Audio/visual/written content and events are tools to help distribute a message. Before constructing content, it’s important to craft a message and then use content to bolster and distribute the message.
General Purpose/Mission:
· Why does this project/idea/organization exist?
Values:
· What are 2-3 collective values held by the people involved?
Message:
· What are we trying to communicate about the mission and our values going forward?
· How does this message tie back to the general mission?
Long-Term Goal:
· What concrete goal do we hope to achieve in 5 years?
· In 10 years?
· How does this goal help reinforce or communicate the values of those involved?
Short-Term Goal:
· What do we hope to achieve in the next month?
· In the next quarter?
· In the next year?
· How will these goals help achieve the long-term goal?
Audience:
· Who is the audience? (There can be multiple groups, but they need to be specific: age group? Characteristics? Relationship to other groups?)
· Is the mission centered around a current audience or a new target audience we hope to reach?
· What is this audience group interested in?
· What is this audience group interested in? Does the content match the interest?
Content:
· How can we translate group interest into engagement?
· Is there an event or series of events (physical/virtual) that can be created around this interest?
· What content can be used to support this event/series?
· Is there a “voice” that the content must have? (If multiple people create content, will it seem cohesive?)
· What are the resources we can use to create content? (Time? Budget? Equipment? Skills? Software? Connections?)
· How is the content connected? To other content?
· Can this content be adjusted to fit a particular platform? Can it be reused? (like an announcement that can be posted several times with no changes)? Can it be reedited (like a video shortened to a GIF)?
Platform:
· What is the best platform for content specific to this audience? (Where will this audience most likely see the content we’re creating and engage with it?)
· What is a reasonable timeline for posting on this platform (or select platforms)? Once per day? Once per week? Just for informational updates?
· How much time can we dedicate to engaging on this platform (other than posting) per day? Per week?
Engagement:
· How are we defining content “success?”
· What metrics are most useful to us? Why? What are the metrics saying about the content? About the people who are engaging?
· Are these metrics available on the platform we are using or are additional tools needed? What is missing from this data?
· What kind of virtual or actionable response are we trying to elicit from our audience on this platform?
· What kind of response are we actually getting?
· Is the in-person response different from the virtual response? Why? Is it coming from the same people?
· At what point should we reexamine content or change direction?
· How quickly do we move from campaign to campaign?
· How do we gauge content overload?
· Who are the main people engaging? Are these people important?
· How can we get these people to share out content with their circles of influence?
Everything we create has a purpose. We often talk about media as an abstract force with no mission and no direction. Any medium, however, solely helps transport ideas and messages. As a result, we need to focus on what we wish to communicate and the steps we need to take to get there.