Create a tactics plan that actually delivers 📦
Written by Zoe Alexis Whitehorn
Getting to the tactics phase of your communications campaign is exciting – you’ve selected your audiences, your messaging is on point and you're ready to put all that hard work out into the world and make change happen. *It's showtime!*
Of course, you need to make sure that those tactics go to work for you, and that means narrowing in on the biggest bang-for-your-buck activities that you can truly deliver.
And, as very busy leaders and advocates, you’re looking for reliable, simple, valuable, tried and true, foolproof options… you want the "easy button" plan.
Choose 101 tactics or 201 tactics
​​If this “busy nonprofit advocate or marketing leader” sounds like you, here are four examples of what it can look like to take advantage of the basics that’ll get you where you need to go.
We’re calling these winnable basics your “101 Tactics”. We also included examples of what the next phase (when you’ve got the capacity, time and resources!) might look like, i.e., the more-involved “201 Tactics”!
Here’s what 101 and 201 tactics look like in action:
Example 1: Website Touchups
Does your data tell you you need to build credibility with updated content on your website? You want to think about the highest impact you can make without a total overhaul.
Example 2: Social Presence
You know you’re ready to tweak and improve your social strategy, and you want to focus on strengthening engagement as a first, achievable goal.
Example 3: Consider Offline Engagement With Your Community
You’ve got digital engagement covered, and you’re ready to dive into the world of print marketing and outreach, knowing that tactics like direct mail have made a steady comeback.
Example 4: Better Connect With Your Community In Real Life
IRL connections help build relationships, trust, credibility and more. You know your organization is ready to pursue more in-person opportunities, and you want to start out with the simplest approach possible.
There won’t always be the time and capacity to pursue the 201 version every single time. And that’s OKAY!
Focus on the foundational, 101 priority tactics that will help set the stage for your work and help you get the word out to your target audience. Then, as you see what works for your specific campaign, and for your specific audiences, you can move on to the 201 tactics.
*Let the easy tactics plan commence!*
