NGOs StoryTailors Guide

8/9/2019 NGOs StoryTailors Guide

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NGOs Communication Camp 2 nd Edition is a D.G.T.Association KA 1 YouthMobility project financedby the European Unionthrough Erasmus+ Programme.

The content of this bookletdoes not reflect theofficial opinion of theEuropean Union.Responsibility for theinformation lies entirelywith the author(s).

NGOsStorytelling


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Dear Trainer or Communication Specialist,

Best regards,

Emilia RaduCorina eler Project Coordinator & Trainer NGOs Communication CampJanuary 2015

N o one does it alone (inbranding and in life). Thisis a resource for the wholebranding team from thepresident to the creativevolunteer to the designerand brand strategist. Iwant to make it easy toquickly grasp thefundamentals and beinspired by best practices;And I want to make it easyto build brand equity.

The tools have changed. Thefundamentals have not. Thequestions are the samewhether youre on Facebookor in your office: Who are

you? Who needs to know? Howwill they find out?

This booklet has beendesigned to help you trainnon-governmentalorganizations or yourcommunication departmentand take positive actionsto improve communicationswith your teams, media orpartners. It will show youways to put together aninternal and externalcommunications strategy andaction plan and gives

helpful advice on a range

of communications channelswhich you can use.

The booklet is based onNGOs Communication CampTraining Curriculum thatwas developed by D.G.T.Association and thetrainers team specializedin communication for not-for-profit organisation in2013 and 2014 .

We encourage you to adaptthese concepts in order tomeet your specific needsand we hope it will guideand assist you withplanning of your owncommunication strategy.

If you need additionalinformation about theprogram, please contactD.G.T. Association [email protected]

No one does it alone


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Table of Contents

BasicsBrand Identity

The importance of Media to the workof NGO

Social Media and MobileHow to het a Wikipedia page for your

non-profitBlogging your projectsIts storytelling time

Google Adwords for nonprofitsYour team = brand ambassadors

Glossary of terms


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Image and perception help drive value; without an image there is no perception.

Scott M. DavisBrand Asset Management


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1 Basics

N GOs and other non-profitorganizations must reinforce andreestablish their identity as a

powerful and recognizable brand.Communication is very important fornon-profit organizations, betweeneach other and to the public.Otherwise, how else would NGOs beable to differentiate themselves fromeach other?

The survival of current NGOs dependson their ability to publicly sustainan issue and to be seen by thoseinterested as the vehicle for

processing and transforming thematter.

To achieve this, the NGO must reachout to their audience in search oftwo objectives: first, to propagatethe values, ideas and beliefs thatgive meaning and entity to theorganization. Second, it must ensurethat its stakeholders feel involvedand committed to the organization.

Thus the NGO can attract stakeholdersto contribute to their cause, throughboth direct and economicparticipation.

nonprofit sector, appear to be at aninflection point. Whilesome in the sector are skepticalabout brands, believing that thebrand is essentially a fundraisingtool, many are embracing a morestrategic role for their brands indriving long term social goals andbuilding internal cohesion andcapacity.

These objectives require that theimage and communication of an NGOshould look to draw attentionpublicly to the issue that the NGO

itself embodies, or to interpret theproblem, synthesizing the diagnosticof the situation, dangers andpossible solutions of this issue.

It is a matter of courage to knowyour story. It is a matter of wisdomto be able to share it with theothers.

Today, communication technologies

open new opportunities forstorytelling. At the same time, thestories of your projects are neededtoday more than ever in order todiscern the essence from noise.


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ho are we?

Let us first discuss WHO we are,and WHAT we want to do.

1. Think about the NGO you workfor. Imagine you are describingthis NGO to a friend. In onesentence, describe what yourorganization is trying toachieve.

2. If the work of your NGO issuccessful, how will life in thecommunity be improved? Whatpositive changes will there be?

3. What is the image (or voice) of your NGO? How do you wantpeople to think of you? Make alist of words to describe thepersonality of your organization(for example: friendly, caring,helpful).

4. What wrong ideas do people (andthe media) have about yourorganization and the work youdo? Why do you think they have

these wrong ideas?

Five years ago, when we wereapproached to help several not-for-profit organizations,

their representatives complaint wassimple:

"Nobody knows who we are or what wedo!"

We analyzed their existingcommunications and communityengagement efforts, talking withpeople both inside and outside theorganization, trying to see thefull picture of the group's work.

The answer is simple and complex inthe same time:

"We know why nobody knows who youare or what you do. You don't tellanyone!

They were using a slew of "standardbusiness marketing tools." They hada great brochure, an impressivequarterly journal, PR with localmedia - many of the tools you mightread about in a standard off-the-shelf small business marketing

book.

So what about

Community Engagement?

1 Basics


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Community Engagement Tool #2:Speaking

nother effective way to engage

groups and individuals in the missionyou care about is Public Speaking.There are always groups looking foreffective speakers - speakers who knowtheir subject and can capture anaudience's attention for 15 minutes,30 minutes, an hour. If you make clearto the group that you are NOT there toask for money, but just to share whatyou know about an issue concerning thecommunity, there are a multitude ofspeaking engagements just waiting forsomeone from your organization.

Speaking goes one step beyond writing,because when folks hear you speak,they are getting a direct and tangiblesense of your issues, and you areright there, in real time, able to

engage their questions and dispeltheir misconceptions. They willimmediately sense the importance ofyour mission, and how it relates tothem personally. Seeing someone speakis as close to snacking on pizza inthe supermarket as your audience canget!

The benefits of speaking can also livebeyond that one event. Just have yourtalk videotaped, and you can streamthat video from your organization'swebsite. Or you can send copies of thespeech on a CD to your organization'sfriends.


