so what and who cares: getting your messaging right
DESCRIPTION
Three Hour Workshop at the Montana Nonprofit Association conference, September 21, 2012TRANSCRIPT
So What?
Who Cares? Making Your Communications
More Relevant for Today
Kivi Leroux Miller
New Book
in the Works!
We get media messages a day.
We pay attention to about
We positively remember about
The rest?
So What?
Who Cares?
3,000
52.
4.
Quick and Dirty Marketing Plan
• Who are we trying to reach? (Or what do we want someone to do?)
• What’s our message to them? (Or why should they do it?)
• What’s the best way to deliver that message? (Or how do we convince them?)
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Which Comes First:
Right Message or
Right People?
What Do We Need People to Do?
Calls to Action
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Something Needs to Be Done!
Does Your Audience Know Where to Begin?
Typical (Ineffective) Calls to Action
• Participate
• Engage
• Believe
• Understand
• Help
• Support
• Be proactive
• Work with us
• Collaborate
• Buy in
• Promote
• Share
• Educate
• Network
• Connect
• Partner
Or No Call to Action At All!
Or We Are Too Shy to Ask
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We Assume It is Obvious, or Maybe That People Are
Psychic
People Need Direction
• They won’t do anything unless we ask.
• They can’t get there without a map.
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Solution 1: Think Visually
Can you take a photo or
video of someone doing it?
Solution 2: Step 1, Step 2 . . .
Can you break it down into simple, ordered steps?
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Solution 3: Create a Checklist
Can you create a
short checklist?
Let’s Work on Your
Calls to Action.
We want _______________ (group)
to ______________________ . (verb/object)
Who Cares?
Let’s Get to the
Right People by
Segmenting
If your org likes cranes,
you want to focus on this
person – who does care!
Not this one, who doesn’t.
Neutral, probably
persuadable.
Ignore people like
this (unless they
are organized
opposition).
Most likely a strong
advocate for you.
Most likely a friend
of your org.
Everyone should care.
But they don’t.
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Forget the “general public.”
Clients
Volunteers
Advocates
Donors
Funders
Partners
Policymakers
Decisionmakers
Media
Others Who Influence Your
Success
Focus on groups of people who are likely to lean your way.
Some Possible
Groupings: • Demographics?
• “Tribes”
• Behaviors
• Geotargeting
• Stages of Change
Let’s Add Segments to
Your Calls to Action.
We’d like _______ who
(group)
_________ to _______. (segmenting description) (do what?)
So What?
Start with Rewarding,
Realistic & Real Time
Good Marketing: Making Your Messages Relevant to Others
What are you
trying to do?
Gross!
I don’t
care if it’s
good for
me!
Bad Messaging.
Rewarding Messages
Rewarding: The Benefit Exchange
• What’s in it for them to follow through?
• Often an emotional payoff
Example: Teens and Smoking
• What are the benefits of not smoking?
• Do teens care about them?
• What DO teens care about?
• How can we relate what they care about to not smoking?
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What rewards do your
participants or
supporters get for
following through?
Realistic Messages
Realistic: Addressing Barriers
• Heart overrules head
• Convenient?
• Easy or difficult?
• Costly ($, time)
• Stigma?
Example: Health Screenings
• Most women know they need Pap smears.
• So why don’t they get them regularly?
• How can we address the barrier in our messaging?
What barriers should
your messaging
address?
Real Time Messages
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REAL-TIME MESSAGES:
Does your message work in the context of the news and everything else you are talking about?
Add These As We Discuss . . .
• National News
• State News
• Local News
• Seasons and Holidays
• Your Programs, Services, Events Schedule
• What Else?
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What can you do to
make your messages
feel more timely?
So What?
Create Content That’s
Responsive, Revealing
and Refreshing
Responsive Messages
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RESPONSIVE MESSAGES:
Think of communicating
as gift giving.
RESPONSIVE MESSAGES:
Listen to what your
supporters are saying,
and respond!
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RESPONSIVE MESSAGES: Prove you are listening!
EARN wanted to talk
about home ownership
and small business
development as a way to
help low-wage workers
build wealth, but their
target audience wanted to
talk about student loan
debt, thus the creation of
MyDebtStory.com
http://www.nonprofitmarketingblog.com/comments/great_content_forges_great_connections_a_reader_guest_post/
RESPONSIVE MESSAGES:
Be a helpful human.
RESPONSIVE MESSAGES:
Be a helpful human!
How can you listen and
then be a helpful
human?
Revealing Messages
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REVEALING
MESSAGES:
Share New Info
or Insights.
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Read the story of this post here: http://www.bethkanter.org/pigs-hsus/
REVEALING MESSAGES:
Bringing New Info or
Perspectives to Light
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REVEALING MESSAGES:
Take us back stage.
REVEALING MESSAGES:
Following Up with Results
Your Donors Made Possible
REVEALING MESSAGES:
Story Arcs that Take Us
Back Stage
REVEALING: Communications Arcs
• Think Must-See TV, Except Now It’s Your Content!
• Story Threads Over Weeks or Months
• Think Beginning, Middle, End
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Where are your
communications arcs?
Can you take us back
stage?
Refreshing Messages
REFRESHING MESSAGES:
Show some personality!
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REFRESHING MESSAGES:
Facts are fine, but emotions
drive action.
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REFRESHING MESSAGES: Show us
the personal side of your work – think
You and I/We.
You got cookie, so share it maybe?
“Raum and Moresi, both employees with
the nonprofit United Service Organizations
(USO), came up with a plan.”
REFRESHING MESSAGES:
Have some fun!
REFRESHING MESSAGES:
Express an opinion!
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How can you be more
refreshing?
Messaging That DOES Work
REWARDING: Benefits are clear. REALISTIC: Barriers are addressed. REAL TIME: Context makes sense. RESPONSIVE: We can tell you are listening.
REVEALING: Something new is shared. REFRESHING: The style is authentic.
What Three
Things Will You
Do Differently?
Any Sticky Situations?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/katerha/5588607682
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Thank You!
Kivi Leroux Miller @kivilm Facebook.com/ nonprofitmarketingguide [email protected]