1. Planning - what's your message?
How you communicate your messages to the community needs to be considered and planned, just like most aspects of running your community organisation.
Communications Plan
Community organisations interested in letting people know who they are and what they do, need to consider how they will communicate with their local community. A detailed communications plan that covers what the organisation's mission is, who your service is targeted towards, what your customer or service user needs are, what your organisational objectives are, how you're going to meet those objectives and your budget.
A communications plan should be linked in with your business plan. For example, if you identify in your business plan that one of your organisational objectives is to increase membership for the year, then your communications plan should also concentrate on how you are going to communicate this message. When considering the communication needs around this message, take into account the internal communications with your staff and volunteers, your publications and your media liaisons.
Your internal communications are about your staff and volunteers using the same language and being clear about how they describe your organisation to others and being aware of any media campaigns you may be about to launch into. As representatives of your organisation, they may be asked by the community to comment on that campaign and you need to be confident that they are providing the message you would like them to.
Communications plans need to be reviewed regularly, each time you review your business plan, review your communications. After each campaign check if it's been successful and if not, you may need to change your communications plan.
Advertising or publicity
Your communications plan may include both mediums for getting your message out to the community. They are both important tools to consider but are very different. Both are very effective methods to create awareness for your organisation. Advertising is something you pay for and publicity is something you'll get for free and has much more credibility than advertising. Advertising is the content you pay for (radio, TV, newspaper, banner advertising, etc) and that you have control over. Publicity on the other hand, refers to free content that appears in the media but is uncontrolled. Publicity can result when an article you write is published, or when a media release you give to an editor convinces them to write a feature story. Details on how to write a media release and using the media are featured below.
Consistency
Branding is another powerful way to identify your organisation. Review your current publications, do they have a consistent look or feel, do you have a logo that's used consistently or colours that represent your organisation. As an example, at Port Phillip we ensure that our logo appears on all our communications, and try to make sure that our colours (the colours used in the logo) are used in pamphlets, signs, newsletters, advertisements in the paper, our website. This makes it easier for the community to identify Council information and publications.
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2. Who's your audience?
Think about your audience, who are the people that use your service and who would you like to use your services or attend your events. What messages do you want to convey about your organisation and who exactly are you trying to reach. What's the best way to reach your target audience.
Targeted communications is about promoting your service, event or activity to your particular audience. Why spend more time and money with a general scatter approach when you can often be more effective by knowing who you're trying to reach and why?
For example, if you are running an event for children, it may be worth contacting the local schools and asking if you can place an article in their newsletter. It may also be worth while leaving flyers at Maternal Child Health Centres and Children's Centres. Local businesses that sell children's items may allow your organisation to leave flyers on their counters, so be creative in your thinking about how you access your target audience.
On the other hand your activity or organisation may be neighbourhood based. Therefore a different approach would be more suitable, maybe you can drop flyers into people's letter boxes, prepare a media release for the local papers, place an advertisement in the local paper, put up a poster in a Community Noticeboard or at a neighbourhood house.
So, keep in mind that depending on what you're promoting or communicating, and who your audience is, it may be most effective to target your communications to suit the message and the audience.
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3. Let people know who you are
If your organisation is new or even if it's been around for a while, it might be worth considering how people find out that you exist and what you do. Below are some ideas that might help to increase your profile.
Community Directory
The council's Community Directory lists all local community organisations and includes detailed contact and service information. Make sure your organisation is included and that your details are correct. If your organisation is not listed or the details are incorrect, go to the Community Directory and complete the Add or Update an Entry form.
Use the media - write a media release
Maybe your organisation is new, maybe you've got an event coming up, possibly you're starting a new program, maybe it's your 10th anniversary, these are all things you may want to let the community know about. Using the media to communicate these messages can be effective but how do you do that.
The attached resource has been produced by Council and is useful for people new to working with the media and to those that are interested in writing a media release. Download this resource here:  How to Communicate with the Community. Content of this resource includes:
- Why use the media to gain publicity & what attracts publicity
- How does public relations fit in
- Uncontrolled media vs controlled media
- What is news?