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Community Engagement Tool #3: One-on-One Conversations

We all know the word of a trusted friend or colleague can go miles to open doors.Building those one-on-one friendships lies at the very heart of CommunityEngagement. And yet it is surprising how few organizations take full advantage ofthis simple tool!

How to Do It: There are many ways tosimply and comfortably engage friendsfor your mission via one-on-oneconversations. And while Social Mediasuch as Facebook and Twitter make iteasy to meet people online, there isnothing like slow, meaningful liveconversation to make a real differenceto your organization. Here is just oneway to do that:

Take one current friend of yourmission to breakfast each week, tojust chat about what's going on as itrelates to your mission. During thatbreakfast, ask that person if he cansuggest 3 other people who might wantto know about your work. And then askif he would call those 3 people tomake an introduction for you, so thatwhen you call it's not a cold call.

Then call those people, and tour themthrough your facility or meet them intheir office to engage them in your

mission. Don't ask them for anything

but their wisdom - just start to buildthe relationship between their passion/ interest and your work. Then followup with that new friend - a thank younote for their time, an article yousaw that you thought they might enjoy,or the new article you just wrote!Keep them in your monthly/bi-monthlycontact loop, and continue to followup.

This is the type of work any of us canfeel comfortable doing. And it is allgenerated from the word of mouth of asupportive friend who is alreadyfamiliar with the importance of yourmission.


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Lets start by dispelling some myths a brand is not a logo.

a brand is not an identity.

a brand is not a product/organization/companya brand is a person gut feeling about a

product, service or an organization

Brand identity is tangible andappeals to the senses. You can seeit, touch it, hold it, hear it, watchit move. Brand identity fuels

recognition, amplifiesdifferentiation, and makes big ideasand meaning accessible. Brandidentity takes disparate elements andunifies them into whole systems.

2 Brand identity

Is a gutfeelingecauseeople areemotional,ntuitiveeings.

As competition creates infinitechoices, companies look forways to connect emotionallywith customers, becomeirreplaceable, and createlifelong relationships. Astrong brand stands out in adensely crowded marketplace.People fall in love withbrands, trust them, and believein their superiority. How abrand is perceived affects itssuccess, regardless of whetherits a start -up, a nonprofit,or a product.

Branding is a disciplinedprocess used to build awarenessand extend customerloyalty. It requires a mandatefrom the top and readiness toinvest in the future.

Branding is about seizing everyopportunity to express whypeople should choose onebrand over another. A desire tolead, outpace the competition,and give employeesthe best tools to reachcustomers are the reasons whycompanies leverage branding.

The best identity programsembody and advance thecompanys brand by supportingdesired perceptions. Identityexpresses itself in every touchpoint of the brand and becomesintrinsic to a companysculture a constant symbol ofits core values and itsheritage.


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Effective brand strategy provides acentral unifying idea around which allbehavior,actions, and communications arealigned. It works across products andservices,and is effective over time. The bestbrand strategies are so differentiatedand powerful that they deflect thecompetition. They are easy to talkabout, whether you are the CEO or anemployee.

Brand strategy builds on a vision, isaligned with business strategy,emerges from a companys values andculture, and reflects an in-depthunderstanding of the customers needsand perceptions. Brand strategydefines positioning,differentiation, the competitiveadvantageand a unique value proposition.Aligning an organizations vision withits customers experience is the goalof brand strategy. Supporting everyeffective brand is a positioningstrategy that drives planning,marketing,

Positioning evolves to create openingsin a market that is continually

changing,a market in which consumers aresaturated with products and messages.

Positioning takes advantage of changesin demographics, technology, marketingcycles, consumer trends, and gaps inthe market to find new ways ofappealing to the public. A big ideafunctions as an organizational totempole around which strategy, behavior,actions, and communications arealigned. These simply wordedstatements are used internally as abeacon of a distinctive culture andexternally as a competitive advantagethat helps consumers make choices.

Big ideas are a springboard forresponsible creative work (thinking,designing, naming) and a litmus testfor measuring success. The simplicityof the language is deceptive becausethe process of getting there isdifficult. It requires extensivedialogue, patience, and the courage tosay less. A skilled facilitator,experienced in building consensus, isusually needed to ask the rightquestions and to achieve closure. Theresult of this work is a criticalcomponent in the realization of acompelling brand strategy and adifferentiated brand identity

.


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Brand Identity Ideals

ision requires courage. Big ideas,

enterprises, products, and services aresustained by individuals who have theability to imagine what others cannotsee and the tenacity to deliver whatthey believe is possible. Behind everysuccessful brand is a passionateindividual who inspires others to seethe future in a new way.

Brand identity begins with aconversation about the future. Hearingthe vision face to face is critical to

the brand identity process.

Leaders who take the time to sharetheir most audacious dreams andchallenges frequently understand thepower of symbols and storytelling tobuild their culture and brands.Strategic designers have the uncannyability to listen deeply and synthesizevast amounts of business-criticalinformation with an overarching vision.

The role of design is to anticipate thefuture before it happens. Brandidentity systems often prototype thepossibilities and spark meaningful

dialogue.


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The best brands stand for something: abig idea, a strategic position, adefined set of values, a voice thatstands apart. Symbols are vessels formeaning. They become more powerful withfrequent use and when people understandwhat they stand for. They are thefastest form of communication known toman. Meaning is rarely immediate andevolves over time.

eaning drives creativity

Designers distill meaning into uniquevisual form and expression. It iscritical that this meaning is explainedso that it can be understood,communicated, andapproved. All elements of the brandidentity system should have frameworkof meaning and logic.

eaning builds consensus

Meaning is like a campfire. Its arallying point used to build consensuswith a group of decision makers.

Agreement on brand essence andattributes builds critical synergy andprecedes any presentation of visualsolutions, naming conventions, or keymessages.

