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Good communication practices for impact open calls

7min reading

By Emanuely Lima

Aug 2024
Adaptation of the communication piece for notices">

Communication for public notices, when well planned and executed, expands the reach of the message, facilitates connection with initiatives seeking support and ensures that proposals are aligned with the funders' objectives. The way we communicate and disseminate determines the reach of the message and consequently, the number of registrations but, more importantly, their quality.

Over the course of 5 editions of the Futuro Bem Maior , we faced challenges in creating a more assertive and accessible notice format. In this article, we share the best communication practices for public notices that we learned, refined by the results of the 5th public notice held between July and August. Recommended reading for both financiers looking for good practices and initiatives that want to achieve much greater results in fundraising!

Set objectives and understand your target audience

If you have reached the point of issuing a notice, it is because you have an investment and want to distribute it in a transparent and competitive way, right?

Before moving on to the tool, moment zero is to define your question: “ What do you want to achieve with this notice? ” or “What problem or opportunity do you want to solve or address through this announcement?” In some way, this question is implicit in the Theory of Change, a methodology we suggest for establishing an earlier strategic vision.

In our case, the answer has always been: what? strengthen community impact initiatives throughout Brazil. Where? We know that some regions receive less private social investment, so we restricted the notice to municipalities with population limitations to democratize access. As? To strengthen initiatives, we focus on institutional development. This vision helps us understand who we need to talk to.

To ensure that information reaches the target audience clearly and accurately, knowing them well is the first step . Regardless of location or available resources, it is essential to be close. In the case of grantmaking and social investors, such as Futuro Bem Maior, understanding the profile of the CSOs and collectives sought is key.

For example, what is the size of the organization? This can be measured by the number of beneficiaries and/or the fundraising capacity. In which territory does the organization want to make an impact? If resources are concentrated in specific areas, democratizing geographic distribution reaches underserved regions. Does the notice address a specific problem? What causes are related? These responses are the basis of any communication for notices.

Rigorously defining the criteria allows you to understand the public, communicate appropriately and reach them to their full potential, ensuring that they see value in the opportunity offered by the notice.

Good practices

Now that we are on the same page regarding the importance of a broad view of the notice, let's explore some good communication practices for notices that can be applied to ensure that your dissemination achieves the desired results.

Strategic planning

With the profile of the target audience in mind, it is time to understand where they are and where they usually consume information and discover new opportunities . It is likely that you already talk to this audience through your organization's institutional channels, such as social networks, newsletters and website. However, it is equally important to consider other means and places where you can achieve it as well.

Having defined the most relevant communication channels for your notice, the next step is to structure the planning: create a content calendar, establish an action plan, define goals for each stage of the campaign and allocate resources in an optimized way. Good planning allows all actions to be aligned with the objectives of the notice, ensuring consistency in the message and maximizing impact.

With this information in hand, we developed the campaign concept, including the slogan “ Strengthen territories and inspire the future ”. The phrase served as the motto for communication actions, which were adapted for each audience and channel. We also created a key message that highlighted the elements and attributes of the notice that we wanted to reinforce, such as the celebration of the five editions so far, the investment in institutional development and the decentralization/democratization of philanthropic resources.

Using multiple channels

In addition to institutional channels, dialogue with local media proved decisive throughout the editions . Establishing a connection with small municipalities in different states represents a major capillarity challenge. This year, we identified the need to count on the support of local press offices, with experience in community communication and regional mobilization, in strategic regions, where we have historically faced access difficulties.

These advisors, working directly in the territories, represented us locally and facilitated access to communication vehicles and other means. Based on this support, we also carried out a 'hand-to-hand' mobilization with local networks and organizations to disseminate the notice's message. The result was significant: more than 125 insertions on portals, blogs, newspapers and local radio stations, in addition to numerous articulations that expanded our reach.

An effective communication strategy for notices must include multiple channels, diversifying the points of contact with the target audience and adapting the message to each context and format. This increases the chances of engagement and registration of initiatives aligned with the objectives of the notice . If it is impossible to invest in support from external suppliers, it is always possible to look for local partners, who already know the territory and can facilitate dissemination. Combining different channels, such as social networks, newsletters and direct contacts, helps to cover different fronts, expanding the impact and visibility of the notice.

Creating compelling and relevant content

By diversifying the content, it is also possible to cover different fronts. Based on public knowledge, we identified that Instagram was the main social network for contact. Naturally, it became our main channel for communicating information about the notice, such as criteria and benefits, in addition to strengthening its attributes with the public. We take advantage of the platform's various possibilities, such as static posts, stories, lives and other formats, choosing each one according to the type of content to be transmitted .

We identified enormous potential in the organizations participating in previous editions to act as influencers. They already knew the value of the program and could share its impacts, offering powerful social proof to other organizations with profiles similar to those we were trying to attract. Lona na Lua , IESA and Projeto Viamar were the faces of our campaign, exemplifying what it means to be a Greater Future .

We produced videos together to tell these success stories and used Instagram's collaboration feature , allowing them to co-post the content on their own accounts. This significantly expanded the reach and credibility of our message, and this was the organic content with the best engagement rate in the campaign.

We also used the collaboration strategy with organizations such as Instituto Phi , Phomenta and Bússola Social , partners in carrying out the notice, which already have a well-established audience among the target audience .

This content approach strengthened the notice's visibility and generated deeper and more meaningful engagement , building a direct bridge between influencing organizations and potential new participants.

Segmentation and personalization

When it comes to channels that allow for more precise segmentation, such as email bases, message personalization becomes an asset . We had a 'general' base of subscribers to our newsletter, made up of organizations, investors and other audiences, and an exclusive base of CSOs and collectives from previous editions. The objective was to activate these bases at different times, ensuring that each group received the most relevant message.

On a general basis, we focused on requesting support to amplify the notice's message, encouraging these contacts to help spread the news. That was the motto of this communication. For the CSOs and collectives base, we adopted a more direct and personalized approach, meeting the specific needs of these organizations and highlighting the value of the notice for them .

While the subject of the email to the general base said “5th Greater Good Future on air! Spread the news and help boost local organizations”, the email to CSOs and collectives had a more specific and attractive message: “Achieve more results with financial support and training!”. Segmentation and personalization ensure that each audience receives the right message , at the right time, increasing the effectiveness of your communication strategy for notices.

Continuous monitoring and adjustment

You need to leverage all available audience information, from strategic planning to execution and monitoring . In the case of a national initiative like Futuro Bem Maior, one of our main challenges was to guarantee capillarity, that is, reaching subscribers in all states in Brazil.

To achieve this, even with the work of the press offices, we needed to ensure that our messages reached these locations accurately through other means as well . Paid media tools, such as Meta Ads and Google Ads, proved to be essential, allowing highly specific targeting, including geographic criteria for populations of less than 200 thousand inhabitants.

With continuous monitoring, we realized the need to intensify investment in specific states. This geographic and demographic profile, although quite precise, allowed us to adjust the strategy in real time and focus efforts where they were most needed . One of the most relevant results came from Google's Demand Gen tool, which displays banners on websites frequented by the target audience, expanding our reach and ensuring that the notice's message reaches strategic regions effectively.

 

Turn learning into action

Now that you know good communication practices for impact announcements , how about starting to apply them to your next campaign?

First, clearly define the objectives of your notice and identify the profile of the audience you want to reach.

Then, create a detailed communications plan , choosing the most effective channels and formats to get your message across.

Remember to continually monitor results and adjust the strategy as needed to maximize impact.

The more you improve your approach, as we have done over the five editions of Futuro Bem Maior, the greater the impact of your communication .

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