The ultimate guide to implementing an effective communications strategy for your association
Contrary to popular belief, communication is just as important in an association as it is in a company. Putting in place a communications strategy is essential, not only to make your association known to the general public, but also to find funding.
And there's no shortage of ways to do so: posters, e-mailing, trade shows, press relations, flyers, social networks... today you have a wide choice of media and non-media channels for communicating your association's project.
With this wide range of communication media, it's normal to feel overwhelmed. That's why Appvizer can help you implement and monitor your nonprofit communications strategy in 10 simple steps.
1 - Take stock of your association
Before thinking about building your communications plan, it's essential to know who you are, what you do and where you're going. In other words, you need to define your association's vision, mission, values and personality.
He who does not know where he comes from cannot know where he is going.
Otto von Bismarck
👉 To do this, ask yourself the right questions:
- What are my association's objectives?
- What is its history?
- What are its strengths and weaknesses?
- How does my association differ from others with similar activities?
- What is the profile of our current audience and how is our membership evolving?
Now that your association's identity has been established, it's time to take stock of your current communications:
- How do you communicate today?
- Have your previous communication initiatives been effective? If not, why not?
- What tools do you currently use? Are they sufficient and/or effective?
- Is your visual identity in line with your vision and objectives?
💡 The answers to these questions must be clearly defined and shared with all those who contribute to the associative project.
2 - Set your communication objectives
You now need to define the strategic objectives of your associative communications strategy. This will enable you to determine the vision on which to base your future communications actions.
There are 3 types of strategic objectives:
- Cognitive objective: "to make known": you're looking for greater notoriety,
- Affective objective: "make people like you": you want to build or improve a favorable image with your current audience,
- Conative objective: "make people act": you want to provoke an action (donation, membership, etc.).
The most common objectives of an associative communications campaign are :
- Recruit members,
- Retain volunteers,
- Publicize a new activity,
- Find sponsors, etc.
💡Please note: focus on a maximum of 2 objectives to avoid getting lost and get the message across as clearly as possible.
3 - Identify the targets you want to reach
For your communication actions to be as effective as possible, they need to be adapted to the audience who will receive them. To do this, you need to refine and regularly update your knowledge of your marketing personas.
In communications, there are 3 types of target:
- Primary targets: all individuals directly concerned by the message conveyed;
- Core target: a sub-segment of the main target. A more precise criterion is added (age range, location, etc.);
- Secondary targets: these are the "relay targets" essential to the proper circulation of your message (press, opinion leaders, partners, etc.).
👉 These 3 levels of targeting will enable you to prioritize your targets and therefore your communication actions. Some are more important than others for the success of your associative project.
4 - Determine the message you want to convey
You don't address everyone in the same way. Your way of expressing yourself and your words will not be the same if you're talking to your boss or your best friend!
That's why the message you convey is essential. It will depend on your strategic objectives and the target you wish to reach. It needs to be clear and in the right tone. It can be :
- institutional
- offbeat
- touching, etc.
👉 Example: after taking stock of my association, it turns out that we're short of volunteers and that our members don't have a very good image of the organization. My objectives are therefore conative and affective. Here are the messages I want to convey:
- "Thanks to our association, you will benefit from [ideal aimed at by the target, which the association can help to achieve]...".
- "Our association works for [ideal targeted by the association] and helps [mission of the association]...". This can be transcribed in the form of a testimonial, for example.
5 - Choose the right communication media
As you can see, you need to adapt your communication channels to your target audience. Members of a seniors' book club won't be receptive to communication on TikTok or Instagram!
So, the meeting points between your association and its targets is crucial.
Physical communication media
- Trade shows, fairs and other events : nothing beats direct contact where you can present your association and its activities. This type of meeting enables you to reach your audience very effectively in a suitable environment.
- Partnerships: this can be between your association and a company, a cultural or sporting event... For example, a handball charity can organize a sporting event in partnership with the regional handball club.
- Flyer distribution in public spaces: who hasn't been approached by someone in a shopping street to pick up a flyer or sign a petition? Admittedly, it's a controversial technique, but it can work in the case of an association wishing to promote an upcoming event.
Media communication supports
While a genuine advertising campaign using television, radio and billboards is rarely within the reach of associations, given the high financial costs involved, there are other more easily accessible levers, notably :
- Local TV channels: less expensive and more accessible, they allow you to focus on your action within the framework of an advertising insert.
- Local or regional press: consider your local authority's magazine, for example, which is more accessible than national magazines.
- Posters : classified ads in schools and bakeries are free. Put up flyers all over the area you're interested in.
