Part III – Chapter 8
Developing an Effective Communications Plan
i. LWVUS Communications 101
Everything a League does involves communications: voter services, citizen information, advocacy, membership, fundraising, etc. The target audience may be internal/external or both. The key is making sure that your League’s message is focused, that it is heard and understood, and that it will have the maximum impact on the intended audience. To be effective, a communications strategy cannot be undertaken as an afterthought. It must be built into every activity and project on the League’s agenda.
Visibility
The League’s visibility in the community or state depends largely on how successful it is in getting stories carried by the print and electronic media. This requires knowing the media and how they function, analyzing the political forces in the community working for or against a particular issue, taking the pulse of public opinion, making a realistic assessment of the League’s resources that can be committed to a particular project, and recognizing and promoting the League’s niche or perspective on a story.
Email is an essential tool for communication among different levels of the League and between members of a given League. It is essential that every League have access to email and that members’ email addresses are included in the national League member database so that they will receive regular updates sent out by the national League Board and staff.
Newsletter
A local League’s most basic tool for communicating with its members and the larger community is its newsletter. Every League should name its newsletter The Voter and include the League’s registered logo on the masthead. The board’s role is one of setting overall policy for the content and tone of the newsletter. A good newsletter should be an effective tool for membership involvement and retention; it should convey a sense of enthusiasm about the League’s accomplishments and expertise as well as communicate information to both members and the public.
For an in-depth look at Communications, Guidelines, Tips, Templates and more:
https://www.lwv.org/league-management/communications
ii. LWV Minnesota Communications
All primary communications needed by League leaders and members can be found on the LWV Minnesota website under Member Resources.
Leadership Notebook
The complete packet is found on the LWV Minnesota website lwvmn.org under Local League, Member Resources.
Membership Handbook
The complete handbook is found on the LWV Minnesota website lwvmn.org under Local League, Member Resources.
All Member News
Monthly email newsletter with news from around the state and upcoming events from LWV Minnesota and LWV USA. Make sure that LWV Minnesota has your current roster so that all members receive this email.
Capitol Letter
Written by the Action Committee and posted on LWVMN’s website to keep you up to date on advocacy at the Legislature. Also available to be emailed to members.
Action Alerts
An opt-in email list that receives current news and calls to action related to LWV Minnesota’s Program for Action and current legislative priorities.
To add or remove yourself from emails, go to lwvmn.org and click the “Subscribe” button.
iii. Website
Every League should have its own website, which should be linked to on the LWVMN site. A website is the League’s face to the community – both the public and its members. It should be informative, but not so densely packed with information that it cannot be read easily. It should be a useful way for the public to become informed about League issues and about election information. The website should be well designed, easily navigable, and updated on a regular basis. Its URL should be short, easy to remember and as widely publicized as possible so that people can find it.
iV. Social Media Guidelines & Policies
Social media is a great way to engage with the public and our members, and also to interact with the media, key opinion leaders and our organizational partners. Through your social media accounts, you can share all of the wonderful work you are doing, elevate the work of other Leagues who are on social media, and form relationships with others working on the same issues as the League. Social media should be viewed as tools to help you engage with your supporters where they are.
Social media toolkit and guidelines:
https://www.lwv.org/league-management/guides/social-media-tool-kit
v. LWVUS Branding Guidelines and Style Sheets
The League of Women Voters visual system is designed to be dynamic and recognizable, and our logo is the cornerstone of our brand. It is very important to maintain the integrity and consistency of our trademarked name and logo. These Brand Standards will help the nationwide organization maintain a unified look—a branding tactic that is both essential to our legal ability to protect our trademark, as well as creating a trusted visual face that will establish brand recall with our supporters (and those we hope will soon become supporters!).
The name and logo have been legally trademarked by LWVUS and are owned by LWVUS on behalf of all the state and local chapters who are part of our organization. Hence, LWVUS is responsible for protecting our brand and, in turn, those who are part of our family need to use it appropriately. We have established these guidelines in order to maintain the integrity of and reinforce our identity.