Bumper-to-bumper brands clamor for ourattention. The world is a noisy placefilledwith a panoply of choice. Why shouldconsumers choose one brand over others?It is not enough to be different.Brands need to demonstrate theirdifference and make it easy forcustomers to understand thatdifference.


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A name is transmitted day in and dayout, inconversations, emails, voicemails,websites,on the product, on business cards, andin

presentations. The wrong name for acompany, product, or service canhinder marketing efforts, throughmiscommunication or because peoplecannot pronounce it or remember it. Itcansubject a company to unnecessary legalrisks or alienate a market segment.Finding the right name that is legallyavailable is a gargantuan challenge.Naming requires a creative,

disciplined, strategic approach.

Naming is a rigorous and exhaustiveprocess. Frequently hundreds of namesare reviewed prior to finding one thatis legally available and works.

People often indicate that they willbe able to make a decision afterhearing a name once. In fact, goodnames are strategies and need to beexamined, tested, sold, and proven.

Various thoughtful techniques must beutilized to analyze the effectivenessof a name to ensure that itsconnotations are positive in themarkets served

Intellectual property lawyers need toconduct extensive searches to ensurethat there are no conflicting namesand to make record of similar names.It is too large a risk names need to

last over time.

The right name has the potential tobecome a self-propelling publicitycampaign, motivating word of mouth,reputation,recommendations, and press coverage.

The brand needs a stand-out name.

Meaningful Essence of the brandDistinctive - Unique, easy to remember, to pronounce

Protectable Trademark

Visual Brand architecture

Qualitiesofaneffectivename


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Tag l

ines

The lines you remember Get to the point

A tagline is a slogan,clarifier, mantra, companystatement, or guiding principlethat describes, synopsizes, orhelps create an interest.

ShortDifferentiated from its competitorsUniqueCaptures the brand essence and positioningEasy to say and remember

No negative connotationsDisplayed in a small fontCan be protected and trademarkedEvokes an emotional responseDifficult to create

Taglines influence consumers buyingbehavior by evoking an emotionalresponse. A tagline is a short phrasethat captures a companys brandessence, personality, and positioning,and distinguishes the company from itscompetitors.

A taglines frequent and consistentexposure in the media and in popularculture reinforces its message.Traditionally used in advertising,taglines are also applied on marketingcollateral as the centerpiece of apositioning strategy.

Taglines have a shorter life span thanlogos. Like advertising campaigns, theyare susceptible to marketplace andlifestyle changes. Deceptively simple,taglines are not arbitrary. They growout of an intensive strategic andcreative process.

Stay on message is the brand mantra.The best brands speak with onedistinctivevoice. On the web, in a tweet, inconversations with a salesperson, in aspeech given by the president, thecompany needs to project the sameunified message. It must be memorable,identifiable, and centered on thecustomer.


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L O G

O

TYP

O G

RAPHY

C O

L

O UR

Design is an iterative process thatseeks tointegrate meaning with form. The bestdesigners work at the intersection ofstrategic imagination, intuition,design excellence, and experience.

Reducing a complex idea to its visualessence requires skill, focus,

patience, and unending discipline. Adesigner may examine hundreds of ideasbefore focusing on a final choice.Even after a final idea emerges,testing its viability begins yetanother round of exploration. It is anenormous responsibility to designsomething that in all probability willbe reproduced hundreds of thousands,if not millions, of times and has alifetime of twenty years or more.

Creativity takes many roads. In someoffices numerous designers work on thesame idea, whereas in other officeseach designer might develop adifferent idea or positioningstrategy. Routinely hundreds ofsketches are put up on the wall for agroup discussion. Each preliminaryapproach can be a catalyst to a new

approach.

It is difficult to create a simpleform that is bold, memorable, andappropriate because we live in anoversaturated visual environment,making it critical to ensure that thesolution is unique and differentiated.In addition an identity will need tobe a workhorse across various mediaand applications.

In projects that involve redesign thedesigner must also carefully examinethe equity of the existing form andunderstand what it has meant to acompanys culture.

Design elements


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A logo is a graphic markor emblem used by organizations andindividuals to aid and promote instant public

recognition.


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Typography

Typography is a core building block ofan effective identity program.Companies likeWorld Vision, Unicef, UNESCO, areimmediately recognizable in great partdue to the distinctive and consistent

typographical style that is used withintelligence and purpose throughoutthousands of applications over time.

A unified and coherent company imageis not possible without typographythat has a unique personality and aninherent legibility. Typography mustsupport the positioning strategy andinformation hierarchy.

Identity program typography needs tobe sustainable and not on the curve ofa fad. Thousands of fonts have beencreated by renowned typographers,designers, and type foundries over thecenturies, and new typefaces are being

created each day. Some identity firmsroutinely design a proprietary fontfor a client.

Choosing the right font requires abasic knowledge of the breadth ofoptions and a core understanding ofhow effective typography functions.Issues of functionality differdramatically on a form, apharmaceutical package, a magazine ad,

and a website. The typeface needs tobe flexible and easy to use, and itmust provide a wide range ofexpression. Clarity and legibility arethe drivers.

The art and technique ofarranging type, type design,and modifying type glyphs.


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Color is used to evoke emotion andexpress personality. It stimulatesbrand association and acceleratesdifferentiation. As consumers wedepend on the familiarity of Coca-Colared. We dont need to read the type ona Tiffany gift box in order to knowwhere the gift was purchased. We seethe color and a set of impressionscomes to us.

In the sequence of visual perception,the brain reads color after itregisters a shape and before it readscontent. Choosing a color for a newidentity requires a core understandingof color theory, a clear vision of howthe brand needs to be perceived anddifferentiated, and an ability tomaster consistency and meaning over abroad range of media.

