Framing Our Message: Developing a Media Strategy Facilitator: Serena Garcia Nonprofit Communications Consultant January 24, 2013

Developing Your Communications Strategy

SMART Your communication strategy should be: Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Time-Specific

Communications Decisions  identify your vision, broad goal and objective (informative, persuasive)

Vision (What are your intentions?) Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance’s Family Matters project is dedicated to advancing, respecting and protecting the fundamental human right to family by eliminating discrimination based on family structure and relationship choices.

Broad goal (What do you want to achieve over the long term?) Woodhull recognizes the diversity of family in the United States and our goal is to protect our fundamental human right to family by eliminating discrimination based on family structure and relationship choices.

Objective (What’s the measurable step you need to accomplish within the next 12 months to move toward your goal?) Pass 2013 legislation to ensure same-sex couples in this state have the right to legal marriage.

Context Internal Scan:  What staff, resources, and tools?  Access to in-house research or other knowledge to support your strategy? External Scan:  Present state of debate on your issue?  Other partners?  Obstacles?

Define Your Position Where are you/your organization in the debate? Frame: there is no discussion about the issue of the fundamental human right to family Amplify: the debate has been set in motion and terms favorable to your objective, discussion is going well about same-sex parenting Reframe: losing the debate, so it’s time to switch gears by intersecting right to family with Human Rights

Strategic Choices  defining audiences (community, legislators)  messaging (sharing knowledge, building will, reinforcing action)  message delivery (influencers, decision makers)

Theme Define how you will approach messaging with each audience. Select a theme that springs from your audience’s values Examples: o Every Child Deserves a Family. o Marriage Matters: They are Committed. So are We.

Audiences Who is your audience? Where are they on your issue? Are they ready for: being informed of an issue, building will, call to action Important! These two are not audiences: -general public -media

Messaging Develop your points: The value message. The barrier message. The ask. The vision message.

Messaging Target your audiences narrowly:  Segment them demographically, geographically, by age, etc.  Reach them according to segmentation

Messaging Community:  Message to them intersectionally.  Share similarities instead of differences.  Select audiences that are willing to publicly show their support.  Tell them you want them to care about and what you want them to do.  Do not demonize!

Messaging Legislators:  Focus on the greatest influencer and those with the most access to decision makers.  Create shared values.  Offer hope for change.  Build bridges.  Be careful about pushing guilt or fear.

Communications activities Tactics When do you need to use:  Talking points  Media kits  Media releases  Media alerts  Fact sheets  Press conferences

Communications activities Tactics Talking points are meant to give people a quick and easy way of staying on track to address specific issues.

Communications activities Good Talking Points: Clear and Concise If you only want people to say one thing, what is it? Put it in the first bullet. - Organize it with sub-bullets. - Your main point needs support. - Avoid being lengthy or burying your lead. - And people think in three's. Anticipate what the press will ask / opposition will say and pre-empt. - You don't need talking points for happy news. - Something bad or controversial has happened. - Be upfront about it.

Communications activities Talking Points

Communications activities Tactics Why media kits are important:  A media kit brings together information and articles that could be of interest to the media, sponsors, donors, and others  Elements of a media kit -

Communications activities Tactics Why media releases are important:  Provides framing/reframing, 5 w’s & h, includes relevant quotes Call to action - legislators s_to_endorse_lgbt_family_values_platform Support for actions its_to_children_of_federal_employees_in_domestic_partnerships

Communications activities Components of a Media Release Components of a Media Alert o Consists of 5 w’s & h with a short outline of a newsworthy event or announcement

Communications activities Tactics Why fact sheets are important:  A summation of your issue to a specific audience  It is generally one or two pages and includes 5 w’s & h

Communications activities Tactics Using fact sheets with legislators: Using fact sheets with the media: Tips - it immediately before interview requests or provide a link from your website, provide a hard copy during events

Communications activities Press Conferences Whether you need to publicize an event, deliver an important message or warn the public about an emergency, press conferences are a tactic to ensure you get attention. Examples: racial-profiling/

Communications activities Twitter  Link to newsworthy events, relevant issues  Tweet during the moment of an activity  Follow – 60 % retweet, 30 % convo and response engagement, 10 % ask – action  Use it to research, gain support, get new ideas, survey people  Isolate conversations with hash tags  Use date of activity in your hash tag to review past activity #topicdate  Follow others with shared interests  Balance the number of followers and people you follow

Communications activities Facebook  Use FB for storytelling to express human interest  Encourage feedback and interaction  Encourage actions (join, give, write, post)  Encourage viewers to post their activities  Support allies and partners  Grow online mobilization base  Show milestones accomplished  Praise people for being active and supportive

Communications activities s  Ask people for their s as a courtesy  Build your database with supporters  Create engaging informative pieces and asks  Always use cause-focused photos/videos  Be specific about what you want them to do  Tell them how their support will help your cause  Create sense of urgency for asks  Include links to other social media/websites  Use active language in subject line

Communications activities Other Tactics  Meetings  Websites  Newsletters  Press conferences  Letters  Phone calls  Cell phone text campaigns  Paid advertising

Communications activities Tactics Timelines/Tasks  Backtrack from your intended deadline  Create attainable timelines  Assign tasks to various people

Measurement Outputs o generating more news articles with your message o participants attended Outcomes o behavior changes o decision making changes o attitude changes

References National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Woodhull Alliance-Family Matters Project Family Equality Spitfire American Association of University Women National Association of Social Workers Community Tool Box Slideshare Nonprofit Technology Conference Libraries of Washington State One Seo Company Ereleases