Here's a selection of slides from a communications review my business, Flame Tree Media, recently completed for a local Church in Australia. You'll see it synthesises Church issues, my methodology and solution, and the media landscape. The total pack is almost 70 slides.
1. PROJECT CONNECT
CREATING A SMART NEWS HUB
Communications review, Corrimal Region Uniting Church
November2016
2. PROJECT CONNECT
Simple, strategic, sustainable
Corrimal Region Uniting Church engaged Flame Tree Media to review the effectiveness of communication
practices and to develop a plan fit for the times.
This is the result – a simple, strategic and sustainable way for the Church to fulfill its mission of “connecting
with God and community”.
3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (1)
Creating a Smart News Hub
This communications strategy provides the framework for maximising engagement within the life of
the Church and with the wider community.
We suggest the Church adopt the practices of a modern newsroom – exercising strategic control over
messaging and across communication channels.
Like a newsroom, the Church produces its own content. Guided by the strategy, it can package that
content in a more deliberate fashion with the right media and via the appropriate means.
4. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (2)
Creating a Smart News Hub
Whether large or small, commercial or non-profit – any organisation can engage in new and exciting
ways with their defined audiences through our smart newsroom approach.
Two components are critical. One is Smart Thinking – the five steps that establish the foundation of
success. These steps include forming a content ecosystem - the agreed channels of communication.
The other five steps are the Smart Delivery. Here, a key aspect is the content calendar – a monthly
guide for scheduling content across channels.
5. SMARTer COMMUNICATIONS
About Flame Tree
Flame Tree Media sets up public relations functions for organisations to create, curate and
distribute content for maximum impact. We take a unique SMART Newsroom approach.
Founding director Stuart Howie has designed strategy for big media in Australia and New
Zealand. Stuart is a former editorial director of Fairfax Regional Media and ex-editor of the
Illawarra Mercury.
“I’m passionate about inspiring teams to be the best they can be,” Stuart says. “Our philosophy
centres on creating solutions for clients that are simple, strategic and sustainable.”
6. PROJECT CONNECT
Our methodology
Flame Tree Media created this strategy alongside a Church working party. The discovery process began in
April 2016. “Connect” customised typical project processes for the Church’s circumstances. Here’s an outline
of our methodology applied over about six months:
Survey of congregation
Church group
comms audit
Reference to
advisory group
Regular project
meetings
Full project process
(PMBOK)
Social media audit 85-point communications
health check
Subject matter
expertise sought
Resource
analysis
7. COMMUNICATIONS LANDSCAPE
5 forces
of change
Public relations, content marketing;
however you’d like to describe it,
communications has remarkably changed.
Today, several factors are driving the
connection between those with something
to say and their intended audiences.
In the Smart News Hub, we frame our
content strategy around these forces.
1. Social media
Targeted, smart use of
platforms that optimise
audience user experience
4. Distributed content
Strategic, scheduled publishing of
content across identified
channels
2. Mobile
An understanding of a
world increasingly on the
move*
3. Video
A key content prime
mover. Watch this space!
5. Search & find
A global information network
driven by data and SEO
* Smartphones will reach 80 per cent of the world’s population by 2020 (Reuters 2016)
8. THE INFORMATION REVOLUTION
Feeling overwhelmed?
FACT
The amount of informationdistributed
online will treble by 2020.
- InternationalNews Media Association,News Media Outlook 2016
10. THE INFORMATION REVOLUTION
Let’s Face it!
FACT
Facebook has 1.8
billion users globally.
In Australia,there’s
15 million users – 62
per cent of the
population
- socialmedianewsaustralia.com.au
11. THE INFORMATION REVOLUTION
Sinking
print
FACT
In Australia, newspaperreadership has dropped
45% since 2011. In NZ, metropolitan newspaper
sales have declined 25% in the same period.
Sources:Industry data, New York Times, September 2016;Audited Bureau of Circulation NZ
13. ABOUT THE SURVEY
Feeling
the pulse
We surveyed the Church community
across two weeks to gauge what it
thought of communications and to
establish preferences.
Conducted online and via paper
surveys, the poll gave us a valuable
biopsy of opinion and behaviours.
Female: 56 per cent
Male: 44 per cent
77 per cent regulars
7 per cent occasional
101 respondents,
mainly online
Variety of Church
touchpoints
14. PREFERRED DELIVERY
When we
want it
We gave respondents five options, but
they were clear about frequency of
communications – 99 per cent saying
weekly or when relevant.
Elsewhere they suggested a mix of
delivery formats.
Here? Give me meaningful comms as you
determine, but please don’t spam!
28%
whenever relevant
1%
every day
71%
weekly
15. SURVEY SUMMARY
At the
crossroads
The current communications mix still works
for the majority of existing worshippers.
This is an inward-facing communications
model not a community-facing one. As the
Church seeks to attract new members, it must
lean towards the latter.
As well, there is an appetite to receive news
and updates via digital means.
A community of seniors comfortable with the
current communications mix
From digital channels offered, respondents
showed openness to receive updates via email
16. SURVEY SUMMARY
Church
response
Today, the Church has numerous options
to meet the needs of both a traditional
print audience and a digitally tuned-in
one.
The communications review identifies
which information the Church pushes to
what channel.
Maintain print, Sunday mix, but review
content. Less is more approach
Strategically publish/share content to relevant
channels within resource capability
Send weekly Mail Chimp newsletter
Establish communications schedule to
coordinate and time information flow
18. CREATING THE SMART NEWS HUB
10 Smarts
for success
Setting up a great public functions unit - a
Smart News Hub – relies on 10 “smarts”.
Five are about developing the perfect
process. This is Smart Thinking.
The other five steps relate to what we do
in practice, Smart Delivery.
Following these will distinguish us as a
superb communicator in the Church sector.
19. CREATING THE SMART NEWS HUB
Smart
Thinking
Smart Thinking is the theory that underpins
creating the Smart News Hub.
These five steps culminate in the creation
of an agreed content ecosystem.
The content ecosystem comprises a
defined number of channels via which we
distribute compelling and relevant content.
2. Content map
Charting of content
opportunities across
activities
3. Audience
register
Review of internal,
external segments
4. Media
asset log
Review of media, and
their use, at our disposal
1. Content audit
Unpack of current
practice for all
platforms
5. Content
ecosystem
Agreement on digital, other
communication channels
20. CREATING A SMART NEWS HUB
Smart
Delivery
This is about putting what we have set up
into practice. These five steps, our Smart
Delivery, represent a best-practice
distributed content approach.
The content calendar is a guiding light for
Corrimal Region Uniting Church. Combined
with our other ‘smarts’, it informs us what to
post, when, how and to whom.
5. Smart
resourcing
Mobilising resources –
driving efficiencies
2. Tools for
success
Introduction of tools
that make the process
production light
3. Measures of
success
Sharp analytics, targets
focus content aim
1. Content
calendar
Scheduling of
distributed content
for typical month
4. Account
register
Quality management of
social media accounts
22. PROJECT CONNECT: WHEN WE’RE DONE
Being heard. Not herd
Clear, precise, efficient
distribution of
information
Communicating
with clarity
Lighting
the way
Exemplar of great
communications in
non-profit sector
Dynamic
community
Measurably more
engaged
community
Living
God’s Word
Using modern
means to
evangelise
23. COMMUNICATIONS REVIEW
November 2016
This presentation and the design, branding, methodology and description of the Smart
News Hub, Smart Thinking and Smart Delivery are the intellectual property of Flame
Tree Media Pty Ltd. These are not be replicated without express permission.
Images used here are subject to copyright.
flametreemedia.com.au
flametreemedia.co.nz