While some colors are used to unify an

identity, other colors may be usedfunctionally to clarify brandarchitecture, through differentiatingproducts or business lines.Traditionally the primary brand coloris assigned to the symbol, and thesecondary color is assigned to thelogotype, business descriptor, ortagline.

Families of color are developed to

support a broad range ofcommunications needs. Ensuring optimumreproduction of the brand color is anintegral element of standards, andpart of the challenge of unifyingcolors across packaging, printing,signage, and electronic media.


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3 The importance of theMedia to the work of NGOs

M ass media are channels, such asnewspapers, magazines, radio ortelevision, used to communicateinformation to large groups of people.By regularly conveying information toimportant audiences, from the generalpublic to government and internationaldecision makers, the media plays alarge role in shaping public debate.The media are among the most importantallies to the NGO community.

Establishing good relationships withjournalists is an integral part of anyeffective media outreach campaign.

Some ways in which the media can be ofimportance to NGOs include writingarticles that: create an environment of politicalpressure convey general information, servingas a public education tool counter popular misconceptions comment on an issue, providing analternative viewpoint

How to Establish Media Contacts

While journalists face tight deadlineseach day, they will make time to talkto you if you can prove that you are avaluable source of information. Inorder to establish yourself as avaluable contact to a journalist, youmust first do some work inpreparation. A good first step is tomake a list of the newspaper, radioand/or television media outlets withwhich you would like to establish arelationship. These are your targetmedia contacts.

Research what kind of stories yourtarget media contacts cover. To dothis, read, listen to or watch thereporting that your target mediacontacts produce. You can also useInternet search engines to review pastcoverage. Pay close attention and tryto identify one or two journalists whoregularly write stories relevant tothe subject matter of your mediaoutreach campaign.

Once youve done this basic homework,call your target media contacts. Beprepared to introduce yourself andyour organization, and to positionyourself as a resource to thatjournalist. Be succinct; chances areyou will only have one or two minutesof the journalists time .


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K eep a comprehensive database ofjournalist contacts once youveestablished them . Notes youll want toinclude are: full name, media outlet,journalist title, telephone and faxnumbers, email address, city, countryand any special information thejournalist has provided you.

Respect that journalists are constantlybombarded with communicationsmaterials. Even if a news item seemsimportant to you, it may not beconsidered newsworthy by your targetmedia outlet. To avoid frustrating yourjournalist contacts, contact them onlyin regards to your most urgentcommunications.

Respect journalists deadlines. If yourtarget journalist is working underdeadline between 2 and 3 oclock everyday, try not to call during that time.And if a journalist has requestedspecific information by a set deadline,make sure you send the requestedmaterials well in advance of that time.

Understand the responsibilities ofjournalism. Ethics, credibility andimpartiality are the three keys toresponsible journalism. Mostjournalists are obligated to includeperspectives from varied crediblesources for every story they produce.It is their job to search throughopinions surrounding an issue to get tothe facts. You can become an asset tojournalists by supplying names andsources that can verify facts andprovide credible testimony.

Whether your message will be delivered

in a press release, an interview, apress briefing, an opinion piece, orthrough any other channel ofcommunications, you will need toprepare its delivery.

A press release is a common techniquefor presenting information to themedia. It is often used to break news,spread information, publicize a story,condemn actions and state your

organizations mandate.

The central components that everypress release must include are:

o Your organizations name and logo o Contact information of experts forfurther informationo The dateo A headline that reflects the main

messageo A sub-headline that adds a second,forward-looking themeo A lead paragraph that explains theproblem and gives key informationo A background paragraph that givesthe context to the problemo At least one quote from an expert onthe subject


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Press conferences are formal, arrangedmeetings held with members of thepress at which the organizer usuallyoffers a statement and then answersquestions from journalists.Press conferences provide an

opportunity for direct communicationbetween an individual or group and themedia, and can be used to convey amajor announcement or breaking news.

A press conference can be successfulonly if members of the media willreport on it.Before a group decides to hold a pressconference, its staff should considerwhether the subject of the conference

important enough to take the reportersaway from other tasks.

Bear in mind that the press conferenceis for the benefit of journalists.Limit the number of speakers so thatthere is sufficient time forjournalists to ask questions once theformal presentation has been made.Remember to avoid using jargon; usebasic terms that the media and publicwill understand.

Arranging a Press Conference

At Least One Week Before Reserve a venue Arrange for a podium, chairs,

and, possibly, food and

drinks for reporters Schedule a time: (This should

be based on deadlines ofmedia outlets that will coverthe event.)

Prepare an announcement ofthe press conference. Includethe briefing topics andspeakers, explaining thespeakers expertise on thetopic.

Prepare written material forthe conference, includingpress kits with a briefing,agenda, speaker bios and anyother relevant documents

Prepare an outline of talkingpoints and share them withthe speakers. Make sure thespeakers understand theirtalking points so that thereis no overlap during thepresentation.

The Press Conference

t Least One Day BeforeContact the speakers to review theorder of presentations and talkingpointsContact members of the media toremind them of the press conferenceArrange materials, including extracopies to send journalists who do not

attend

The Day of the ConferenceIssue a press release that containsthe main message of the pressconferenceMake last-minute calls to assignmentdesks and editorsCheck on the venue several hoursbefore the conference startsMake sure the doors are unlocked for

reporters and that the room is easyto findReview the order and talking pointsof the press conference with speakerswhile they are all together

During the Press Conference Have a sign-up sheet to get the names

and addresses of reporters Distribute press kits and your

business card Give reporters a written list of

participants Make opening remarks, introduce

speakers Arrange the necessary one-on-one

interviews and follow-up interviews Record the conference so that it can

be reviewed later Take pictures for in-house use

Following up Send press kits to reporters who did

not attend Call reporters who did not attend butseemed interested

Monitor media coverage to see how thepress conference was reported

Clip newspaper and other coverage ofthe event


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4 Social media & Mobile

The consumer is no longer a facelessstatistic in a report; she/he has becomean active participant in the brandbuilding process. Share, tag, andcomment are her new mantras. Charity andcommerce coagulate, as do ideas andagendas for change. Imagine a globalcafe where everyone is a player,producer, director and distributor.

