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Developing a Communications Plan for Public Outreach
Wendy Madsen
Legislative Information Officer
Wyoming Legislative Service Office
Why do you need to develop a
communications plan?
“Luck is where preparation meets
opportunity”
- Seneca, Roman philosopher
Communications Plan Template
You can use this template to create your own communications plan
Focus on the elements of the plan throughout the workshop
Use template to help focus outreach
Delete gray capitalized “help” text*** MARK FOR DELETION***
Template provides click boxes in brackets [text] for you to complete
Components of a Communications Plan
SWOT Analysis
Audience Identification
Goals and Objectives
Communications Tools and Strategies
Key Messages
Branding and Identity
Crisis Communications
Plan Measurement and Timeline
Provides an overview of your plan
Limit to one page
Helps you focus on overall priorities
Section 1 Executive Summary
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
Section 2 SWOT Analysis
Passion for the institution
Strong print media ties
Understanding of new technology
What are your communications strengths?
SWOT AnalysisExamples of Strengths
Limited staff
Limited financial resources
Weak media ties
What are your communications weaknesses?
SWOT AnalysisExamples of Weaknesses
Public believes that more should be done to teach young people about representative democracy
Constituents in my district have expressed interest in being more involved in their government
There is a renewed interest in covering legislative proceedings by broadcast media
What are your communications opportunities?
SWOT AnalysisExamples of Opportunities
Other organizations are overshadowing our messages and we are not being heard
Turnover of members is reducing the organization’s institutional memory
Print media has reduced the amount of government coverage in its newspapers
What are your communications threats?
SWOT AnalysisExamples of Threats
Who are you trying to reach with your communications?
Section 3 Audience Identification
Primary AudienceExamples
Youth ages 13 to 18
National print media
Local business leaders
Identify three audiences that you will target with directed communications efforts
Secondary AudienceExamples
Educational institutions and teachers
Local print media
Local civic leaders
Identify three audiences that will benefit from targeted activities to your primary audiences
Other StakeholderExamples
Political party leadership
Parliamentary leadership
Parliamentary staff
Who needs to support your plan for you to implement your communications objectives?
Section 4 Goals and Objectives
What do you want to accomplish through your
communications plan?
Quebec National Assembly Communication Objectives The Assembly wants to increase the percentage
of citizens who are familiar with its mission
The Assembly wants to help people better understand the work and role of members
The Assembly wants to promote increased citizen participation in its parliamentary proceedings and activities
Develop three communications objectives that you would like to accomplish this year
Section 5 Strategies and Tools
What specific strategies will you use to achieve your goals?
What tasks do you need to complete as part of your strategies?
What tools are available to help you meet your goals?
SMART Goals and Strategies
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Timely
Instead of: Do better at communicating with media
Try: Conduct two briefings for reporters each month
Instead of: Meet with my constituents
Try: Hold 10 town meetings throughout district in 2008
Instead of: Get 100 percent of voters to click on Web site
Try: Increase Web site hits by 10 percent in 2008
Instead of: Use all methods of technology to communicate
Try: Develop and promote blog to inform constituents
Instead of: Produce annual report for constituents
Try: Distribute annual report one month after adjourning
Examples of Communications Tools
Direct mail
Flyers/posters
Brochures
Annual reports
Speaking engagements
Community meetings
Focus groups
Newsletters
News releases
News conferences
Newspaper columns
Mass E-mail updates
Web sites
Blogs
Podcasts/webcasts
Text message blasts
Communications Tools
Develop strategies and tools to meet your goals and objectives outlined in Section 4
Remember your audience when you think about what tools to use.
Does your audience have the technology to use your preferred tools?
Low-tech communications tools can be just as effective, if not more effective, than high-tech tools!
Section 6 Key Messages
What messages do you want to communicate?
Why do you need key messages?
- Gerard Braud, media trainer
“Someone is going to edit
what you say. It might as well be
you.”
What is a key message? Clearly and concisely tells who you are,
what you do, and why they should care
Helps organize your thoughts and avoid rambling
Helps you stay “on message” and remember your supporting points
Answers questions you wish you had been asked
Should be no longer than two sentences
Key MessageExamples
Imagine a university that changes people’s lives for the better
Every day in coastal Louisiana, 33 football fields of land disappear
NCSL is the forum for America’s ideas
Develop no more than three key messages for each topic that you want to include in your plan
How to Use Key Messages
Repeat your key messages in all of your communications (print, broadcast, online)
Control the direction of conversation by bridging back to your key messages
When at a loss for words, go back to your key messages … they are your safe harbor
Section 7 Branding and Identity
Does the public know who you are?
Do they instantly recognize information you provide?
What image do you convey to the public and is it what you want?
Section 7 Branding and Identity
Just do it.
The Uncola.
It takes a licking and keeps on ticking.
Melts in your mouth, not in your hands.
Don’t leave home without it.
Section 7 Branding and Identity
Official logo of the Wyoming Legislature
Used in all print and online resources
Includes font and color standards
Section 8 Crisis Communications
When a crisis happens, how do you plan to restore public confidence?
Can you ensure that the public receives timely and accurate
information in a crisis?
A Crisis Can Come in All Shapes and Sizes
A crisis is defined as an emergency or situation that
can affect the integrity, reputation, public confidence of
(the institution, party, member) and/or that has the potential to
disrupt the normal course of business.
A Crisis Can Come in All Shapes and Sizes
What qualifies as a crisis?
Can you provide some examples?
Crisis Communications
Create a crisis planning team
Identify potential crises and develop action plans
Periodically practice, evaluate and revise the plan
Develop a couple of crisis scenarios and an action plan to go along with each scenario
It’s Called a Crisis for a Reason
Can be picked up by anyone in your organization and used in a crisis in case you are not available
Has detailed information, including all possible phone numbers, contact lists, and easy-to-follow procedures
Is available offsite, even on a separate server, and it should also be available in paper form
Structure your action plan so that it:
Section 9 Plan Measurement
“What gets measured gets done” - Tom Peters
“One of the great mistakes is to judge policies and programs by their intentions rather than their results” - Milton Friedman
“Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted” - Albert Einstein
Examples of Plan Measurement Tools
Internal surveys
Online surveys
Web hits
Newspaper clippings
Number of news releases
How do you plan to measure whether or not you are achieving your communications goals?
Section 10 Plan Timeline
“Goals are dreams with deadlines”
- Diana Scharf Hunt
“In the field of observation,
chance favors only the prepared mind”
- Louis Pasteur
Why plan?
Thank you for this opportunity
to share ideasWendy Madsen
Legislative Information Officer
Wyoming Legislative Service Office
213 State Capitol
Cheyenne, WY, USA 82002
E-mail: [email protected]
Telephone: (307) 777-7881