Here are five things we learnt from the expert speakers at CharityComms‘ Marketing and Communicating on a Shoestring conference.
1. Communication targets should always be specific
There’s no use saying you “want to increase awareness,” said Niall Cowley from communications consultancy Bright Young Things. It’s better to set specific targets such as “we want to increase traffic to our website by 20% in the next six months”.
2. Don’t think the media will support your cause just because you’re a charity
Jane Powell from C.A.L.M, the young men’s anti-suicide charity, has managed to achieve massive coverage and support for the work her charity does despite admitting that 97% of her attempts to get media, partners and pro bono support, fail. “You have to excite people regardless of how worthy your cause is,” she said. “Your role is to sell what you do.”
3. Case studies are a charity communicator’s Willy Wonka Golden Ticket
That’s according to Patrick Cox from the Small Charities Coalition. He advised training a few willing volunteers as case studies who would promote your cause to the media.
4. Keep it basic
Kim van Niekerk and Pauline Broomhead from the Foundation for Social Improvement explained how their charity put together their impact report on a limited budget using existing feedback they’d gathered over the years for case studies, iStockphoto for pics and a student designer to lay it out. “We used the report to explain what we are doing, what impact we have and what it is we’re going to do next,” said Pauline.
5. Remember there are lots of experts in your charity
Niall Cowley at Bright Young Things reminded delegates that their colleagues are expert in various aspects of their cause and could be excellent media spokespeople, even if they don’t work in communications. “Always say ‘yes’ to media calls,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to offer interviews with spokespeople.”