Formal hierarchies dont exist; theresno barrier to entry and transparency isvalued. Social media tools enableindividuals to instantly communicatewith the universe using a simplekeystroke.

Use mobile and social media to: Raise public awareness of your cause Raise funds for your cause Reach new constituents & supporters Build a community of passionate

champions Get people to take real-world actions Enhance existing communications

programs Advance your organizations mission

Social media is word of mouth on

steroids.


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N o matter how important you thinkyour work is (and I am sure you aredoing amazing things for others inthe world), your organization needsto be notable, according toWikipedias guidelines, before it canbe Wikipedia-worthy.

Quoting:An organization is generallyconsidered notable if it hasbeen the subject of significantcoverage in reliable,independent secondary sources.Trivial or incidental coverage

of a subject by secondarysources is not sufficient toestablish notability. Allcontent must be verifiable.

Dont kill the messenger! This setthe rules of their site and itsworked for them so far though thejury is still out on this one. So,your blog? Not typically a reliable,independent secondary source. A

passing mention in an article in yourlocal newspaper? Not notable enough.But if you come to think of it, itswhat keeps the site as encyclopedicas it can hope to be.

Your Wikipedia page should encompassall your work. Not only will this bea more complete depiction of yourwork: it will also furnish youhopefully with more notable andreliable sources to insertas references in your page.

Let others write about you This, to me, was one of the mostpuzzling things about getting aWikipedia page started (for anonprofit or any other organization).One of the arguments we heard fromWikipedia in our first attempt to

write our own page was that othershad to do write about us. It didntdawn on me that the this impliedother MEDIA (reliable media, thatis). It is not a problem for you towrite your own page, but you have tomake sure the reliable references arethere and that you are writing aboutsomething bigger than a program youjust launched.

5 How to get a WikipediaPage for your Nonprofit

Last few tips:Reputation management online is key,so make sure to watch your page. Afteryou log in to Wikipedia, you will seea little star (its blank by default)next to the View History link for thepage. Click on it to have your pageadded to your Watchlist.

Most important of all: getting aWikipedia page for your nonprofit isnot a sprint. In the world of Web 2.0,this is as close to a marathon as itgets. Be patient and do your homework.It will pay off in the long run.


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Your blog will enable you to deepenrelationships with your fans. Theyfind fresh, relevant content that isuseful them and have a place wherethey feel heard

Your blog will be a tool to enhanceand develop valuablepartnerships with other non-profits.

Your blog can be a powerful way toattract new visitors bydemonstrating social proof

People using Google will find yournon-profit a lot easier if you havea blog. Blogs get much more searchengine optimization thantraditional, static websites.

Your key executives will learn tospeak in a more human voice through

blogging. You, yourself will become a better

writer through regular blogging. You can trash your marketing theory

in exchange for valuable

insights into why donors really giveyou money.

You will experience a spike in thenumber of visits and depth ofengagement from your fans.

You can increase donor conversionrates with content that is relevantand useful.

Youll empower your board membersto talk about why they love yournon-profit, and possibly reawakentheir sense of mission.

Instead of waiting for your ITintern to return your call, youllcommunicate urgent news very fastwith your blog.

6 Blogging your projects

Ten years ago, blogging used to becalled journaling. And for goodreason.It was mainly pursued as a way ofexpressing ones personal thoughts andideas. Essentially a personal pursuitand certainly not a business tool.

But now, blogging has become anessential marketing tool for brandsand nonprofits. Few Organizations useblogging as an advocacy tool, a way tomore intimately connect withconstituents, and a way to drivetraffic to their website.

11Benefits

ofBlogging


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Provide the key facts needed to do business with your organization; thatis, give context. Share the high points of your organizations evolution and impact.Timelines work great here.Shape your content and layout to be clear, direct, and easy to absorb.

Offer a sense of warmth and welcome. Put your team front and center with names, roles, photos, and brief bios.Introduce the entire team (smaller organizations) or selected staffmembers (medium and large organizations).Whatever you do, profile more than just your president or executivedirector. That approach discredits the rest of your team and conveysoverreliance on a single person. Use a warm, friendly, and somewhat casualtone to make your site visitors experience feel like a conversation.

Build credibility. Feature testimonials from people who are similar to those you areinspiring to act.

Create or strengthen a personal connection. Show off your organizations personality buttoned- up just doesnt cut ithere.Share stories and photos of those youve served and those who have takensimilar actions as the site user/prospect.

hat do you want to know when

considering a first-time donation to anonprofit or deciding between a feworganizations to volunteer your time?What makes you feel confident in yourchoice?

For most of us, taking an action floatsinto our minds as a result of acampaign, a friends gift orregistration, or something in the news.But we frequently need a little push tomotivate us.

Thats where an organizations context,or About Us content, comes into play!

About Us done right makes it easy for

prospects to get who and what yourorganization really is.

Start with planning, just as you dowith a campaign, because this contentinfluences whether your campaignssucceed.

In fact, your organizations story is

part of whats now called the fullfunnel (incorporating all influencesalong the path of your donor orregistrant taking the action), vs. thetraditional single - touch sourceattribution.

