Member Communication - Make It Count!
With the next election cycle ramping up, it’s never too early to build your member communication plan. By amping up your communication, you can harness the power of your membership and get results for the issues you care about. Whether you’re working for a labor union or an advocacy organization, these tips will help make your member communication program count.
1. Plan Ahead
Building a strong member communication program takes time and planning. Get organized early so that you’re not scrambling to figure out budget, messaging, targeting, and the overall scope of your member communication program. Pin down your goals as soon as you can, so that you have plenty of time to build a program that achieves them.
2. Be Relevant
If you want your message to resonate, be sure to focus on topics your members care about in your member communication program. Take the time to survey your members regularly on the issues, and take the insight you receive to heart to make your member communication relevant. Frame issues and candidates in a way that will resonate with your members and motivate them to turn out on Election Day.
3. Use Testimonials
Testimonials that feature real people talking about the issues your members care about can make all the difference in your member communication. Having one of your members make the case to other members for why they’re supporting a candidate can make folks more emotionally invested in the outcome of a race. Pin down storytellers early who will make sense for the audience you’re communicating with. If you’re using a testimonial in a direct mail piece, be sure to get high-resolution photos of the people you feature, along with sign-off on any quotes you attribute to them before any piece goes to print. If you are using video take time to record clear messages and use a user generated content platform to make collection easier.
4. Make the Stakes Clear
Don’t beat around the bush in your member communication. Make the stakes of every election or ballot measure clear. Be direct with your members about the consequences of different outcomes so that they’re likelier to get involved and engage their personal networks.
5. Pin Down Goals Before Tactics
Think about your goal and determine the best communication medium you can use to achieve it – don’t choose a tactic before you know your goal. If your goal is to get your members to turn out in a primary, figure out which mediums you can use to get your messaging in front of them and get results. If your members are older, direct mail may be the best way to communicate with them. If your members tend to get most of their information online, think about running digital ads instead. If budget allows, build an integrated member communication program to reinforce your messaging across mediums. Know your goal, and know your members in order to achieve it.
Have questions about member communication? Drop us a note.