Online communication media
- Your association's website: a well-constructed, visually appealing website is a real guarantee of credibility with your target audience. You can add photos of your volunteers and members (with their agreement, of course) and/or of the various events in which you have participated to illustrate your commitment. Encourage potential members to submit their contact details via newsletter sign-up forms or download landing pages.
- E-mailing: once you've obtained the e-mail addresses of your potential members, use e-mailing to encourage them to join your cause and build up their loyalty. Let them know about your daily activities, the events you're taking part in, new members...
- Social networks: social networks are one of the most effective and inexpensive communication tools on this list. Beyond the fact that you can target the audience you want thanks to their great diversity (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest...), they enable you to create a real proximity with your members.
- SEO/SEA search engine advertising: natural search engine optimization and paid search engine optimization are excellent ways to get your website visible on Google search results.
💡 And above all, remember: ONE medium delivers ONE message for ONE target.
6 - Build your visual identity
Visual identity is the graphic representation of your association. To begin with, define your organization's graphic charter. This consists of :
- your association's flagship colors,
- the shapes that will make it easy to identify.
👉 Your logo, the design of your website and all your communications media, whether physical or digital, will be based on this graphic charter. This can include :
- your business cards,
- newsletters
- brochures and flyers, etc.
💡 A graphic charter must be consistent with your communication media and in line with your association's values and principles.
7 - Plan your communications calendar
Setting up a communications calendar is essential. Depending on the media you're going to use, drawing up a retro-planning schedule can be very useful. Build it around :
- your internal deadlines,
- external events related to your business,
- key dates in your community's social life,
- the human resources at your disposal (employees, volunteers, members, etc.).
💡 Indeed, deadlines and planning are often underestimated. Define a roadmap to avoid getting lost and to guide your association members effectively.
You can also draw up specifications to :
- better organize the creation and follow-up of your communication media: layout, format, purchase of images, etc,
- better work out your distribution plan: number of copies, referencing of locations, etc.
8 - Define your budget and resources
And yes, now we come to the least "fun" stage of your strategy, but oh so important: defining your communications budget. This means you need to plan for all expenses, from the creation of your content to its distribution.
This also includes the budget allocated to the various service providers:
- graphic designers
- developers,
- webmaster,
- community managers, etc.
💡 If your budget is too tight, you can rely on the least expensive communication media (social networks, emailing and newsletters) and create your content yourself via specialized free tools (see a little further down in the article).
9 - Identify your association's spokespeople
Also known as "resource people", the spokespeople of your communication are influential people who share your communication around them to guarantee you greater visibility.
They can help spread your message by :
- distributing your communication materials, for example,
- or relaying your messages on social networks.
10 - Evaluate and adjust your communication actions
It's important to give yourself sufficient time and resources to analyze your communication actions. To do this, the use of statistical tools and marketing KPIs is essential.
👉 These will enable you to :
- measure the performance of your emailing campaigns,
- evaluate the impact of your actions on the number of members and/or volunteers,
- measure the performance of your external events,
- track the progress of your donations, etc.
💡 Analyzing these results will enable you to readjust your actions if necessary, better steer your activity and make informed decisions based on quantified data.
[Bonus] 2 key tips for optimizing your association's communications
Know your environment
In addition to knowing your association's vision, mission, objectives and values, it's even more important to know your environment. To do this, ask yourself the following questions:
- Who are my counterparts?
- Who are my competitors and what are their competitive advantages?
- What is your market like?
- What are its threats and opportunities?
💡 You can carry out a strategic and competitive watch to keep abreast of your competitors' activities and changes in the environment.
Equip yourself with the right software
There are a number of free, easy-to-use association management software packages available to help you manage your organization. Equipping yourself with association software means you don't get bogged down in administrative red tape, and can concentrate fully on your communication strategy.
These tools offer several advantages:
- Reliable accounting entries and documents,
- Easy updating of membership files,
- Automatic updating of the membership database for each validated membership form,
- Management of subscription payments: subscription reminders, direct online payment, etc.
- Track reservations or places still available for events, sporting or cultural events, etc.
HelloAsso, for example, is an association management solution made in France, 100% free of charge (with no commission or bank charges) and ultra-easy to use, helping you to manage your association efficiently and centrally. The software facilitates the management of your association and supports you in the implementation of your associative communication strategy:
- website creation directly from the platform,
- organize events and create customized forms via customizable templates,
- membership and donation management,
- launching and monitoring crowdfunding campaigns, and much more!
HelloAsso
Association communication in a nutshell
As you can see, communication in an association is just as important as it is in a company. Implementing an optimal communications strategy will enable you to collect more donations, increase your membership and improve your public image.
The most important thing to remember is that each of your targets should have a single message and a single objective, so that you don't get lost in the shuffle. It's better to keep your communication simple, targeted and effective than to try to go too fast and miss your target audience.
Article translated from French