Planning how you communicate your work ensures the most efficient use of scarce resources and gives a clear direction for everyday activity. Whether your communications strategy is designed for a specific project or for your overall organisational strategy, it should establish the following:

• Objectives
• Audiences
• Messages
• Tools and activities
• Resources
• Timescales
• Evaluation and amendment

Objectives

Your objectives are the key to the success of your communications strategy and should reflect the overall strategy of your organisation.

Audiences

Identify who you need to communicate with. This is not always obvious. Targeting the media may not help achieve your objectives if you should be concentrating on your members.

Messages

To maximise impact you should create a comprehensive message in three key points which can be constantly repeated. Emphasise the different elements for different audiences.

Tools and activities

Identify the most appropriate tools and activities. An annual report is a useful tool to communicate with funders and partners. An email newsletter or leaflets may communicate better with your service users.

Resources and timescales

Tailor your tools and activities to the time and resources available. Always deliver what you promise and never over promise.

Evaluation and amendment

Consider performing a communications audit to assess the effectiveness of your strategy. Use the results to amend your strategy. Questions you could ask your members, service users and funders are:

• What do you read/see/hear?
• What works/doesn’t work?
• What do you want to see more of?
• What information do you need that you are not currently supplied with?
• How often do you want us to communicate with you?

Involve your team or the entire organisation in drawing up your communications strategy and feed it into the overall organisational strategy.