How to prepare an effective communication strategy

And a step further – let’s dive in now in a real-life example of a comprehensive communications strategy and plan of a YO that outlined six objectives for its operations in the local community:

Objective	Target Audience	Key Messages	Communication Channels	Tactics	Timeline	Responsible Person	Evaluation Metrics
Increase awareness of the youth center’s programs and activities	Local youth (ages 14-24), parents, schools, community leaders	Discover exciting programs and activities at our youth center. Join us for fun, learning, and growth.	Social media (Facebook, Instagram, X, etc), local newspapers, school newsletters, community bulletin boards	Social media campaigns, press releases, flyers, school visits, community events	Continuous	YO Communication Officer	Number of social media followers, post shares, event attendance, newsletter sign-ups etc
Boost participation in leisure youth programs	Students (ages 12-18), parents	Join our youth programs, film, sports, arts, and more	Social media, school announcements, flyers	Facebook and Instagram ads, school presentations, flyers	Monthly	YO Program Manager	Program enrollment numbers, feedback surveys
Engage local organizations for sponsorship and support	Local owners, community leaders	Support our youth center and invest in the future of our community’s youth.	Direct mail, email newsletters, local business networks	Sponsorship packages, business community events, email campaigns	Quarterly	YO Fundraising Manager	Number of sponsors, amount of funds raised, sponsor feedback
Promote volunteer opportunities	High school students, college students, community members	Make a difference in the lives of local youth. Start your volunteering stint today	Social media, local newspapers, volunteer fairs, community events	Social media posts, volunteer fairs, articles in local newspapers	Bi-monthly	YO Intern/Volunteer	Number of volunteers, volunteer hours logged, volunteer retention rate, muber of testimonials
Enhance communication with parents	Parents of participating youth	Always be informed about your child’s activities and progress at our center.	Email, parent meetings, newsletters	Monthly email updates, quarterly parent meetings, printed newsletters	Monthly	YO Program Director	Parent feedback, attendance at meetings, direct emailing
Build partnerships with local schools	School administrators, teachers	Partner with us to provide enriching youth activities for your students.	Direct meetings, email, school newsletters	Meetings with school staff, informational packets, joint events	Bi-annual	YO Program Manager or Coordinator	Number of partnerships, collaborative events held, feedback from schools

This chart gives a blueprint and lists all elements you as a YO need to kick off effective external communications – engagement with your stakeholders. Roles and responsibilities for implementation are also outlined and as a YO you must know where these resources can be found. Sometimes it will be an internal person, sometimes external, as in communication it’s not rare to have an outsourced professional or a company to help you out with continuous needs of quality communication. The timeline and dynamics is also proposed in the example, giving an overview of what’s going to go where and when. It is a starting point that needs to remain flexible to match the reality and adapt to possible changes after integrating the evaluation metrics. Evaluation in itself might call for the necessity of gaining new skills and revising the communication strategy and plan.

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How to prepare an effective communication strategy

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