Communications

Communications Planning in Five Easy Steps

Ó 2001, The Enterprise Foundation, Inc.

A well planned, coordinated communications effort will give your organization more visibility, for less money, than unplanned, hit-or-miss stabs at reaching your audiences. But how do you go about making a plan?

The attached template often works well to keep small group discussions focused and to help establish priorities. Here’s how it works:

1. Begin with the major short-term goals of the organization. What do you intend to accomplish in the next one to two years?
2. Then take the goals, one at a time, and identify who must be persuaded in order to achieve that goal. The who can be groups of people, specific individuals, or both.
3. For each person or group, brainstorm what message is likely to be persuasive. This means taking into account what they need, and looking for a way to align your message to show that helping your organization is helping them gain something. (The message must answer for each audience, "What’s in it for me?")
4. How refers to the media that will be most effective at getting the message to the audience. Will it be a newsletter, a brochure, a face-to-face conversation, or a combination?
5. The last three columns get down to practical concerns that help establish priorities: how much each method of communication will cost, who will do the work, and when you expect to see the work completed.

A small group should be able to work through the process in one or two half-day sessions. The end result will be the outline of a communications plan for the organization.

A sample matrix is on the next page.

Communications Planning Matrix

Goals (What are your organization’s communications objectives?)	Who (Audience: Who must be persuaded?)	What (Message: What’s in it for your target audience?)	How (Media: e.g., brochure, flyer, radio ad, newspaper ad)	How Much (Cost)	Who Will Do (Responsibility: Who will do the work?)	When (Completion date)
[sample] 1. Raise more money!	Foundations	Community development/housing is the bedrock under all other social needs This CDC is a professional organization. We are accountable, and have a good track record.	Grant proposals Website Brochure Neighborhood tours	n.c. $5,000 $2,500 $1,500	E.D., with board assistance Hire consultant E.D. with outside designer All staff	Ongoing June 30 April 30 May 15
	City government	We are part of the solution. We are the "glue" of public-private partnerships.	Website Brochure Tours	See above See above See above	See above See above See above	June 30 April 30 May 15
	Residents	We’re helping build a safer, stronger neighborhood. We can all be proud of our neighborhood. The CDC makes things happen.	Sell T-shirts Neighborhood festival	$750 $2,500	Housing dir., with designer All staff	July 15 July 15

This article and matrix template were prepared by Don Akchin, communications program director for The Enterprise Foundation.

Ó 2001, The Enterprise Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved.