Effective Communication Strategies for Maximizing Impact

1. Tips for Optimizing Your Communications Dollars & Creating Messaging that Works National Disability Institute’s REI Tour Mayor’s Leadership Academy Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Sept. 27, 2011 4:40 – 5:40 p.m.

2. introductions • Andrew Houghton – Moderator Disability Inclusion Solutions, Inc./President, NDI Board of Directors • Paula Kelley Client and Business Management Executive, Northeast and Southeast Trust Divisions, U.S. Trust, Bank of America/NDI Board of Directors • Michael Jensen Partner/Consultant, Mission Control Media/NDI Board of Directors • Lisa Stockmann Karp Director of Communications, National Disability Institute

3. Communications • What is it? • Why do we do it?

4. what is it? COMMUNICATION COMMUNICATIONS Transmitting or imparting information (one-way) Sharing or exchanging information (two-way) The field of expressing ideas effectively The practice of imparting or sharing information

5. Communication:why do we do it? • Transmit information • Seek information • Share ideas • Educate/Understand • Develop relationships/rapport • Influence/Persuade • Inspire/Motivate

6. Communications: the practicekey components • Strategy • Planning • Implementation

7. Communications strategy • STEP 1: STRATEGIC PLANNING - ORGANIZATION • MISSION • Who are we? • What is our purpose? • VISION • What do we want to accomplish? • What would success look like? • Who are our stakeholders/customers? • STRATEGY • How are we going to do achieve our mission and vision? • What specific action steps do we need to take?

8. Communications strategy • STEP 2: COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY • RULE #1 – YOU CANNOT DEVELOP AN EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY IF: • You don’t know who you are • You don’t know why you’re here • You don’t know what success looks like for your organization • You don’t know or understand your stakeholders/target audiences BOTTOM LINE: YOU NEED A SOLID STRATEGIC PLAN TO DEVELOP A SOLID COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY! COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY IS SIMPLY ONE OF THE MANY ACTION STEPS NEEDED TO EXECUTE YOUR OVERALL PLAN.

9. Communications strategy • THE ‘BACKBONE’ • Branding • Positioning • Messaging

10. branding WHAT IS YOUR BRAND? YOUR PERSONALITY!

11. YOUR BRAND IS . . . • What your organization or company stands for • What you’re known for • How stakeholders/ customers perceive you • What stakeholders/customers say about you A PROMISE YOU MAKE TO THE WORLD! The key to your brand promise? YOUR PEOPLE Build brand ambassadors!

12. positioning • Owning a word or category in your stakeholder’s/customer’s mind • What makes you different – your unique position? • What makes you “unique” in the crowded field that is your category?

13. messaging • What you want to say about your brand • How you want to say it (tone, angle, keywords, etc.) • A good message is: • Memorable • Frames problem • Offers solution • Call to action • Verbal and visual

14. Mapping your message Do Now Think Now Do in the Future Think in the Future Differentiator MESSAGE

15. TAILOR MESSAGE TO AUDIENCE

16. Next steps • Branding, positioning, messaging finalized • Create & implement a communications plan • How reach target audience (vehicles) • Specific objectives/deliverables for each vehicle type • Timeline • Measureable outcomes • What does success look like? • Metrics

17. Implementation:communications vehicles • Collateral/Marketing Material • Advertising • Public Relations • Media Relations • Community Outreach/Education/Partnerships • Email Marketing • Online/Web • Social Media • Text Message/Mobile Marketing

18. Collateral/marketing materialPrint or electronic • Brochures • Newsletters • Flyers • Posters • Postcards • Mailers, etc.

19. Collateral/marketing materialWAYS TO SAVE • Get writing, design and printing donated • Offer established designer, firm and/or printer sponsorship/publicity in your initiative in exchange for pro bono services • Give aspiring professionals an opportunity in exchange for pro bono services • Local college or university • Local chapter of professional organizations • AIGA (graphic design) • PRSA (public relations) • IABC or WIC (communications/editorial) • AMA (marketing) • Volunteer or one of their contacts

20. Collateral/marketing materialWAYS TO SAVE • Tricks of the Trade • 1-C or 2-C printing • Digital Press (low quantity) • Existing Photos (with permissions, of course!) • Royalty-Free Stock Photography/Illustrations/Video

21. Collateral/marketing materialWAYS TO SAVE • Online Resources • DESIGN • 99designs.com • ROYALTY-FREE STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY/ILLUSTRATIONS/VIDEOS/AUDIO • iStockphoto.com (very affordable!) • PRINTING • 48HourPrint.com • Vista Print • FedEx Office • AlphaGraphics

22. ADVERTISING • Print • Broadcast • Online (more later)

23. ADVERTISING – PRINT • Newspaper • Magazine • Billboard • Direct Mail

24. ADVERTISING - PRINTWAYS TO SAVE • Ad Space Donation/PSA • Know your print media, sizes • Have ads & campaign ready to go, or ready to be tailored when ask • Sponsored Ad • Sponsor or local business pay to place • Request discount • Sponsor logo/ “brought to you by” • Spotlight Ad • With other partners or non-profits • Go in to buy a page together, each getting portion of space • Local college/university, professional organization/club/publication’s ad or creative dept./volunteers and their contacts • Donate creative services

25. ADVERTISING - BROADCAST • Television • Radio

26. ADVERTISING – BROADCASTWAYS TO SAVE • Produced Spots • Ad Space Donation/PSA • Know your broadcast media lengths - :15, :30, 1:00 • Have ads & campaign ready to go, or ready to be tailored when ask • Sponsored Ad • Sponsor or local business pay to place • Request discount • Sponsor logo or mention/ ”brought to you by” • Live Read - On- Air Mention by Personality (radio) • Local college/university, professional organization/local on-air personality/station’s ad or creative dept./volunteers and their contacts • Donate creative services

