Introduction

Communications, Marketing and Outreach

This module will help you identify your primary audiences and competitors; select the best outreach methods and marketing materials for your organization; and effectively utilize technology for outreach.

You will begin to create your brand strategy and key messages; identify keywords and language sensitivities; and formulate your pitch to different audiences.

Communication Strategy

Understanding the Service Landscape

Key Audiences
Before developing a communication strategy, you must understand who your primary and secondary target audiences are. This will inform key messages and overall brand strategy and help you decide which methods of marketing and outreach would be best suited for your needs.

Tuesday’s Children’s audiences are segmented into the following:

Identify Your Market and Your Competitors

Another important step in developing a communication strategy is to identify your market and your competitors. Conduct a competitive audit to see what other organizations are in your field, what services they offer, what their successes are, where they aren’t meeting needs, and what you can do to fill those needs.

Understanding Your Audiences

Charting Your Long-Term Healing Roadmap

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Communications and Marketing Material

Organizations should consider a variety of outreach methods when developing a marketing and outreach plan.

Organizations can utilize traditional print and online methods of marketing, as well as creative ways to reach key audiences. Utilize traditional and creatively targeted marketing materials that appeal to your key audiences and constituents.

Think creatively about marketing materials that can become everyday items in the home and which convey your mission and services available.

Frequency of Communication and Marketing

It is important to be mindful of how often you reach out to your database and key constituents. No one wants daily emails, but you want frequent communication with your audience to make sure your key messages resonate. You can accomplish this by making use of a variety of marketing techniques so your audience doesn’t get overwhelmed by outreach.

Be mindful of how often you are sending new messages to your database and key constituents.

Types of Communication Channels

Outreach Methods

Tuesday’s Children surveyed key stakeholders who have been involved with the organization over the years to see how they heard about us. Initially, most families heard about us by word of mouth, indicative of the grassroots nature of our organization and the importance of the role the community played in spreading the word about our programs and their benefits.

How People Heard About Tuesday’s Children

Developing Marketing Materials

Charting Your Long-Term Healing Roadmap

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Leveraging Technology

A large part of outreach, marketing and communication is done via social media channels. While social media wasn't relevant for our organization in the initial years after its founding, growing to utilize technology has highlighted one way in which we've had to be adaptable and flexible over time. However, it is important be very careful with social media, which has a different dynamic than regular media. Social media has the capability to mobilize great numbers of people and to fuel anger as well as compassion. Social media accounts and communication need to be managed in real time and monitored to ensure that red flags are addressed and individual support is provided.

As new social media platforms and technologies are introduced, it is important to be adaptable.

Tuesday's Children's Social Media Milestones

Use of Images and Video

1. Be mindful of the wishes of your service populations.
2. Institutionalize waivers for all programs and client involvement when images or video will be captured.
3. Act as an advocate for families and children when interacting with media.

Carefully consider when it is appropriate and not appropriate to capture images and videos of your key service populations.

Key Messages and Brand Strategy

It is important to consider your Key Messages and Brand Strategy early on and revisit throughout your organization's evolution.

Organizational Logo
It’s important to carefully select the images you will use in your organizational logo. Avoid using images that convey something other than your mission. For example, if you serve children and families, use an image that shows that. A nature image is nice, but it implies that you are an environmental organization and not human services.

A Picture Says 1,000 Words…

1. Ensure that your logo communicates your message without words.
2. If you serve families, does your image say “family”?

Key Messages and Brand Strategy

Charting Your Long-Term Healing Roadmap

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Understanding Language

We want to emphasize the importance of using certain terminology in communicating with your service population as well as with external audiences, partners and funders. We suggest you create a style guide and ensure all staff is trained in this and in the culture of the service population in order to reduce stigma. Be mindful when using partner materials to edit for consistency and relevance.

Know your audience:

1. Determine what to say/what not to say
2. Create a style guide and identify words with sensitivities
3. Be mindful when using partner materials to edit for consistency and relevance

A look at terminology across populations

Positive Keywords

Positioning Statement

A Nonprofit Best Practice

A sentence or two to describe how an organization wants to be perceived by its target audiences. (Taproot Foundation)

Our positioning statement:
Tuesday’s Children offers a time-tested, long-term approach forged in the aftermath of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, that enables children, families and communities torn apart by tragedy to heal, recover and thrive for a lifetime.

Difference between a Mission Statement and Position Statement

1. A mission statement defines an organization’s purpose and guiding principle. It is focuses inwards.
2. A positioning statement focuses outwards and defines what is unique and of value in the organization. It establishes a reputation.

Elevator Pitch

A Nonprofit Best Practice

Designed to attract potential supporters, elevator pitches are useful messaging tools that help explain an organization’s purpose, the services they deliver and the value of its work.

Like mission statements, an organization’s positioning statement and elevator pitch may change over the years.

Tailored to different audiences:

1. Corporate Donors and Foundations
2. Individual Donors
3. Prospective Board Members
4. Original Service Population
5. Prospective Service Communities
6. Prospective Service Population

Varied lengths:

1. 15 seconds/50 words
2. 30 seconds/100 words
3. 60 seconds/200 words

Elevator Pitch Examples

These are some examples of elevator pitches that Tuesday’s Children uses, primarily for institutional donors. It is valuable to ensure that all those in leadership roles are well versed in these pitches so they are able to be ambassadors for our cause.

In 30 Seconds
Tuesday’s Children, with our 9/11 expertise and 15 years of experience, is a unique and vital resource to help survivors of mass violence. Our one-of-a-kind, Long-Term Healing Model assists children, families and entire communities to come back from unspeakable loss. Tuesday’s Children’s time-tested local and international programs can succeed only with your support. So please be generous so that Tuesday’s Children’s unique capabilities can be there when tragedy strikes.

In 15 seconds
Please help Tuesday’s Children put our unique 9/11 experience and expertise to work helping traumatized children, parents and communities recover and heal from the long-term effects of mass violence.

Understanding Language

Charting Your Long-Term Healing Roadmap

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