There is a phrase making the rounds in the communisphere and it’s called, “remote control culture.” If you don’t capture someone’s interest quickly, they move on to the next channel. You must find the information that is most interesting to your audience – feed them food they like and they’ll stay seated and glued to your channel.
Resource Media recently worked with Oregon Environmental Council (OEC) on an e-communications conundrum that is common to many nonprofits that have worked hard to connect with the specific interests of their communities. They had developed several targeted communications channels that focused on one small part of their impressive body of work, but missed opportunities to weave together a coherent brand story.
Rule number one of strategic communications is to meet people where they are. Start with shared values. But you don’t have to stop there. A well-designed communications program can help illuminate the connections between different issues, acting as a bridge between familiar and new problems and solutions.
For OEC, maintaining several issue-specific channels took a lot of staff time. They wanted the best of all worlds: to ratchet back without losing supporters, and to help their community understand that public and environmental health go hand in hand, and that savvy consumers and sound policy are both necessary to create the Oregon we all want to live in.
Resource Media evaluated the time OEC staff spends on various communications and analyzed email open, click through and unsubscribe rates. We then mapped out a streamlined email program designed to make the organization’s outreach efforts more manageable and more effective. We encouraged them to ask their contact what they care about, test a new approach, and continue to track metrics so they can fine tune over time.
Is it time to reevaluate your electronic communications channels?
