Key Elements of Communications Planning
Constituencies
Identify your important audiences and get to know their needs and
expectations.
Programs and Services
Know your product. True marketing involves a give and take between
you and your customer with something of value going in both directions
and both parties benefiting from the exchange.
Selling Points
Since you’re not the only option for prospective students,
faculty, donors or customers, you need to distinguish what sets
you apart from others competing for your customers’ attention.
Be able to describe your main attributes in a compelling way.
Marketing Information Sources (Research)
Inform your planning with both qualitative and quantitative data
about how people perceive your organization and your services, what
they want from you and how to communicate accordingly. Research
enables you to anticipate new programs and identify new customers,
to weigh external factors affecting cost and other aspects of doing
business, and to assess how well you’re delivering.
Communications Vehicles
There are many vehicles for communicating your message effectively.
These include printed pieces, web site, ads, special events, community
and media relations and personal contact via mail, email, telephone
and face-to-face meetings. Know which one to use depending on what
your purpose is for getting in touch in the first place.
Desired Outcomes
What you want to accomplish by producing a publication or engaging
in some other form of communication should be analyzed carefully
for specific audiences.
Staffing and Resources
Because you don’t have an unlimited marketing budget, you have
to make prudent choices about setting communications priorities
based on available resources. It is better to implement a modest
program and continue it reliably than to take on too much and later
abandon new modes of communicating.
Calendar
Your publications/p.r. program in support of overall advancement
goals will remain reactive and “last minute” until all
elements are plotted on a calendar that accounts for realistic production
schedules to meet agreed-upon deadlines.
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