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

• Michael Coursey

• Marketing Manager, Carousel30

• Twitter: @MichaelJCoursey

• Winnie Nham

• Director of Communications, YSA

• wnham@ysa.org

• Elizabeth Meyer

• Global Youth Council Member

• Twitter: @ElizabethMeyer2

Twitter Chat Host

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 media-Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

• Contact print shop for poster donations

• Contact schoolteachers to place posters in classrooms & grocery store

• Create accounts and designatesocial media managers

• Create a schedule for messages

3/13

3/20

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

Channel a brand controls

Website

Blog

Twitter account

Facebook account

Paid

Brand pays to leverage a channel

Display ads

Paid search

Paid influencers

EarnedWhen customers become the

channel

Word of mouth

Social sharing/mentions

Reposts

News stories

Examples of Different types of Communications

OwnedWebsite: Arizona Governor’s

Youth Commission

http://beseenbeheard.az.gov/

Great bloggers: Making Dreams Come True, HI and City

Year New Hampshire

Facebook/Twitter: Sami Petersen with SHIFT Scoliosis

Paid

Display Ads: The SCRAP Gallery, Indio,

CA

Influencers: Montana Governor’s Youth

Council

EarnedWord of

mouth/Social Sharing: Bringing

Hope Home, Philadelphia, PA

Reposts

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. Focus posts on where your followers are

2. Ask followers to help spread the word

3. A picture is worth a thousand words

4. Write a letter to the editor

5. Print media can also be shared on social media

6. Create a communications committee

7. 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