Map Your Content and Style toEach About Us Objective

Begin by prioritizing the content mostlikely to achieve these confidence- andcomfort- building objectives. Heres thecontent and style I recommend for

achieving each objective, based on mywebsite strategy work and impacttracking for dozens of nonprofitclients.

About Us: Your Key to Conversion


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7 Its storytelling time!

S tories are the way we've communicatedthroughout human history. There's areason for that:Stories are powerful. They grab andhold our attention.They put a face on an issue and make itpersonal.

They make people care, and move them toaction![Both within your organizationand outside of it.]

In a world inundated by information, itis the compelling stories, not theissues, that will stand out and beremembered.

Communications guru, Andy Goodman, saysit so well: "Even if you have reams of evidence onyour side, remember: numbers numb,jargon jars, and nobody ever marched onWashington because of a pie chart. Ifyou want to connect with your audience,tell them a story."

Don't Tell Me an Issue! Tell me a Story.

If you hope to get media attention,experts are a dime-a-dozen. The keyrequired to unlock that door is acompelling story.Choose Stories Wisely.They should accurately reflect yourorganization's values.

Stories are an Ongoing Project.

It is not only important to tellcompelling stories, you need to add toyour bank of stories on an on-goingbasis -- keeping it up-to-date andfresh. You need to be ready with thatcompelling vignette at a moment'snotice -- whether

for a last minute media or speakingopportunity, donor appeal, orunexpected elevator pitch.

So how do you turn your Issue into aGood Story?

It's a combination of the followingelements. A good story does not haveto have all of these elements, but themore immediate and current the storyis, the more unique and dramatic, themore interest it will generate andimpact it will make.


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N GO and Non-profit storytelling playsa key role in messaging anorganizations values and purposes.Most of the times, we put out anofficial statement of our mission, butit is really the stories that peopletell, the stakeholders stories, thathave the most impact.

The organizations have a written set of

values such as integrity,professionalism, innovation, achievingthe impossible, encourage the activecitizenship, and creativity. It is thekey that stakeholders understand thesevalues, and stories make them come tolife.

As you learn to extract the stories(structure comes later) those emotionaland rational touch points that make you talkable will create accidentalambassadors for the Brand called You.So begin your storytelling adventureand have fun perfecting your art ofstorytelling. Go beyond fine oradequate with a ho-hum beginning,middle and end. Instead, make yours astimulating beginning, an engagingmiddle, and a provocative ending.

Is important to listenbecome moreaware of howothers telltheir stories. What do you remember asthe captivating points or GEMS and why?Was is the way the story was told withenthusiasm and engaging eye contact?Perhaps it was the content that haswoven in a plot, or conflict, or themanner of resolution that builtmomentum and ensured you were nordisappointed at the end. What delightedyou, made it memorable or made it

stick?

When you preface what you are about tosay with the word story, dropping

that magical word into your leadsentence, you are setting expectations.

Remember, there is even neurologicalevidence that points to the power ofstorytelling. Whether your audience isa friend, a colleague, headhunter,child, partner, sponsor, you have setthe stage with that five letter word.

Is this a precise methodology? Notreally! You can call it an approach,process, technique, way, path orprocedure. In fact, there are no rules,time frame or criteria. The idea is tohave funlet your minds drift and letthe stories surface. If you and yourteam can tell a captivating story to achild around how you successfullyorchestrated a social project, then youare a star!

First, try to tell me a story. Where you developed, created,designed or invented something Accomplished more with the sameor fewer resources. When you were given a projectand you did more than expected:110% versus 100%. Where you received an award orspecial recognition About the story you never tiredof hearing from your mom and da. Where you identified problemsothers did not see. About your hero Where you handled effectively acrisis situation About the most influentialperson youve met. About the most trying experienceof your life About an experience in a foreign

country that was a revelation ofcultural differences About competitions in which youexcelled. Where you worked successfullyand completed a project with astellar team.


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8 Google AdWords forNonprofits

Google AdWords can be a powerfulmarketing tool for your organization.Though the efficiency of the programcontinues to be debated, GoogleGrants could offer your nonprofit freeads and assistance setting up anaccount!

It should be noted, however, that whileGoogle Adwords is one potential sourceof advertising for nonprofits, the

volume of response from its campaignsto date have been lackluster.

Google provides the reach, but it is upto you to write an ad that pulls netsurfers in. Just how exactly do you goabout writing an ad with a low cost andhigh ROI?

1. Create a short list of targetedkeywords: Generic terms lead to highfees and low ROI. Instead of writing along list, take time to identify your

target group beforehand and think ofterms that will appeal directly to them.Is important to conduct a keywordresearch prior to launching an ad.Though you can pay someone to do thisfor you, Google offer free tools to doyour own research. Cross checkingkeywords with multiple search engines tosee the number of results and types ofads that it generates is also a goodidea. Another aspect to consider that

may not come to mind is seasonality.Google Trends allows you to see howkeywords fare over time and to pinpointwhen during the year searches for thekeyword are most popular.

2. Identify what is unique about yournonprofit: Identify your marketingstrategy and highlight what sets youapart in your ad. Conduct a competitive

analysis of the organizations you willcompete with using the selectedkeywords, and look into possiblevariations of your selected keywordsuntil you find a combination that placesyou in the first several ads thatappear. If you need ideas for relatedkeywords, Google's Keyword tool allowsyou to search for synonyms and get newkeyword ideas.

3. Use keywords in your ad text: Goodads spell out exactly what they arepromoting. Well-placed keywords in boththe title and body of the ad ensure thatwhen people click they know what theyare getting.


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4. Direct users to the specific area ofthe site, not the home page: Peoplewant to find what they are looking forwithout hassle. Directing potentialdonors to your donation landing pagemakes it that much easier for them togive. Links to your home page can behelpful if you are working on brandname recognition, but otherwise directpeople immediately to the relevant pagethat matches your ad.

