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Design your message

Engaging communications -

Develop your communications and have a plan

Having an uplifting, exciting message and a clear, thought out, plan of how your going to spread it can help focus your message and reach your target audiences. A plan can also influence the efficiency and simplicity of your chosen communication methods.

By communication we mean the process of transmitting ideas and information. For grass roots, in this case your scout group, this means conveying the true nature of your group, the issues you deal with, and your accomplishments, benefits and opportunities to your local community.

Communication can take many forms, including:

  • word of mouth 

  • news stories: in print, on the web and broadcast media

  • press releases

  • feature articles

  • posters

  • brochures

  • fliers / leaflets

  • presentations

  • other community groups and organisations

  • special events

  • open houses

To communicate effectively, it helps to plan out what you want from your communication, and what you need to do to get it.

 

What is a plan for communication?

Planning is a way to organise actions that will lead to achieving your goal. Your goal, in this case, is to raise awareness about the flexible opportunities your scout group has to get involved in scouting and the long-term benefits their help will bring to the young people in your local community.

To develop a plan for communication, you have to consider some basic questions:

  • Why do you want to communicate with the community?  (What’s your purpose?)
  • To whom do you want to communicate it?  (Who’s your audience?)
  • What do you want to communicate?  (What’s your message?)
  • How do you want to communicate it?  (What communication channels will you use?)
  • Whom should you contact, and what should you do to use those channels?  (How will you distribute your message?)

The answers to these questions constitute your action plan, what you need to do to successfully communicate with your audience. The remainder of your communication plan, involves three steps:

  • Implement your action plan
  • Design your message and distribute it to your intended audience
  • Evaluate your communication efforts and adjust your plan accordingly

Keep at it

Communication is an ongoing process for any organisation that serves, depends upon, or is in any way connected with the community. The purpose, audience, message, and channels may change, but the need to maintain relationships with your audience and the key people in your local community remain.  As a result, an essential part of any communication plan is to continue using and revising your plan, based on your experience.

Why should you develop a plan for communication?

A plan will make it possible to target your communication accurately. It gives you a structure to determine whom you need to reach and how a plan can be long-term, helping you map out how to raise your profile and refine your image in your local community over time or short-term, to help you achieve your immediate needs.

A plan will make your communication efforts more efficient, effective, and lasting, a plan makes everything easier. If you spend some time planning at the beginning of a recruitment drive, you can save a great deal of time later on, because you know what you should be doing at any point in the process.

When should you develop a plan for communication?

Your communication plan should be a key part of your adult recruitment plan. So as soon as your scout group begins planning for adult recruitment, you should also start planning ways to communicate.

 

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