Approximately 30 percent of the 1,400 members belonging to PRSA’s National Capital Chapter (PRSA-NCC) work for associations or nonprofits. That’s why on Nov. 18 PRSA-NCC—the nation’s largest PRSA chapter—held a professional development program titled “Communications in the Nonprofit Sector: How to Demonstrate PR Value”
It’s especially important in this difficult economic environment for PR practitioners working for associations and nonprofits to prove the value of PR. To address this challenge, four PR leaders shared best practices and specific tactics during a morning program held at the Burke Theater at the Naval Heritage Center. The panelists were Jay Morris, senior vice-president of marketing/communications, National Association of Federal Credit Unions; Shonali Burke, principal, Shonali Burke Consulting; Scott Frank, director of media relations, American Institute of Architects; and Julie Phillips-Turner, principal, Phillips Turner Communications.
(Pictured above left to right: Julie Phillips-Turner, Jay Morris, Shonali Burke, Scott Frank and Jeff Ghannam.)
Moderator and chapter president-elect Jeff Ghannam kicked off the program and introduced program sponsors PR Newswire, represented by Emily Howard, and the GWU Strategic PR Masters Program, represented by Larry Parnell. Parnell shared the preliminary findings of a study GW is conducting on association and nonprofit PR. GW’s preliminary research has identified the following key challenges for PR executives in association and nonprofit organizations:
- Demonstrating the value of PR efforts to members and C-level executives while being cost effective—doing more (or the same) with less (budget, staff, resources, etc.)
- Measuring impact of visibility beyond media coverage and the need to conduct strategic vs. tactical public relations
- Identifying the role of social media in achieving communications and advocacy goals. What works; control, measurement, and costs are considerations.
Those findings formed an ideal backdrop for the presentations of the four panelists. The panelists shared the following “take-home” tips:
Jay Morris on metrics that make sense:
- PR pros in associations and nonprofits aren’t measuring enough. When they do measure, it’s often the wrong things. A PRNews survey found that only 55% of PR agencies and 45% of in-house PR departments analyze media results. Over 80% relied primarily on press clippings and 40% or more used ad value equivalents (AVEs).
- Marketing pros are ahead of PR practitioners in quantifying ROI. And multi-pronged campaigns that cross departmental lines—marketing, PR, membership, government affairs—are the ones most likely to succeed.
- Proving the value of PR to CEOs, boards, and key stakeholders requires aligning PR practices with their expected outcomes, not ours.
Shonali Burke on social media:
- 88% of associations and nonprofits are still experimenting with social media; 51% are active users, says a recent survey by Weber Shandwick.
- Align tactics with key performance indicators or business objectives, such as online donations, new donors or member, and applications to programs or conference registrations.
- Jump in and learn as you go. It’s important to have a strategy or plan but just do it and adjust.
Scott Frank on cost-effective communication tips and tactics:
- Partnership/coalition development with other organizations allows for programmatic synergies and economies of scale. There is power in numbers. Coalitions are particularly effective in the public affairs arena.
- Media tactics such as "mat releases" (formatted, consumer-related articles for newspaper s) and distribution of content via topic-specific wire services or networks, such as the Matter Network (world’s largest online distributor of sustainability news and information) are proven and cost-effective.
- Member and local chapter involvement allows an association or nonprofit to leverage the expertise of its members on a large scale. Enlist members to serve as topical spokespersons and to conduct media outreach at the local level. Provide them tools such as press release templates, local media lists, media interview tips, and online guides to media relations
Julie Philips-Turner on creative budgeting.
- The economic environment is ripe for making big changes. Now is the time to propose new money saving ideas and create new energy for your organization. In turn, you can energize your membership/supporters by giving them new tools and information to use.
- Be ruthless about abandoning things that don’t work or have lost their value. Key indicators of efforts that need to be slayed include lack of member participation; an ongoing project crafted by a previous staff member that no longer has a champion; a project/program that no longer meets your organization’s goals or mission, the ROI is less than its cost or it can be done better, faster and cheaper some other way.
- Specific costs savings tips include eliminating services (such as subscriptions) that you don’t use; better planning and meeting deadlines to save rush charges and wasted time; evaluating the quality and value of your projects/programs through member surveys – then modify or cut; and ditch print projects and go online whenever possible.
The Nov. 18 program was the latest in series of monthly professional develop programs hosted by the chapter. For more about the chapter, visit www.prsa-ncc.org.