Building A Multi-Functional Communications Program Balancing the paradigm shift of collaborative comprehensive analytical convergence techniques and best practices to optimize and enhance message delivery utilizing cutting- edge, synergetic and/or enterprisational immersion methods in a new era of benchmarked aggregation … Or …

JUST TELL THE DANG STORY ALREADY

How should we tell it? ? Facebook? Twitter? The media? Linked In? Speaking? Printed products?

TRICK QUESTION! The answer is all and then some! There is no Magic Bullet. As long as you are telling your story and not sitting on it, there’s no wrong way to tell it, BUT the more ways you tell it, the better.

Speaking engagements Some folks just know how to tell a story and love an audience. If you’ve got one of those folks, use them! KEYS TO SUCCESS  Church groups and civic clubs often are looking for speakers — let them know you’re available.  Entertain as much as inform.  Don’t get everyone bogged down in long videos or PowerPoints like this one! Audiences want to connect with you on a personal basis. Everybody loves a storyteller!

Facebook Why? Because not only is it free, but everybody and their grandma is on it these days. Well, more than a billion people anyway. KEYS TO SUCCESS  Post regularly. (4-7 times a week)  Don’t overpost. (They’ll hide you!)  Schedule posts for different times. (You can schedule for an hour from now or 6 months, any hour, any day.)  Photos. They’re the most seen, liked and shared items on Facebook.  Use cover photos and profile photos that are professional.  And, take advantage of Facebook’s advertising capabilities … Seen 68,000-plus times on Facebook

Facebook ads can target by age, interests and — most importantly for local groups — geography … all for as little as $1

Other social media Each has value, but is more limited. YouTube: We tend to like our videos more than other people like our videos. The shorter and more original they are (or funny … or have a cat!), the more likely they are to be watched and shared. Twitter: Good for short calls to action such as “Volunteers needed for this Saturday’s build for homeless veteran!” LinkedIn: Mostly valuable as a networking tool. You can make valuable connections with city officials and business leaders. This is the no-funny-business social media site.

If only the world were like this!

Instead of like this!

KEYS TO SUCCESS  At least once a month, but never more than once a week.  The most effective subject line is “Hey”. You might not want to overdo that, but you do want to make the subject line interesting and minimize that impersonal feeling of most group s.  Keep text short and minimize graphics. The last thing you want is for people to open it and immediately close it because they think it will be too time-consuming to read.

Media — Print KEYS TO SUCCESS  Know that today’s newspapers are tight-staffed.  AND know that means opportunities! They need material to fill their pages, especially ART. So, submit photos of your work.  BUT make sure the photos are (1) large enough for print and (2) of something interesting besides people lined up for a group photo. (Newspapers HATE these and usually won’t give them good play.)  Write letters to the editor expressing thanks and/or need. They’re free and wanted.  Be thankful for any coverage you get and just as polite when you don’t get it. A good relationship is key to ongoing coverage.  The press is not omniscient. Tell them what you’ve got going on with short press releases.

Media — Broadcast KEYS TO SUCCESS  Many local TV stations act at the last minute on stories when they realize they don’t have enough material to fill a newscast. Be flexible.  If you have a great speaker with a fun personality, a local morning radio show might enjoy them as a guest before a special event. Suggest it to them. Local radio personalities often aren’t hard to get hold of.  TV news loves a good visual (like tricycle races and famous folks or politicians working). Think about creative, staged visual opportunities.  And, remember, they’re not omniscient, either.

OVERALL: Short & sweet and all about ME! KEYS TO SUCCESS  Keep stories, press releases, videos, social media posts, etc., SHORT.  I’VE SAID TOO MUCH ABOUT ME; YOU TALK ABOUT ME FOR A WHILE: Today’s information consumer is looking for news and information about themselves. Make it about them, not about you or us. Tell them how they can make a difference.  A little humor goes a long way!

QUESTIONS???