5. Take advantage of single adgroups: Keep everything organized bycreating containers to hold related adgroups. Keyword buys that relate toeach other can be grouped into logicalcategories that will help you organize,but more importantly that allow you totrack the success of each keyword.

6. Track your results: Which keywordswere successful and which didn't getresults? Take advantage of GoogleAnalytics to get in-depth reports onvarious aspects of your campaign. Useit to assess and evaluate yourperformance. Was it successful? Did itmeet or fall short of your goals? Thereare many ways to track success, somemore sophisticated than others.Google's Website Optimizer is a toolused to track your progress.

7. Modify bids before entering thecontact network: AdWords allowsadvertisers to set different bids onthe content network then appear on thesearch network. By modifying bids youcan potentially pay less per clickwhile still getting the same amount oftraffic.


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9 Your team = brandambassadors

Benefits of good internalcommunications Internal communicationsis vital because it:

Improves operational efficiency. Staff

will know what their role is and thepart they play in the team. Managerswill feel more empowered to makedecisions themselves because they havethe right knowledge and tools to makedecisions.

Drives forward change. Well informedstaff may be less resistant to change.This is because they will know wherethey are, where they are going and how

they are expected to get there.

Builds community. Teams are more likelyto work together in a supportive way,because they will understand what thecombined aims and ambitions of the teamare.

Creates ambassadors. Happy andsatisfied staff help to spread positivemessages to other parts of theUniversity and externally.

Retains talent. A happy workforce ismore likely to stay where it is giving security to the team as a whole.

Audit of existing practices. The first

step in putting together an internalcommunication strategy is to take agood look at your area of work and howcommunication works at the moment.

At the beginning of the audit processyou need to ask yourself some importantquestions.

These include: What is your teams mission and

goals? How do these relate to theUniversitys 2015 agenda? How is your workplace structured?What does your management team looklike? What kind of staff do you have?Where do they work? What sort of jobsdo they do? What kind of people work in yourteam? What motivates them? How do theyfeel about working in your team? Whatenvironment does your team work in?


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Developing your strategy The nextstage is to use the information youvegathered to create your strategy. Determine your goal Your strategyneeds a goal and your goal shouldanswer the question What do you wantyour team to look like in the future?Heres an example of a goal: Toensure that everyone within the teamhas the right level of information toenable them to do their jobseffectively and efficiently. Define your objectives Yourobjectives will differ from your goalbecause they will be more specific andmeasurable. Your objectives should payattention to the shortcomings youidentified in your auditing stage.Heres an example of an objective: To

ensure that every member of staffwithin the team has a face-to-facemeeting with their line manager atleast once a month. Define your audience This is reallyimportant when it comes to decidingwhich tools and channels you are goingto use. Knowing whether your staff arefull or part-time, based on site oroff, office based or mobile, willreally help you. Identify your key messages Messagesdo not need to be complicated. Heresan example of a key message: Staffsviews are valued and feedback isencouraged.

Creating an action plan This is whereyou can start to plan out what you aregoing to do, when youre going to doit and whose responsibility its goingto be to carry out the actions. Anaction plan can take the form of asimple table outlining yourobjectives, tools and tactics. Itsvital that you make sure that someoneis made responsible for carrying outthe work and that they are fullyaware of what is expected. You alsoneed to attach a timescale to eachaction this will help you to figureout what needs to be done first beforeother actions can take place. Finallyyou need to consider how you are goingto measure the activity which you areplanning. Its a good idea to attachedkey performance indicators (KPIs) toeach action this gives you something

concrete to measure against when youcome to your evaluation stage. Makesure that your KPIs are realistic andpotentially achievable.


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Glossary


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A A A

Awareness

The percentage of population or target market who areaware of the existence of a given brand or company. Thereare two types of awareness: spontaneous, which measuresthe percentage of people who spontaneously mention aparticular brand when asked to name brands in a certaincategory; and prompted, which measures the percentage ofpeople who recognise a brand from a particular categorywhen shown a list.

A brand is a mixture of attributes, tangible andintangible, symbolised in a trademark, which, if managedproperly, creates value and influence."Value" has different interpretations: from a marketingor consumer perspective it is "the promise and deliveryof an experience"; from a business perspective it is"the security of future earnings"; from a legalperspective it is "a separable piece of intellectualproperty." Brands offer customers a means to choose andenable recognition within cluttered markets

BBBB

BBBB

BBBBB

BBBB

BBBB

Brand

How an organization structures and names the brandswithin its portfolio. There are three main types ofbrand architecture system: monolithic, where thecorporate name is used on all products and servicesoffered by the company; endorsed, where all sub-brandsare linked to the corporate brand by means of either averbal or visual endorsement; and freestanding, wherethe corporate brand operates merely as a holdingcompany, and each product or service is individuallybranded for its target market.

Brand architecture

The sum of all distinguishing qualities of a brand,drawn from all relevant stakeholders, that results inpersonal commitment to and demand for the brand; thesedifferentiating thoughts and feelings make the brandvalued and valuable

Brand equity

The brand's promise expressed in the simplest, mostsingle-minded terms

Brand Essence

The means by which a brand is created in the mind of astakeholder. Some experiences are controlled such asretail environments, advertising, products/services,websites, etc. Some are uncontrolled like journalisticcomment and word of mouth. Strong brands arise fromconsistent experiences which combine to form a clear,differentiated overall brand experience.

Brand Experience

The outward expression of the brand, including itsname and visual appearance. The brand's identity isits fundamental means of consumer recognition and

symbolizes the brand's differentiation fromcompetitors.

Brand Identity

Vision The brand's guiding insight into its world. Mission How the brand will act on its insight. Values The code by which the brand lives.

