Three questions to ask before chiming in — or logging out
Written by Jon Jon Moore
When Jon Jon served as Forthright’s social media strategist, his wise counsel about how and when to use our voice on national issues was a guiding beacon for us. Today, Jon Jon joins us for special projects like this one – helping you decide if, when and how to communicate in tough times.
Does your organization really have a meaningful message to share about Elon Musk, climate change or the war in Ukraine? Or, is your team contributing to The Big Conversation because, well…everyone else is?
We’ve helped organizations of every size identify better ways to engage their audiences with an effective communications strategy. And we’ve learned that sometimes, when big news breaks, even the smartest strategies go flying out the window.
So, to prevent the next controversy or big story from distracting your team — and to prevent you from spending precious time on a message that won’t land — we’ve created a three-step process for figuring out when to chime in, and when to log out.
THINK ABOUT CONTEXT
You’ve heard the word unprecedented a million times this year, but remember — few things ever happen without precedent, and nothing happens in isolation. Before you consider speaking out about a recent event, try to understand what led up to this moment.
What attitudes, events and decisions contributed to this moment?
Are you prepared to talk to your audiences about these things?
If not, how can this moment be an opportunity for listening instead of speaking?
For example, imagine your local library is defaced with racist graffiti. Upset library workers blame city budget cuts for the graffiti still being visible 3 days later, and it turns out this has happened before. A great message about this situation — if any — should help your audiences contextualize what happened, why, and what’s next. And if you don’t feel informed enough to deliver this nuance, consider shelving that email and instead, learning about the situation with your team.
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IDENTIFY YOUR CONTRIBUTION
I love Scooby-Doo movies — animated, live action, you name it. But, if I discovered a Twitter thread from Kim Kardashian titled MY THOUGHTS ON SHAGGY VS FRED, I’ll tell you now, folks — it’s not getting read. But I like Kim K too, so…what’s the problem?
An interested audience isn’t always interested in what you have to say about something. So before speaking out, make sure you know what makes YOUR contribution to the public conversation necessary right now.
Are your audiences waiting to hear how your team is responding to the situation?
Do you need to alleviate any anxieties or answer any questions that this thing has drummed up in your own community?
If the answer is a hard no, consider thinking instead of speaking. But if the answer is yes, or you don’t know if your people want to hear your voice in the room, begin thinking about impact.
Every message your audiences receive should be for the impact you believe in, no matter what. And messages that demand your team’s time aren’t really necessary if they’re not actually impactful.
For example, let’s say your California-based organization wants to email donors condemning new legislation in Texas. Your advocacy is statewide, but this conversation is national, and you’re a respected voice.
Now ask — where’s the impact?
Are you asking your audience to donate or support advocacy? And if this message isn’t resulting in impact, why does your audience need to receive it?
Sometimes, the messages we think about sending to our audiences would be better sent to ourselves. If that’s the case, take a deep breath and refocus.
CONFIRM CAPACITY
Alright — you’ve wrapped your brain around the context of the thing, and you know sharing your message with your audiences would make a real impact. Now, it’s time to write the words.
Even the most urgent messages need to be easily understood and thoughtful, and this takes patience and a clear mind. Before you decide what form your thoughts take — anything from a retweet of support to a triple-vetted press release — gauge your team’s capacity.
How long will it take to brainstorm, write, review and publish the message your audiences need to hear?
Are there ways to repurpose or re-share existing content to lighten the load?
Sharing the labor can lighten the load and ensure more voices make it into the final message.
Congrats! You’re now prepared to sift through the noise and chime in — or log out — without regret.
P.S. Read the next part of this series — 3 tips for communicating tough topics — here.
