The Who-Do-You-Know Audit

This is a fun-to-fill-out assessment of the connections that you and your staff have within your local community. Connections you can use to identify the people, places and funds that can help bring your communications plan to life.

It’s the Six Degrees of Separation exercise that will make you realize that by doing what comes naturally—talking to our friends and neighbors—we really have a bigger (non-monetary) budget than we thought we had!

And remember, lots of these businesses and group would love to play a bigger role in their local community. But they won’t know you’d like their help…unless you ask! You don’t even have to know someone there – just ask!

4 INITIAL STEPS TO GETTING YOUR CAMPAIGN STARTED

      ASSESS – Use the audit to ID all the resources that could help you
      CONNECT – Get specific commitments of support from potential partners
      COORDINATE – Schedule and implement campaign multiple elements for biggest impact
      GO! – Just do it! Quickly build, then sustain your momentum.


BUSINESS CONNECTIONS

Your local business community is full of potential partners that can help you bring a communications campaign to life. Think of not only those in a direct communications-related business (like printers), but also those who have a high visibility in the community. And those who you’ve seen support local causes in the past. With that in mind, name names below.


Communications-Related Businesses





Visible in the community







Past supporters of other causes




MEDIA CONNECTIONS

There are many outlets in your community for the tools of your campaign. Having a contact at one or more is valuable when it comes time to ask them to help support your efforts. Many have empty space or time slots, and will use professionally produced media tools like the ones you now have access to.









OTHER CONNECTIONS

Tap into existing community groups to put teams that can get your signage out around town, or distribute window clings to business, or pass out leaflets, or hold up signs along Main Street on Saturday morning. Get creative! They sure are. Harness the energy of kids who are used to knocking on doors and getting attention. It’ll energize your campaign too, as these young community members take an active role in their local government’s efforts! Plus, lots of kids need service hours as they near graduation—another motivator!







Go!

 

connect CONNECT

Now that you’ve identified all the connections you have, it’s time to ask them to support your campaign. And that support can come in many forms. Show them some of the tools you have ready to go!

Ask a print shop to produce a bunch of our nifty yellow signs that you might want to adorn your town with.

Ask one or more to sponsor an ad insertion in your local paper—many will like the association with your county as well as visibility.

You’ll find tools in the toolbox that simply require local businesses to put a pre-printed insert into their customers’ bags at checkout.

Maybe prime wall space is all you need from a high-traffic business (inside on their bulletin board on maybe outside on their wall).

Find out if your local theater will mix into their pre-show advertising either a slide or two from the campaign, or a version of a TV spot formatting to their liking.

Local magazines need content, and they love profiling community members. Ask yours to profile a county worker providing a hard or thankless or overlooked service. Better yet, ask them to make it a regular feature!

Ask your newspaper to add one or more electronic campaign adds into their mix on their home page.

 

coordinate COORDINATE

Your community partners are excited. Printed materials are printed and ready. The newspaper has your press release. Radio stations have your PSAs, retailers have inserts, your volunteer teams are ready to put up signs and deliver window clings to businesses. Make it hard for residents to not encounter your messages!

 

go1GO!

And don’t be surprised if more community partners don’t contact you wanting to participate, too! And remember, make regular visits to the YouAreWhyWereHere.com County Communicators toolbox to check out the newest tools, tips and tales of success from around Georgia!