Personality The brand's personality traitsTone of Voice How the brand speaks to its audiences.

Brand Platform


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Naming

There are three basic categories of brand (or corporate)name:Descriptive name A name which describes the product orservice for which it is intended, e.g., TALKING PAGES.Associative name A name which alludes to an aspect orbenefit of the product or service, often by means of anoriginal or striking image or idea, e.g., VISA.Freestanding name A name which has no link to the productor service but which might have meaning of its own, e.g.,PENGUIN.

NNNNNN

P

T

BBBBBB

BB

C

CCC

Niche Marketing

Packaging Design

Blog

Brainstorming

Brief

Byline

Copy

Marketing adapted to the needs, wishes and expectationsof small, precisely defined groups of individuals. A formof market segmentation, but aimed at very small segments.Niche marketing characteristically uses selective media

The design of the pack format and graphics for a productbrand.

"Any sign capable of being represented graphically whichis capable of distinguishing goods or services of oneundertaking from those of another undertaking" (UK TradeMarks Act 1994)

Trademark

Short for weblog, a blog is a frequently updatedpersonal online journal kept by a blogger. Or if createdand maintained by a business it's known as a Biz Blog. Auseful way to get information into the public arena -and quickly.

Blog StormA blog storm or blog swarm is when bloggers in theblogosphere write thousands of posts about a subjectwhich then forces the story into the mainstream media.

The creative method for producing a multitude of ideas ona given subject or problem, generally recorded for futureevaluation and use.

The instructions from a client to a consultancy, ordirections communicated within a PR agency

The byline identifies the name of the journalist orauthor of a piece of editorial and is placed just underthe headline

The planning, carrying-out and the analysis of a PR planof action

Campaign

The text produced by a consultancy for a press release orarticle. Journalists also refer to their news stories orfeatures as copy

CSRProviding support to an event or a cause by devotingcorporate resources in exchange for an opportunity toenhance good will. The role of PR in CSR is to communicateeffectively in order to build corporate accountability andtransparency


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Crisis Management

CCCC

EEE

EEE

F

III

IIII

LLL

Editorial

Embargo

Exposure

Integratedcampaign

InternalCommunications

Leader

Event Management

Feature

InvertedPyramid

Lobbying

Having a communications plan in place that can beeffectively put into action when something goes wrong fora company or organisation. This includes policies andprocedures for the distribution of information toemployees, media, government and other key publics

Briefing notes to help a spokesman prepare for aninterview with a journalist. The cues should cover theissues that are likely to arise in the interview andapproach that should be taken on these issues.

Cue sheet

An article or opinion piece written to communicate keymessages to the various audiences identified by a clientand consultancy.

A heading on a news release indicating that the news isnot to be published or reported before that date.

The use of a project, program, action or happening,generally involving public participation, to meet overallorganisational goals. Special events often are designed toobtain publicity or other exposure.

The extent to which the target audience becomes aware of aperson, message, activity, theme or organisation throughthe efforts of PR.

An article that gives detailed information on an issue, atrend, a situation, an industry, a company or

organisation, or a person. A feature often focuses on thehuman element. It is designed to enlighten, entertain,and/or educate readers

A multidisciplinary approach which uses a number ofmarketing communications techniques in order to deliver aconsistent set of messages. The aim is to achieve seamlesscommunication with the audience.

Communicating with employees and shareholders to inform

them of change (for instance during a company merger),keep them up to date with company news and developments,or to help achieve corporate objectives.

Style of writing in which the most important informationis put in the lead, followed by less and less importantinformation, constructed so an editor can cut after anyparagraph and have a complete story that meets spacelimitations.

Dominant article that is given primary attention and

prominent placement on the first page of a publication.The opening news story.

Direct attempts to influence legislative and regulatorydecisions in government. Lobbyists can be eitherindividuals such as public relations consultants who, forpay, provide certain types of lobbying services on behalfof a client, or employees whose jobs involve a significantamount of lobbying for their employers.


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Logo L

MMMM

N

NNN

OOO

P

PPPPPPP

Media relations

News

News release

Off-the-record

Pitch

OfficialStatement

Press kit

Media Briefing

A graphic or symbol owned by and representing a companyor brand.

A session designed to provide background information orexplanation, rather than spot news, to interested mediarepresentatives. Reporters who attend may also receivefact sheets, media kits, photos, or other publicitymaterials.

Dealing and communicating with the news media whenseeking publicity or responding to reporters' questions.It also involves setting up and maintaining aprofessional and mutually beneficial workingrelationship with news gatherers and gatekeepers, inpart by becoming known as a credible source and as aprovider of factual, expert information whether or notthat information results in media coverage.

Information that is new, unusual, unexpected,controversial, of wide significance or of interest to

the audience of a publication or program.

The most common written form used in public relations,announcing a client's news and information. Alsoreferred to as a press release. A news story written forand released to the news media, in particular tonewspapers.

A written comment prepared for the purpose ofresponding consistently to any question from the mediaregarding a particular controversial issue.

Information provided by a source that is strictlyintended as background information for a reporter andwhich cannot be published or used in any way.

A full presentation of a recommended public relationscampaign, carefully researched and costed, whichusually takes a number of weeks to prepare.

A branded pack handed out to the media by anorganisation. It normally contains background material,photographs, illustrations and news releases.

The live dissemination of news information by anorganisation to invited media. The format is usually apresentation of information by the organisationfollowed by a question and answer session. Also knownas a news conference

Press conference

Public Relations

The dissemination of purposefully planned and executedmessages to selected media and publics to enable anorganisation (or person) establish and buildrelationships founded on trust, and to enhance andsafeguard its reputation


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For more materials on communication and public relations for

Documents

NGOs StoryTailors Guide