Anyone who’s worked with me on communications planning over the years has heard one question more than any other: 

“How will that get us where we want to go?”

Businesses are used to applying a strategic filter to tasks that are typically taught in business school – from accounting to hiring to business development. By applying the same strategic framework to communications planning, you can actually simplify your decision making, more easily prioritize your efforts, and get the results you are looking for more quickly.

Practice putting your end goal – or vision – first when selecting your media, audiences, and timing. Keeping your vision at the center of your communications planning will allow you to let less important priorities and influences fall away.

Putting it into practice: a hypothetical case study

Say your non-profit organization’s vision is to connect every student in your state with a free or low-cost computer at home. That remains your north star for every decision you make on communications. 

By answering a few questions (and keeping that core question in mind: how will this get us where we want to go?), you can develop a focused action plan. 

What are your assets – what is working in your favor?

1. Reputation
2. Track record
3. A well-established need

These three assets will be critical in developing your messaging — your voice. 

Who is most critical to the effort?

1. Donors
2. Suppliers
3. Staff
4. Community connectors – municipal leaders, schools, community organizations

These are your primary audiences – the audiences you will seek out and engage with your communications messaging and tactics. 

What activities are essential to achieving your vision?

1. Raising the funds needed to implement
2. Staffing up to carry out the work
3. Identifying trusted suppliers and encouraging their support
4. Finding and connecting with families who need computers at home

These activities are the basis for the call to action you will use to inspire action from your audiences. They are the action elements of your voice.

What are the barriers to achieving your vision?

1. Low awareness of our organization and what it does
2. Inspiring supporters to contribute and spread the word
3. Building trust with suppliers, beneficiaries, and new donors

While these barriers will not be articulated in your message, they are important to consider as you work through your communications planning to avoid missteps or wasted effort. 

The last step is to consider the highest value tactics for weaving your vision and voice into an effective communication strategy. This can prove challenging when there is a broad range of opinion about what you should do. This is when it is critical to begin research: 

• Where does your audience usually get its information? 
• What tactics have worked in the past? 
• What skills do you have in-house? 
• Will your message break through on this platform or will you need to boost it with advertising? 

Taking your most important assets, audiences, and activities into consideration, you can begin formal communications planning.