This presentation was designed for businesses looking to maximize communication efforts externally by utilizing internal resources and employee engagement. Also included are sections on email etiquette and social media collaboration.

1. COMMUNICATIONS
WORKSHOP

2. ICE BREAKER:
COMMUNICATIO
NS EXERCISE

3. WHY IS COMMUNICATION
IMPORTANT?
Communication can be a tricky
concept to master within an
organization, particularly one
with complex levels and
multiple issues. When all parts
of your organization
communicate smoothly, it can
improve workflow and overall
productivity.
“Without good communication leaders make decisions in a vacuum” – via @RobertSher on Twitter

4. INTERNAL VS. EXTERNAL
Internal communications: The process of exchanging information among
people of different levels or with other participants within the organization.
External communications: Informal exchange of information and messages
between an organization and other organizations, groups or individuals
outside its formal structure.
Are the following groups internal or external?
• Employees
• Donors
• Press/Reporters
• Social Media Followers
• Board of Directors
• Volunteers

5. PUBLIC PERCEPTION
Public perception is important. It drives donations, volunteers,
employee recruitment, good will, etc.
What the general public believes they know about your organization
should align with your mission.
If you don’t communicate regularly with them, they will make
assumptions about what your organization is about and stands for. In
a world of fake news, this can be disastrous.
Check out this next video about the 10 biggest fake news stories…

7. INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS
 What are all the ways your
organization communicates with
donors, supporters, general public,
etc.?
 What do you think these groups
would find interesting about your
department?
 How do you communicate across
departments to get information out
the door for use in social media,
newsletters, events, etc.?

8. POINTERS FOR COMMUNICATING
INTERNALLY
Good internal communication flows two ways.
Give as good as you get.
Create and reward open dialogue.
Lead by example – share, comment, give feedback and answer questions.
Encourage employees to share information.
Establish regular processes for communication. Develop processes for
sharing information – email, texts, phone messages, tools/software.
Listen. Don’t make assumptions.

9. EMPLOYEES ARE
KEY
Employees serve as a conduit to other audiences
Clear, open, effective communication:
 Creates a sense of transparency, which builds
trust between levels of employees.
 More collaboration = greater productivity.
 Encourages sharing of potential issues,
requirements and feedback that can make the
result stronger.
 Ensures everyone is on the same page and
prevents problems down the road.

10. 10-MINUTE
BREAK

11. EMAIL PROS & CONS
Pros:
 Essentially free
 Fast
 Accessible
 Can add attachments
 Communicate with one person or groups of
people
 No distance limits
 Environmentally friendly
 Easy to quickly review/reference
Cons:
 Less personal
 Easier for misunderstandings to occur
 Impossible to take back once sent
 Can be sent anonymously
 Easy to make mistakes by clicking a wrong button
 Information overload
 Spam
 Viruses travel via email
 Can be time consuming
Although email has transformed communication in some very useful ways, not all the changes that email has
brought are positive.

12. EMAIL
BEHAVIOR
Have you ever found yourself
clicking "reply," typing up a quick
response, and hitting "send"
without giving so much as a
thought about what you've just
written?
Your email behavior has the
potential to sabotage your
reputation both personally and
professionally. Your email
correspondence is a reflection of
you.

13. EMAIL ETIQUETTE TIPS
Nothing is confidential. Assume all emails
are public.
Have a clear subject line.
Always lead with a kind salutation.
Avoid humor – it is easily taken out of
context on email.
Spell check & proofread – do it again.
Don’t assume – provide details.

14. EMAIL ETIQUETTE TIPS, CONT.
 Don’t shoot from the hip. Avoid sending an email
when you are angry or frustrated. Wait an hour.
 Avoid starting an email chain. Develop one concise
email with everything you need.
 Respond to every email before you leave for the day.
It is just polite.
 If you can’t provide the information requested,
respond and say so.
 Emails should not to be sent to others without the
sender’s permission first.

15. HOW SOCIAL MEDIA
FITS INTO OUR
SOCIETY
Social media has single
handily changed society and
altered the way we view
ourselves and others.
 There are overall 2.3 billion worldwide
active social media users.
 Across the globe, mobile devices
dominate in terms of total minutes
spent online. This puts the ability to
connect anywhere, at any time on any
device, in everyone’s hands.
 65% of all individuals feel
uncomfortable and uneasy when they
are unable to gain access to their
social media profiles.

16. FACEBOOK
Facebook reigns supreme in the world of social
and is the biggest and most powerful social
media platform out there.
 Globally there are 2.2 billion monthly active users &
1.5 billion daily active users.
 Facebook is accessed on average 8 times per day.
 Every minute, 400 new users sign up to join
Facebook.
 As of January 2018, there was a 600% increase in
Facebook interactions.
 85% of smartphone owners use the Facebook app.
 47% of Facebook users access it via mobile.
 83% of women compared to 75% of men use
Facebook.
 65% of adults between 50 and 64 years of age use
Facebook.

17. INSTAGRAM
Instagram is a visual platform designed
for users to post, share, comment and
engage through digital media.
 As of June 2018, there were nearly 1 billion monthly
active users and 500 million daily active users.
 89% of users follow a business or organization on
Instagram.
 4.2 billion Instagram photos are liked per day.
 Used by 31% of American women and 25% of men.
 32% of all Internet users are on Instagram.
 Posts with a location get 79% more engagement.
 Photos with faces get 38% more likes.

18. PURPOSE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Below are some ways people can
connect with your brand on social.
 Acknowledge gifts received. Not just
monetary.
 Provide updates on the organization.
 Answer questions.
 Share helpful resources which spread your
mission.
 Showcase your donors.
 Demonstrate impact. Tell the story of your
organization and its impact on the world.

19. BENEFITS
TO YOUR
ORGANIZATI
ON
People are on social to stay “in-the-know” and
connect with family, friends and brands. Social is an
extremely cost-effective way to market any business
or organization.
Benefits of Social Media Marketing:
• Allow for the telling of your organization’s story.
• Can help engage supporters, capturing and retaining their attention.
• Increase awareness of your organization – supports fundraising
efforts.
• Opportunity to connect with followers by responding to questions
or comments.
• Expands the impact of your organization which can add your overall
mission.

20. SOCIAL IS A COLLABORATIVE
EFFORT
Your organization’s social media presence should be reflective of the WHOLE
organization. Get involved to ensure it represents your role in fulfilling the
overall mission.
For social media to be effective it requires cross-departmental collaboration,
which ties back to exercising good communication skills.
 Where possible, plan ahead.
 Share approaches you have seen other organizations use.
 Be timely.
 If you are unsure, ask questions.
 Send more information than necessary.
 Don’t be afraid to experiment.

21. SIMPLE SOCIAL TACTICS
Simple tactics anyone can do to help with promotion on social media:
 Take photos and videos whenever possible.
 Share information. Events, activities, birthdays, celebrations, donors, etc.
 Fun day-to-day interactions.
 Provide answers to questions you get asked all the time.
 Behind the scenes.
 Highlight staff, donors, volunteers, etc.
 Mission impact.
General rule: If you find it interesting, amusing or informational, others likely
will to.

22. 10-MINUTE BREAK

23. WORKSHOP – PICTURE
THIS

24. 30-DAY
CHALLENGE
Cue Meetings are short daily
get togethers for everyone to
share what is going on in
their portion of the
organization.

25. THANK YOU!
Our contact information:
Vicki Dirksen & Betsy McCloskey
Principal/Partners at Plaid Swan Inc.
Phone 563.556.1633
Website www.plaidswan.com
Follow us on social! Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @PlaidSwan