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

2. 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!

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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?

9. 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.

10. 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?

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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?

21. 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?

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