Develop an Effective Communications Strategy for Your Project: 45 Tips in 45 Minutes

1
Develop an Effective Communications Strategy for
Your Project 45 Tips in 45 Minutes

• Patricia B. Wood
• Director of Communications
• Federal Consulting Group
• U.S. Department of the Treasury
• July 12, 2005

2
Overview

• What is your agency or cross-agency project and
  what do you need (or have) to do outreach
• 45 outreach and communication tips and
  resources
• Brainstormshare your ideas and successes
• Wrap-up

3
Your Projects and Needs

• What are your projects
• What outreach and communication strategies do you
  need (or have)
• What do you expect from this workshop

4
Develop Your Outreach Strategy

• Make friends with your Public Affairs Office
• Why do you want to publicize your project?
• High score
• Award
• Good story
• Good government
• Educate a customer segment

5
Develop Your Outreach Strategy

• How does your projects mission fit your agencys
  or cross-agency goals and objectives
• What about Presidents Management Agenda?
• Who is your audience?
• What media reach your audience?
• What is your message

6
Working with Media

• What media would want your story?
• Newspapers (which newspapers?)
• Radio
• TV
• Dot-com
• Magazine
• Newsletter

7
Understanding Reporters

• Work with your PA office to make a list of media
  that should be interested in your project and how
  to contact them
• Find out what reporters, feature writers and
  columnists want
• Schedule an appointment
• Stories or story ideas
• How? Fax, Phone, Email
• What are their deadlines

8
Relating to Media

• Its all about relationships, relationships,
  relationships
• Introduce yourselfCall a reporter or columnist
  (or get your PA spokesperson to call)
• Send out a press kit with general information, a
  one-page fact sheet, a few story ideas, and a
  cover letter introducing you or your team leader

9
Relating to Media

• Always ask a reporter Is this a good time to
  talk?
• Assume that anything you say to a reporter is on
  the record
• Find out if you should pitch your story to the
  reporter or the editor

10
Relating to Media

• Always return a reporters phone calls
• Always tell the truth
• If you cant answer a reporters question(s), say
  so and offer to get the information
• Make a list of the officials who know your
  project who could be interviewed

11
Writing Press Releases

• Write short, interesting news releases or fact
  sheets in plain language
• Put facts first, use quotes, and dont put name
  of the head of the agency in the first paragraph
• Find the angle or lead sentence that will grab
  the reporter

12
Doing Media Interviews

• Refine three positive talking points
• Dont use jargon
• Personalize and humanize your information
• Research your interviewer

13
Doing Media Interviews

• Never say No comment.
• Never say anything off the record (assume
  everything is on the record)
• Never say uh.
• Never be interviewed without doing your homework.

14
What Else Can You Do to Reach Your Audience?

• Tell your employees first. They will tell others.
  Get your story in the newsletter on the
  intranet.
• Tell librariansThey love government information
  and pass it on.
• Put your story on the Internet.

15
Public Affairs Resources

• 100 Marketing and PR Ideas
• http//www.sba.gov/managing/marketing/100ideas.htm
  l
• PR Tool Kit
• http//toolkit.prnewswire.com/smallbusinessadminis
  tration/writingtips.shtml

16
Public Affairs Resources

• Communicators Guide from the Federal
  Communicators Network
• http//www.usda.gov/news/pubs/fcn/table.htm

17
Public Affairs Resources

• Join the Federal Communicators Network (FCN).
• Complete this page and submit
• http//www.fcn.gov/members/join.htm

18
How to Reach Me

• Patricia B. Wood (Pat Wood)
• Director of Communications
• Federal Consulting Group
• [phone]
• pat.wood_at_ots.treas.gov