Getting Heard Sharing the stories that matter with the audiences who need to hear them

Our goals today: Begin to identify the stories of our organization that we want to tell Understand why we picked those ones Think about who we want to tell those stories to, and when Consider all options for sharing them Identify what’s getting in our way around better communications and how we’re going to deal with that!

Where do stories come from? Our clients Our staff Our own experiences Our board members Our collective concerns/successes (e.g. the systemic stories) The situation in our community

Which stories should we tell? Key messages: What are yours? Relevant to the moment (e.g. election, budget cuts, coming events, new research) Relevant to our community Helpful to the collective cause Puts the impact of our work into human terms

Who do we tell our stories to? Government, influential managers General public Potential donors/supporters Our community and municipality Allies Clients and their families Staff

How do we tell them? Letters and other regular correspondence Our web sites Social media networks Traditional media News releases Presentations Newsletters Networks used by allies and partners

How do we get people’s attention? Find the human element Use accessible language that anyone can understand (no jargon, no acronyms) Tell it like you’re leaning over the back fence Strong images Context, statistics, research Tell stories of success that demonstrate what “good outcomes” look like Provide a call to action in every story

Social policy framework - huh? What are the real-life examples from your organization that speak to this? Use Board Voice materials to ensure consistent use of key messaging Are you sharing Board Voice info, research and links on your own site and social media? How will you help your MLAs understand why this matters?

Group work Identify a real-life issue in your organization that illustrates one of these key messages: 1. In the absence of an overarching plan, British Columbia currently spends billions of dollars on human services   2. A lack of integrated and coordinated planning causes real harm to people’s well-being in both the short- and long-term. Scarce resources are not used efficiently, people fall through cracks in the system, and complex social problems that can last generations are entrenched. 3. Coordinating social policies and the delivery of human services and supports is a fiscally smart strategy that will lead to a better quality of life for British Columbians. By focusing on the root causes of well-being and taking an approach that is centered on people British Columbia can be a province that works for everyone. 4 The coordinated, long-term planning of human services to improve the well-being of all British Columbians is a vital goal that transcends politics and ideology. Such planning offers a united vision across relevant government ministries and hundreds of community agencies that work in human services.

Your web site: Your public face Is it always up-to-date? Who manages it? Under whose direction? How quickly can you get a change made? If you visited your site as a stranger to your organization, what would you take away? Does it use design to highlight the key information you want people to know about your organization?

Social media: Make some noise! So much potential: If 1 in 4 workers in social services sector shared a post/link, reach could be up to 1 million Connect with allies and influencers via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc, and arrange to share each other’s relevant stories and posts Know which social media works best for your cause and focus on those Seek out opportunities for collecting photos

Facebook: The Basics Good for sharing stories with people who care about similar issues Needs a commitment to post minimum 3x/weekly. Reach takes time! Better with photos and images Unless promoted ($$), stories appear only in feeds of those who “like” us, so make a big effort to get liked by the right people! Posts can be set up in advance

Twitter: The Basics A tweet is like writing a compelling headline: How can you catch someone’s eye? Getting your hashtags right is really important! Reach takes time, planning: Follow and be followed by the right accounts Shared-interest groups connect around the world, keeps you up-to-date Tweets can be set up in advance

Instagram: The Basics It’s a phone app, so somebody needs to be designated as the instagrammer Do you have enough images for what is an image-exclusive medium? Hashtags important If telling stories, keep them very, very short – e.g. Humans of New York Suits stories that can be told through a single image

Your web site blog Why do you have one? How are you using it? Are you linking the blog in your social media? Is it updated often enough that the information feels fresh? What is the writing and approval process for getting a blog posted? Test your blog content with a word cloud

Traditional media: Opinion pieces Must be on a newsy topic Ideal is no more than 600 words, must have an author It’s all about relations – have you met the editor? Submit piece a week or more ahead of when you want it published Use on social media and web site to increase reach. Reach via traditional media is small: 1 in 5 people in metro Vancouver read Sun, no certainty they read your piece

Traditional media: News stories News releases are the fishing lure – don’t expect them to be published as is (but do publish them on your own web site, social media) You do not have control over the story Unique angle or good visuals will be needed to attract media, especially TV They will want to use names, take photos

Traditional media: Follow the news Are the media reporting accurately and in context on stories you know about? Don’t let errors pass without letting media know! Letters to the editor keep your name out there, let you add your organization’s perspective to a story in the news Capitalize on a moment when media is paying attention

Maximize your opportunities At least one key message in every report that goes to a funder Letters, conversations, presentations to local MLAs Presentations at community events or to service clubs Newsletters, bulletins, e-blasts Information sent to allies and supporters Any work-related conversation

Who does this work? Who in the organization is designated to talk to media? Must be available, share contact information, senior enough to have big picture and organization’s trust Give this work to someone who wants it! Who manages web site and social media? What guidance have they been given about how to select/write good posts that reflect your key messages? Do you have a strategy and key messages?

Group discussion: Barriers Who handles communications? Who manages your site and social media? What rules do they follow? Who has responsibility for identifying stories and making them happen? Opportunities for introducing this idea to organization’s clients/families? Where are organization’s images kept? Is there photo/video protocol?

And now: Make it happen! Share one communications-related improvement or action you are going to make happen in the next two weeks