Make creating face time with the community a priority in your strategy. The old saying, “advertisements don’t sell products, people sell products” is true for community outreach. Determine how your project is complementary to their mission because you don’t want to compete for the same attention. The best partnerships are with groups whose purpose aligns with the goals of your project. These groups have built trust with their members and those they influence, so a partnership serves as third-party validation of your organization, the project and its mission. The more information you provide, the more you empower the community to be involved in the process.įind creative, mutually beneficial ways to partner with organizations already serving the audience you want to connect with. Make sure journalists covering the beat are informed, have a website and social media presence to push information and identify other touch points to utilize. Proactivity is necessary across all channels where conversations in the community are happening. If you don’t, the door is open for detractors and the ill-informed to steal your thunder or create turbulence that will compete against accurate information. Seize the opportunity to control messages that will make a first impression. Since you know the community is going to question the information you’re trying to convey, be proactive in explaining what’s in it for them. The community is going to ask themselves, “so what?” to any new information thrown at them, and your outreach should always answer that question. Once you know what the community finds important, you’ll be able to communicate how your project aligns with those values. What this really means is to know what unifies the community and what’s important to them so you can effectively tailor your outreach. ![]() Rule #1 of good communication: Know your audience. A good understanding of the target audience It’s easier said than done, but to ease the process, here are five crucial elements to developing an effective and efficient community outreach plan.ġ. Instead, organizations must develop a strategy that leverages the right content, across the right channels, at the right time. ![]() ![]() In short, the people you’re trying to communicate with don’t know about your project and don’t care.Ĭlearly, the main goal of community outreach is to make the target audience care, but the “how” is where some organizations miss the mark.Īs with all sound communication plans, there is no silver bullet to achieve program objectives.
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