analytics and check them regularly
- Measure trends
- Look for posts with special impact – what made them different?
Strategies to consider
- What does success look like?
6. Final Tips
- Connect with your audience appropriately for who they are to your organization
- Include a ‘call to action’
- Reinforce words with imagery
- Proofread everything -- and then proofread it again!
- Include a link to a website
- Maintain brand consistency
Having an effective marketing and communication strategy doesn't happen haphazardly. By creating a thoughtful plan, developing appropriate and easy-to-digest content to meet your goals, and reaching your target audience appropriately, you can realize the success you desire.
SWB Consulting Services would be pleased to assist your organization to develop a communications strategy. Contact us for a complimentary consultation.
