AAUW CommunicationsWorkshop

Teresa Cheung and Roseann Krane AAUW IBC Leadership Training Saturday, July 27, 2013 Benicia, California

AAUW Communications Overview of AAUW Communications Newsletter Email Directory Publicity Web site Social Media Latest in Technology Old-fashioned Ways Questions and Answers

Overview: Today’s AAUW Communication

How do we get AAUW news? How do we convince members to get involved? How do we find out details of an event? How do we committed ourselves to an AAUW

issue? How do we get a friend to join AAUW?

From communication in several ways!!! In person, telephone, snail mail, email, newsletter,

website, Facebook, Twitter, group meetings, more… Effort vs. Results

AAUW Newsletters Can be a wonderful means of

communications People like receiving timely information People utilize information which is

tailored to their interests To communicate, a newsletter must get

read Watch out for the size of newsletter file.

How to fix that > People do not download if takes more

than 30 seconds. (keep less than 1 Mg)

You are the news editor

Make a deadline and stick to it Board members must send you

information As the editor you can rewrite

news Always use a proofreader Always get the president’s

approval before you distribute

Find out if anybody's readingThe Newsletter

Learn your audience, what they want People like recognition, money, security,

and fun .. Include these with AAUW data

Get feedback on a regular basis and update your style

Solicit questions from readers and include question-and-answer articles in the newsletter.

Is your newsletter being read?

Promote something. You may want to use two or more issues to do this.

Find out if anyone is doing what you're promoting because of newsletter.

Include information from the Interest Sections as that is what members like

Market your newsletter Publicize and promote the newsletter to

your members and the community

Put your newsletters in the local library

Send your newsletters to members in nearby branches

Entice members to read by using a contest

Write to be read fast - Start off with a bang

People want newsletters to be a quick read.

Don't beat around the bush. Get to the point.

Use the more familiar and shorter word. Write to express, not impress. Why say "utilize" when "use" will do?

Write at a level slightly below what your audience is capable of reading.

Struggle for good headlines

Use action verbs: Verbs like "grab," "strike," "stir" and "build" are all verbs that imply action.

Use present tense: Keep verbs in present tense. Present tense usually takes up less precious space, too.

Get to the point: Tell what the article is about.

Develop a style

Always do certain things the same way so you don't have to re-think how to do them.

There's no right or wrong about any of these style choices. Just decide, then stick with it.

Printed copies should be on the same color monthly.

A popular style guide is The Washington Post and Deskbook on Style. 

Seven Steps to a good Newsletter

1. Consider your audience.2. Stay on AAUW topic.3. Ask who, what, when, where, why,

how.4. Research your topic for accuracy. 5. Make it understandable. Be concise.6. Use action verbs, dynamic headlines.7. Proofread.

Distribution Most branches email the newsletter

monthly

Members who want a printed copy pay for it and the printing and mailing goes is down by another member

Some branches prefer to send email stating activities weekly

Do what is best for your branch

Software PC users usually use Microsoft Publisher

Mac users usually use InDesign

Any software or hardware will do

Use what gets the job done

Email There are 4 ways to communicate – in

person, in writing, over the phone, and digitally.

If email is the core of digital communication, do YOU use email effectively to get your message out to those who want to receive it?

Does it have a prominent place in your overall strategy? 

Email

Effective Email Communication1. Skip the capital letters2. Include a polite introduction3. Use the subject line4. Use auto sign to save time5. Check for spelling errors6. Double check recipients7. Make emails short and to the point

Mass communications Email with a listserver list

Must have a server with members subscribing

Email with a program like Constant contactMust pay for the program yearly

Browser email programs do not allow mass mailings and scramble graphics.

Depends on number of members Server requires an administrator who can

do more than email

Constant Contact costs about $150 per 500 users

Large branches need Constant Contact

Small branches can purchase mass communication software together

Sample with Constant Contact

Creating Server Users

Listserve

You can see this method is really for a techy – a computer programmer finds this easy but not everyday jane.

Work with Each Other

Branches with small numbers of members should work with other branches to use software for email

CC has templates and graphics

Directories Directories should be done with a program

allowing merges of photos such as PC users who use Microsoft Publisher with a catalog merge.

The feature needed is catalog merge. Output example.

Websites Easiest and Most Prevalent Way to Provide

Communication Outside Audience Within Membership

Do we all have web presence?

Association standardized (WordPress) design vs. other

Advantages of Website Usage Latest Information Instantaneously

Almost all members use: Computers, I-phones, I-pads, etc.

Newsletters: Current and archives

Advantages of Website Usage

Board Members Information: Minutes, documents

Password Protected Area: Sensitive Information for Members Only

AAUW Issues and Publicity

Event Registration – Seal the Deal Immediately

Websites within our IBCBenicia-Vallejo beniciavallejo-ca.aauw.net

Clayton www.ClaytonAAUW.org Concord concord-ca.aauw.net

Danville-Alamo-Walnut Creek daw-ca.aauw.net

Delta-Contra Costa dccaauw.blogspot.com

Orinda-Moraga-Lafayette www.aauwoml.org

Pleasant Hill-Martinez www.aauw-PleasantHill-Martinez.org

San Ramon SanRamon-ca.aauw.net

West Contra Costa www.aauw-westcontracosta.org

Websites – Association WordPress

Advantages Standardized Same Look and Feel Easy to Use without extra software Association Site-Resources Help

(Megan at site-resources@aauw.org) Multiple Log-ins

Disadvantages Standardized Same Look and Feel Some features needs to be fixed by Association

Menu Dropdowns Sidebars Forms Databases

Dashboard (Demonstration: http://daw-ca.aauw.net/)

Publicize - Get Well Known

Get yourself signed up to popular websites. To get your website known, get yourself known on the Internet too. Create a Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, YouTube, etc. and mention your website there. Whoever looks at your page will see yours linked.

Go to famous/popular people's websites and advertise. Go to the fan site of someone popular or some website with tons of views and leave a comment.

Tell the public about your website. Go to school/work and mention your website. Say, “I'm just going to update my AAUW website later. “

Publicize - Well Known Make merchandise. Make a t-shirt or sign with your website

name on it and walk around wearing it. Do something wacky while wearing your shirt so people will want to see the website.

Go to local TV stations and Go to a sports event/concert and hold up poster. On Good Morning America, they film part of the show live outside, by the crowd. Take the sign to a place where you know you can get noticed.

Put an ad in the local paper. This might work - it'll cost a little bit of money.

Make your website creative. If it is awesome and cool looking, they will be attracted to it on their own. Give the website a cool name to be remembered.

Keep it up! Once you have more viewers, keep advertising to get more viewers and keep the ones you have now.

Latest Communication Technology (1-3 minutes)

AAUW Association www.aauw.org Facebook.com Twitter.com YouTube.com Tumblr.com Blog Feeds

Other Technologies WebEx.com GotoMeeting.com GotoWebinar.com GotoTraining.com

Old-Fashioned Ways No matter how much advanced technology

available for group communications (Websites, Emails, Newsletters), there is NO Substitute for ONE-ON-ONE CONTACT

Telephone calls

Face to Face Meetings

Sisters

Questions – contact us Roseann Krane roseann@krane.net

Teresa Cheung aauwteresa@gmail.com