27. PUBLIC RELATIONS Promoting and developing goodwill between your organization and the public, your target audiences/stakeholders, the community. Practice of managing communicating between you and the public/stakeholders. MAIN TYPES: • Media Relations • Community Outreach/Education • Partnerships/Networking/Rapport Building

28. PUBLIC RELATIONS – MEDIA RELATIONSWAYS TO SAVE FREE – But deliberate, strategic, trend analysis MEDIA RELATIONS • Placing stories • Pitching news to local media (print, broadcast, online, social) • Trend spotting and analysis • News Cycle – “ The Tuesday Principal” • Creating and placing your own online content • Articles, blogs – Online content is King (more on this later) • Being an “expert” resource for media on your topic/brand category

29. PUBLIC RELATIONS – MEDIA RELATIONSWAYS TO SAVE FREE – But deliberate, strategic, trend analysis MEDIA RELATIONS • Get to know your local media/relevant journalists • Develop rapport • Local college/university, professional organization, PR agency, volunteers and their contacts • Donate media relations and PR services • Generate media list • Local media contacts relevant to your cause/brand/category • Database and platforms available (Cision, etc.)

30. PUBLIC RELATIONS – community outreach, education, partnershipsWAYS TO SAVE Marketing message to influencers, target market/stakeholders Also FREE – But deliberate, time consuming and strategic TYPES: • Public Speaking/Presentations • Community Engagement/Customer Service • Community Partnerships/Coalitions – Raise Issue Visibility • Education Programs • Customer Service – Brand Ambassadors • Word of Mouth • Social Media (more later)

31. EMAIL MARKETING FREE – But need to be mindful of privacy, permission-based and spamming laws • Only send marketing emails: • People who have requested to receive them • Relevant content • Engaging, collaborative tone but brief • Build and create email contact list • Must avoid being flagged as “spam”

32. Email MARKETINGTips for Strategy & Success • BUILD A TARGETED MAIL LIST • Tips: Build your list with the aid of your best advocates & friends • BRING VALUE: • Tips: Provide a well crafted content piece, tell a story • DEVELOP A STRATEGY • Tips: Goals for new members, existing • GOALS: • Tips: Know what you want! • TEST & MONITOR RESPONSE

33. Email MARKETINGMarketing Services Overview • Constant Contact • Manage email database, provides design templates, monitoring, metrics • Set monthly fee based on size of list • Constantcontact.com • Vertical Response • Manage email database, more design freedom, monitoring, metrics • Pay-as-you-go fee or pay monthly • Non-profit program – up to 10,000 emails free per month for 501c3 orgs • Verticalresponse.com List of Online Services Available: http://email-marketing-service-review.toptenreviews.com

34. Website Marketing • Website Development: • Make your website an information destination • Building or adapting your website content for consistent updates & Social Media Integration • Monitoring/Metrics • Tips & Resources • Consider Use of WordPress format for Website build • Offer established web designer, firm and/developer sponsorship/publicity in your initiative in exchange for pro bono services • Give aspiring professionals an opportunity in exchange for pro bono services • Local college or university, • Local chapter of professional organizations • Finding Talent to build your site: Freelance talent – elance.com • Design: 99designs.com • Programming: codemyconcept.com

35. Online MARKETINGAdVERTISING Overview • Advertising Basics • Pay Per Impression ( CPM or PPM): Banner Ads/Pop Up Ads • Pay Per Click (PPC) : Google AdWords, etc., pay when ad is clicked • Pay Per Action (PPA): Pay per sale, affiliate programs

36. Online- MarketingOpportunities • Outreach Programs : Examples • AOL Impact: http://impact.aol.com/ • Cause Cast http://nonprofit.causecast.org • Regional Outreach Opportunities* • Patch.com - Local! • Digital sites in serving your communities *Pew Research Jan 2011: Of 79% of Americans online. Internet was the second most Relied on source, adults under 40, after local newspaper (many of which have digital sites)

37. SOCIAL MEDIA • Facebook • Twitter • YouTube • Others

38. Communications vs. social media COMMUNICATIONS SOCIAL MEDIA Brand-driven Educates Message delivery – One –way Message repetition Brand creates content User/Audience driven Influences, Participatory Conversation – Two-way Message evolution Audience and Brand create content together

39. SociaL mediaStRategy Overview • Design Strategy • Craft Messaging/Voice • Build Content Roadmap • Identify Goals • Create Content – Drive Engagement • Build Online Community • Moderate Participation • Support • Listen & Respond • Provide Value

40. SociaL media - BenefitsOpportunity • Engaging your Audience • Improve Loyalty with your Audience • Analyze Insights and feedback to Improve • Creating Brand Advocacy • The “Share” Factor – Friends tell Friends - Power of referrals

41. TEXT MESSAGE/MOBILE MARKETING NOT FREE – But like email marketing, need to be mindful of privacy, permission-based and spamming laws • Only send texts to: • People who have requested to receive them –costs them to receive, you to send • Relevant content • Engaging, Short, Collaborative tone • Build and create texting contact list • Must avoid being flagged as “spam”

42. Questions & Answers

43. Tips for Optimizing Your Communications Dollars & Creating Messaging that Works National Disability Institute’s REI Tour Mayor’s Leadership Academy Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Sept. 27, 2011 4:40 – 5:40 p.m.