HERE - Youth Service America

Creating Compelling
Communications for GYSD
Our Facilitator: Sarah Barrie
• Associate Director of Grants &
Trainings at YSA
• Born in Boston, current DC
Resident
• GWU – BA in Human Services
• Email: sbarrie@ysa.org
• Phone: 202-650-5053
• Twitter: @SarahRBarrie
Our Speakers
• Winnie Nham
• Director of Communications, YSA
• wnham@ysa.org
• Michael Coursey
• Marketing Manager, Carousel30
• Twitter: @MichaelJCoursey
Twitter Chat Host
• Elizabeth Meyer
• Global Youth Council Member
• Twitter: @ElizabethMeyer2
Communications Planning: The 30,000 Foot View
• Winnie Nham
• Director of
Communications, YSA
• wnham@ysa.org
Why do we need a communications plan?
• Structure
• Long term vision
• Efficiency
What goes into a communications plan?
• Why do you want to communicate with the
community? (Purpose)
• Whom do you want to communicate it
to? (Audience)
• What do you want to communicate? (Message)
• How do you want to communicate
it? (Communication Channels)
• Whom should you contact and what should you do
in order to use those channels? (Distribution)
Communications Matrix
Date
Objective
Message
Audience
Channel
Distribution
3/6
Promote awareness
about the nutritional
benefits of eating
healthy and provide
cheap healthy eating
options/ideas
Eating healthy
doesn’t need to
cost a lot or take
a lot of time. It
also has great
nutritional
benefits.
Youth in East
Palo Alto, age
5-13
Poster ads
•
•
Social mediaFacebook,
Twitter,
Instagram
•
•
3/13
3/20
Contact print
shop for poster
donations
Contact school
teachers to place
posters in
classrooms &
grocery store
Create accounts
and designate
social media
managers
Create a
schedule for
messages
YSA Communication Resources
Visit www.GYSD.org/promote for:
• GYSD logos
• Sample social media messages
• Tools/tips for engaging public
leaders & VIPS
• Email pitch and press release
templates
• Media advisory template
• Certificate & poster template
Other YSA Resources
• GYSD.org/about
– General info about GYSD
– History of GYSD
• Sign up for Youth Service
Briefing
• Organizations: Partner
Newsletters
Michael Coursey
• Michael Coursey
• Marketing Manager, Carousel30
• Twitter: @MichaelJCoursey
KYSS: Keep Your Stories Simple
Why Tell Your Story?
• What Is Your Story: Not Someone Else’s
• Why should someone care?
• Why do you care?
• What is the goal of the story?
• What happens after you tell your story?
Key Elements of A Good Story
Characters: Who was involved. Don’t just list a persons fact, or resume,
provide the essence of who these people are and why others should care.
Explain the context. Reveal emotions.
Key Elements of A Good Story
Conflict: How does the character transform through challenge. It’s not always
adversity. Take time to describe what they’re going through. Include emotions,
and changes in perspective/understanding.
Key Elements of A Good Story
Resolution: How did the character(s) change? It does not always need to be a
happy ending. Provide the necessary context and emotion for the audience to
make the connection and process the story.
How to Tell Your Story
Social Media: Keep it short.
Tell your story, but keep it simple.
There are no golden rules for
social media storytelling, but
clear, direct, and authentic
stories will always have an
audience.
Ask yourself
“Would I share this?”
How to Tell Your Story
Press Release: What puts it in the
paper? When writing a press release,
be direct.
Tell your story, but focus on your
audience not yourself. What makes this
story newsworthy?
• Does the story include anyone of
note (politicians, celebrities, etc.)?
• Ask for what you want? Ask to have
an article written, a spot on the
local news, etc…
• Don’t waste too much space on you.
Focus on the story.
Learn How to Tell Your Story
Learn how to tell your story and the world
will never stop listening.
Your life, and your service, is made up of
stories. Great storytelling isn’t just spouting
out information, it is learning how to tell
your stories.
If you care, and truly care, then you will find
an audience who cares too.
Pick your channels(social media, podcasts,
blogs) based on where your audience is and
tell your story well.
3 Types of Communications Channels
Owned
Paid
Earned
Channel a brand controls
Brand pays to leverage a channel
When customers become the
channel
Word of mouth
Website
Blog
Display ads
Social sharing/mentions
Twitter account
Paid search
Reposts
Facebook account
Paid influencers
News stories
Examples of Different types of Communications
Owned
Website: Arizona Governor’s
Youth Commission
http://beseenbeheard.az.gov/
Paid
Earned
Display Ads: The
SCRAP Gallery, Indio,
CA
Word of
mouth/Social
Sharing: Bringing
Hope Home,
Philadelphia, PA
Great bloggers: Making
Dreams Come True, HI and City
Year New Hampshire
Facebook/Twitter: Sami
Petersen with SHIFT Scoliosis
Reposts
Influencers: Montana
Governor’s Youth
Council
News stories: United
Way of Greater
Toledo, Ohio
Free Resources Available
• Creating posters, graphics, logos: Lucidpress,
PicMonkey
• Creating a blog: Wordpress, Blogger
• Creating a website: Wix, Weebly
• Creating newsletters: Mailchimp
• Scheduling social media: Hootesuite, Shareist
YSA’s Top 10 Best Practices
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Focus posts on where your followers are
Ask followers to help spread the word
A picture is worth a thousand words
Write a letter to the editor
Print media can also be shared on social media
Create a communications committee
Encourage youth to use their spark to create
communications pieces
8. Lead a story telling campaign
9. Utilize your local school to spread the word
10. Let youth manage your social media
Don’t forget to share your stories with YSA!
Use #GYSD to capture and share your stories, and
tag YSA:
•
•
•
•
Facebook: Tag @YouthServiceAmerica
Twitter: Tweet @YouthService
Instagram: Tag @YouthService
YouTube: Watch @YouthService