This document is organized to assist you in identifying how to use the logo in both digital and print mediums. In both applications, the standards address requirements pertaining to the following:
logo design
logo colors
presentation of the League name
use of the registration mark
impermissible variations
production tips
Resources
LWVUS Brand Standards
All LWV materials created moving forward—for both digital and printed materials—must adhere to this Brand Standards document.Logo files (general) [automatic download]
Social media avatar package [automatic download]
This file includes five variations of the LWV logo, created to fit both the square and circle dimensions of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram profiles. More information about our Visual System Standards for Social Media can be found on page 26 of the Brand Standards. *Please note when uploading an avatar on Facebook, you may need to adjust the default crop. You can find a screenshot of how to accomplish this here.Photo/Video Release Template
This waiver and notice template are for Leagues to use when conducting photo and video shoots of your events. It is important to use these forms in order to protect our right to photos and videos recorded for organic and promotional use.LWVUS Merch Portal
Visit the LWVUS Merch Portal, where League leaders may order materials for their work across the country.LWVUS Flickr Site
Leagues are free to use any of these photos in their promotions.
vI. Press Release Guidelines
Portions of this section were sourced from LWV Illinois.
Media Contacts
Contact lists should include all major media in the area, including weekly and monthly magazines and newsletters, and cable stations. In addition to local news media, include local churches and synagogues, village boards, other civic organizations, and any organization or group that might possibly be supportive of League efforts in any given area. Don't forget women’s magazines and publications on political or social issues. When doing a media blitz, use the sources most likely to support that issue/program.
Relationships with Media
Find out who the contact should be at your local newspaper. Meet with that person and discuss what major League events are coming up. Find out what he/she needs from you that will help get your events publicized and in what timeframe. This person doesn’t need to be the editor. You may have a newsroom staff person or reporter as your contact.
Make sure you contact the right medium for the message. If your event has good visuals (e.g., a demonstration or march) you may want to contact tv as well as newspapers. Many cable stations have training sessions for individuals. Having a member willing to train would go a long way toward getting cable coverage of events as well as having videotape that can be used by other Leagues and/or media.
Publicize as much and as often as possible. Just because you don’t get coverage for one event, doesn’t mean it won’t be there for another. Keep trying!
Press Releases
Distribute a press release when the public should know about information that requires action. A press release offers an opportunity to gain attention for your League's work, and conveys the idea that the public needs to be aware of the information your League is presenting.
Suggested Press Release Components
Date of the Press Release
Contact Information, including phone number and email of the contact person.
THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF ______ PRESENTS _________________(Be specific in the title. What is your League doing?)
The Introductory Paragraph: Tell the public which League you are representing, and the basics about this message. The League of Women Voters of ______is… Are you informing the public of a League activity? If so, include the title of the event, the day, date, time and any cost. Will people of note participate in the activity? If so, include their names. Is there a piece of legislation the public should be aware of? If so, include the bill's number and name.
The Secondary Paragraph: If you have a quote about the activity or initiative from a League official or someone of note, include that information in this paragraph.
The Action Paragraph: Tell the public what you want them to do with this information. Do they need to make reservations to attend your event, or contact an elected official about specific legislation. This is the space to let people know why this information is important and how it can be used.
###(Above symbol indicates the end of the release)
About the League: (Tell the media who you are.) The League of Women Voters of _______, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. To learn more about the League of Women Voters of ______, visit (insert website address.)
Successful Op/Eds
Op/Eds are short essays that appear next to the editorial pages of newspapers. They are a fantastic tool for Leagues working to influence local or regional policies, bring a new perspective to an issue, or react to developments in their communities. Here are a few tips for writing successful Op/Eds, thanks to PNN Online, a leading nonprofit newsletter:
Introduce yourself to your newspaper's op-ed page editor by telephone or email and request the publication's op-ed guidelines. Then follow them.
Determine your goal. What do you want to achieve through your op-ed? Do you want people to behave differently or take a specific action? Keep this goal in mind as you write.
Select one message to communicate. Op-eds are short - typically around 800 words - so you have room to make just one good point.
Be controversial. Editors like essays with strong opinions that will spark conversation.
Illustrate how the topic or issue affects readers. Put a face on the issue by starting your essay with the story of somebody who has been affected or begin with an attention-getting statistic.
Describe the problem and why it exists. This is often where you can address the opposing viewpoint and explain your group's perspective.
Offer your solution to the problem and explain why it's the best option.
Conclude on a strong note by repeating your message or stating a call to action.
Add one or two sentences at the end that describe your name, title, and credentials as they relate to the topic.
For more information on press releases, or to see samples, refer to this page in our Voter Service Handbook.
VII. Effective Letters to the Editor
Maximize your chances to get an effective Letter to the Editor (LTE) published with these tips.