Communications Strategy

A communications strategy is concerned with the drafting and the distribution of written literature. Poorly written letters can be counter productive; badly produced brochures are a turn off in a multimedia age, while the most beautifully crafted literature can be let down by a failure to distribute efficiently and request a definite response by a definite date.

• Use the communications checklist to ensure quality.
• Consider how to make distribution effective
• Effective follow up is critical to effective communications

The three elements
There are three essential components in the communications strategy: brochures, letters and response forms and templates are available for each of these elements.

• A simple, attractive brochure sets out the financial needs of the church and contains clear advice on how the members of the church can respond. The brochure is the unifying element of the written literature, going to the entire congregation.
• A clergy "ask" letter makes a personal request and invites a personal response from the recipient. The ask letters are differentiated, a slightly different letter goes to each of core, congregation and fringe groupings so as to make the ask as appropriate and personal as a letter can be.
• A response form is also needed. Ambiguity is fatal to giving; there must be a clear and unambiguous answer to the question “what do you want me to do?”. The response forms are differentiated to reflect the differentiated letters which they serve.