Looking for specific examples of my message development? See this press release and public statement.
When planning communications, whether external or internal, there are two things to keep in mind:
- You must know the goal, or the desired outcome, of your communication, and
- You must know the message that you want to convey.
Put another way, you really need to be clear about the story you’re telling to your audiences, and what you want them to do as a result of hearing that story.
For me and my team, this is usually how we begin each and every one of our marketing campaigns. From email marketing campaigns to our list of thousands, to writing speeches and runs of show for conference sessions, and even through to internal communications campaigns to a staff of 25, identifying the goals of a communication and determining key messages is a critical first step.
But what does that look like in practice? How do you take such a task on collaboratively? Enter: the audience map. The following is a template I designed, inspired by and with the guidance of the tremendous team at Oak & Willow Group.
Last year, I led a workshop that took entrepreneurs through each of the steps in this template.
Following the hierarchy from top to bottom, the template leads you from committing to those stated objectives through identifying your target audiences, and finally to weaving your brand messaging into key messages for a specific campaign.
I’ve used this process in robust P.R. campaigns that engage with the media as well as in informal communications with staff. It keeps communications strategic, allows for measurement of comms initiatives, and is fun for those of us who express creativity through writing.
Here is an example using a previous employer (a synagogue) as a case study.
Enjoy using this template to drive inspiring and motivating communications!