- Media relations
- Writing for the media
- Writing a media release, Media release template, & Media Release Check list
- Media Kits
- Photographs
Use photos
For tips on how to take photos or set up photo opportunities with media outlets that will get a run in the local papers, download these handy tips that have been prepared by Carmel Shute, City of Port Phillip, Council Media Officer. Tips on getting your photos in the media
Distributing your Media Release
Once upon a time, the only way to send out a release was to post it! Now there are more options. After deciding which media outlet you would like to distribute your media release to, contact them and ask for the name of the person you need to send the media release to and send it to the correct staff member ie:
- Radio - send it to the news director or program producer depending if it's a news item or a story pitch
- Television - send it to the Chief of Staff for the news or a producer or researcher for a program
- Daily papers - send it to chief of staff for a news story, pictorial editor for a photo opportunity or the individual journalist if you know the name of the journalist that covers your type of stories
- Local papers - send it to the journalist
A media release from an unknown organisation or unknown source is likely to be binned so it's important to build a relationship with the media or a journalist. If it's the first time you're sending out a media release, it's worth contacting the journalist first and letting them know your copy is coming. Once it's been sent, contact them a day or two later, check if they got it and if they're interested in running with the story.
Opinions vary as to the best way to send out a media release. If you're contacting the media outlet first, ask them what their preferred method of receiving media releases is, options include:
- Email: send it as a Rich Text Format attachment or pasted into the body of the email. Some journalists do not want their mailbox full of unsolicited mail, so make it easy for them to request you do not send releases that way in the future.
- Website: attached your media releases to your website and email the media, giving them a hotlink to the release, however, only a journalist who is doing research is likely to go there unprompted. It is vital to keep your web site up-to-date. Web sites cluttered with old material gives your organisation a bad image.
- Facsimile: simply fax it to the media outlet with a fax cover
The City of Port Phillip's media office issues Media Releases each week on issues that affect or are of interest to the Port Phillip community. We can also distribute community media releases at the same time. If you have prepared a media release, use eServices to send it to us and ask that it be distributed together with the council's.
Local papers
There are two major local newspapers in the City of Port Phillip, the Port Phillip Leader and the Emerald Hill Weekly (previously the Emerald Hill Times).
The Emerald Hill Weekly appears on a Monday and is delivered to more than 45,000 homes, shops and offices throughout the City of Port Phillip.
The Port Phillip Leader is published every Monday and is delivered to the suburbs of Albert Park, Carnegie, Caulfield, Caulfield North, Elsternwick, Elwood, Glen Huntly, Middle Park, Murrumbeena, Ormond, Port Melbourne, South Melbourne, St Kilda and St Kilda East.
For full contact details on both papers go to our Local Papers and Magazines page of the website.
Community media
Radio Stations
Consider contacting radio stations to see if they are interested in doing a story, particularly if you are trying to target the multicultural community. For contact details of community radio stations, visit the Radio page of our website.
Television
Try getting on some of the community television programs, for contact details, visit the Community Television page of the website.
Do you have a website?
With more and more people using the internet, maybe it's time for your organisation to create it's own website. Many people will search for information on services and organisations via the internet.
If your organisation has the necessary resources, you can engage a Website Designer to work with your organisation to create a website. If you don't have the resources but you do have the skills of members that are willing to provide their time, then maybe they can create a website for you.
For organisations that lack both internal skills and resources, VICNET (which is part of the State Library www.statelibrary.vic.gov.au) has a wide range of affordable and reliable Internet services to suit community organisations.
Flyers, brochures, posters, newsletters
Most organisations have some sort of flyer or brochure that promotes their organisation or program. Depending on the skills and expertise within your organisation and the resources available, this is something that you can do yourselves or something a graphic designer can do for you.
If you don't have the resources to pay someone to do it for you, then this presentation may be useful. It includes design tips and lists of resources to call on. Read the Do it yourself flyers & brochures - tips for the novice guideline for some help.
Consider whether it might be worth producing a newsletter for your organisation. If you already have one, is it listed on Council's Newsletters Roadmap This Roadmap is made available to the community and lists a range of local newsletters with relevant contact details.
Networks
Get involved in local networks. There are a range of networks that exist in Port Phillip and there may be one that meets around like issues that your community organisation is interested in. View the Networks Roadmap that tables a list of local networks (or networks that local organisations are members of), forums and advisory bodies that your organisation may want to connect to.
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4. Promoting events
Most organisations run events at some stage or another. Below are some ideas on how to promote your events.
