Establishing a communication strategy

Whilst you may be busy informing, educating, advocating and providing networking opportunities, you also need to ensure that your efforts and activities are communicated to your members and key stakeholders.

Ensure you have a strategic communication plan that works by following these steps:

1. Assign people to oversee the development of the strategic communication plan

2. Ensure your communication plan includes your mission, values and current position

3. Use your key messages to guide your communication activities. Key messages need to be agreed on at the outset so all future actions promote the same messages.

4. Develop a system for managing your communication plan. Set up a subcommittee, ask for reports from your staff or contractors, and formally review it every three months to tick off activities, amend strategies and, of course, add more

5. Confirm a communication budget so that quick decisions can be made with regards to media, advertising and sponsorship opportunities

6. Develop strategies for external stakeholders and members. Advocating for an issue and building membership numbers require different (yet interconnected) strategies

7. Be generous with your information and knowledge. Whilst there is a tendency not to share all the information your association has, being known as the ‘go to’ organisation for information delivers credibility

8. Host effective networking events and encourage people to network by having name tags. Remember to thank sponsors and welcome new members or guests

9. Use LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Google+ to support your organisational goals

10. Ask ‘why are we doing this?’ and ‘does it help us get closer to achieving our goals?’ You may need to question some of your associations communication activities.