Five Fails in Multi-Channel Communications

No matter whether you are using one communication platform with your stakeholders (staff, volunteers, donors, etc.) or many, your organization needs to connect any and all communication strategies to larger goals and plans. We live in a world where there is a plethora of ways to communicate and nonprofits are asked to know as many of those communication tools as possible to reach a wide audience.

If you are using print media, web 1.0 media, social media, and/or mobile media these foundational concepts apply to you!

At the end of the say, your job is to determine strategies that will best serve your mission and your community.? Research, learn, and plan around each new tool and you?re more likely to fin multi-channel communications success.

1. Take only one tool from the toolbox

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No organization should completely rely on one tool in their multi-channel communications toolbox to solve their communications needs. There is no magic wand here ? no one platform is going to answer the needs of all your stakeholders. If that was the case, we all would stick to one strategy and learn it inside and out.

Social media or direct mail appeals or e-newsletters or mobile texts are just another tool in the marketing and fundraising toolbox that you can use. As nonprofits, we are asked to know a great deal about a number of these tools and there will be more to learn!

All of these tools help to reach out to stakeholders ? donors, volunteers, prospective board members and more. We can raise funds, get the message out, and build support for our cause. Learn about the various tools available and pick the right ones for your goals and objectives.

2. Put off planning

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I cannot emphasize this enough. Build any of your strategies into existing plans such as a strategic plan, fundraising plan, or marketing plan will help to leverage greater investment across the organization as well set a clear road map for success.

You will be able to more effectively keep everyone in the organization on the same page, adjust the strategy, and implement consistently regardless of the communications tool. ?The plan should also cover how you will manage your strategies ? that is, will you bring on volunteers? Staff? Consultant?

Be careful to rely solely on one person to take responsibility for all communications. Just like fundraising, everyone in leadership roles should play and important part in raising funds, serving as ambassadors for the organization, and sharing the organization?s story. Having a plan will help keep your multi-channel communications efforts growing and thriving.

3. Wait on ?watering? your communications

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I compare multi-channel communications strategies to watering a plant. That is, you cannot simply create a Twitter account or sign up for mobile communications, for example, and expect people to follow you. You need to water that ?plant? ? take 10 ? 20 minutes a day to begin with planning and populating your communications platforms. What is the message that you want to get out to your stakeholders and the community? This should be covered in your communications plan. Watering the communications plan a little every day will help to create a foundation under which you can grow. Creating a calendar for communication activities often helps.

4. Discourage dialogue

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One of the best things about communications like texting and social media is that there is potential for dialogue. A direct mail appeal can?t do this in the same way that a blog can. Share news and opinions, take risks, and be ready for dissent and support. Your organization is trying to enhance engagement and you should be willing to share oppositional (not inappropriate) comments that challenge your opinions. This is how strong dialogue begins. Your nonprofit can respond directly to positive or challenging feedback, but allowing that space means you are open to the community. Of course, inappropriate or demeaning language is never acceptable.

5. Bail on boundaries

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It is important to have some insurance when it comes to your interactive communications. Very infrequently have I seen posts, comments, etc. that are inappropriate for the platform, but you want to be prepared. Be sure to outline the purpose of each of your communications tools, how best to use the tools, what is acceptable, and what will not be tolerated including spam. Always reserve the right to ask someone not to participate or block them from commenting. A good example is a nonprofit network I consult for ? it is not appropriate to post information that is related to real estate on the nonprofit-focused network. Be sure to have action steps clearly outlined in your policy when someone has violated that policy.

What are some fails you?ve seen in multi-channel communications? What pitfalls would you recommend others avoid? Share your story and ideas here!

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Source: http://edaconsulting.org/five-fails-in-multi-channel-communications/

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