Event Management
If you are in the planning phase of an event, this resource which was put together by council staff may be helpful. It includes topics such as:
- Develop the event concept and consider feasibility
- Planning & Preparation
- Public Liability
- Risk Management
- Marketing Plan
- Budgets
A copy of the resource is available here: Introduction to Event Management - Resource
Business Victoria has an online step by step guide on How to Organise an Event. To get it going visit their website at http://sb.business.vic.gov.au/vbmkviewer/scenario.do?id=40
Calendar of events
Local community organisations can promote their events for free on the council's Calendar of Events that appears online, and may also appear in council's Divercity Newsletter What's On column. To get items into the Calendar of Events, you will need to fill in an online form and Add your event.
Distribution of flyers
The council's local libraries and community centres have hundreds of locals visiting them every day. Make copies of your flyer / brochure and drop them into one of the council's five Libraries or into one of the council's many Community Facilities.
Alternatively, you can take a leisurely stroll through the street and drop the flyers into letter boxes. If appropriate to the event, how about leaving your flyers in local cafes and businesses.
Community Noticeboards
Below is a list of the locations of Community Noticeboards. The noticeboards are unlocked and people are welcome to display information in them. Items of a commercial nature will be taken down.
- Adjacent to the bus terminal at Fishermans Bend Community Centre (Sandridge), Port Melbourne
- Fixed to the blue stone wall of the Carlisle Street railway bridge (south side), Balaclava
- Elwood shopping centre, corner of Ormond Road and Vautier Street (located in garden bed), Elwood
- Olive's Corner, Liardet Street, Port Melbourne
- Albert Park - On Broadway Tree Reserve in Bridport Street facing Dundas Place
- Middle Park - Armstrong St at the triangle of Erskine St & Canterbury Place (in front of a palm tree)
Local papers
To get advertisements in the local papers, contact the relevant advertisement representative two weeks before the date of the newspaper publication you want your advertisement to appear in.
Emerald Hill Weekly
Bronwyn Niels, advertising coordinator
Ph: (03) 9926-4847
Email: Bronwynn.Niels@textmedia.com.au
Port Phillip Leader
Lisa Hunt, sales representative
Ph: (03) 9941 1507
Email: huntl@ldr.newsltd.com.au
Free listing in the local papers
The local papers also advertise community events free of charge in their papers.
- The Port Phillip Leader has it's My Time, what's on section. To be included email your listing to theleader@ldr.newsltd.com.au
- In the Emerald Hill Weekly they have the monthly Charity Events listing. They list events that raise money for charity or crisis, must be not for profit organisations. For terms and conditions to place your charity listing, email: charity@textmedia.com.au
- Emerald Hill Weekly also have the need to know - what's on in the neighbourhood section. Email your event details to andrew.fenton@textmedia.com.au
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5. Review your communications plan
On a regular basis you need to review your communications plan. If you've just undertaken a campaign to recruit new volunteers, you need to check that it's been successful. Did the plans you put into place work. If you put resources into your current communications plan to try and increase the number of volunteers in your organisation but it didn't result in any new volunteers, then you should review this plan and try to understand why it didn't work. An alternative plan may be more successful.
In reviewing your communications, you should check in with major stakeholders or your target audience. Ask them what they think about your current communications and publications. Based on their feedback, make appropriate changes or updates.
Annual or regular research could be valuable in assessing your communications. If you can track changes over time, you could track which campaigns and what type of communication has been most successful.
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Other Resources
ourcommunity.com.au provide a one-stop-gateway for practical resources, support and linkages between community networks and the general public, business and government - building capacity to strengthen the community. They have a range of practical resources such as layouts and templates, contacts, training courses, help sheets on a range of topics that may be useful - log into their site at www.ourcommunity.com.au/marketing/marketing_main.jsp.
Social Change Media is a full service social marketing agency that develop communication/education strategies; implement comprehensive education programs for the community, industry and other groups; carry out social research programs; carry out community consultation programs; provide a full range of communication and social marketing tools (incl. direct mail, media relations, publications, face-to-face etc); provide ready-friendly and Plain English graphic design to a high standard; provide web-site development and strategic internet consultation. They also have some online resources you may be able to use http://www.media.socialchange.net.au/
Hootville - Hootville Communications uses communications for good, not evil. They offer media relations, public relations (PR), media skills training, campaigning and general communications advice predominately to the Not For Profit (NFP) sector across Australia. Visit their website at http://www.hootville.com/
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More information
Use eServices to ask us a question, request information or give us feedback online. If you prefer phone ASSIST on (03) 9209 6777 or TTy (03) 9209 6713 and ask for the Community Development Policy & Programs Unit.
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