Strategic Communication

We know that our community members receive a lot of information about health, wellness, safety, and other public health issues. How do we make our message about the importance of sexual violence prevention really stick? How do we motivate them to choose the healthy, non-violent attitudes and behaviors? The way in which we convey our messages in person, through resource materials, and with media are all important.

Communication that leads to action

There are many approaches and skills needed to lead communities to taking ownership of sexual violence prevention. One of which is from The Goodman Center, which provides workshops and consultations to non-profits about how to effectively communicate their messages and reach communities. They have developed a plan for what they call "cutting through the clutter" and connecting with your audience on four main points.

The Four Connecting Points

Theme

identify what the audience cares about and connect that to your message

Words

choose words that will appeal to the audience and consider the emotional responses that may be evoked

Transfer

get the message out at a meaningful time and place; also consider additional aspects such as how visually appealing materials are

Ask

make it clear what you want the audience to do, how they can comfortably do this, and why it will make a difference

Interested in reading how these Connecting Points are applied in real life? Alan Goodman writes about how the Connecting Points saved his dog in the monthly newsletter, Free-Range Thinking. His fun use of these communication skills demonstrates how these steps are already a part of how we approach many situations and audiences, but taking the time to think about them strategically can help!