Coastal Services Center

Many organizations spend months writing an outreach plan. Consultants are hired, committees are formed, and numerous parties are involved. This is often the right way to create a comprehensive plan, but for some efforts this approach is overkill. A few afternoons and a document a few pages long might be all that is really needed.

The quick method works best when developing a short-term outreach plan for a specific function or product.

Step One:

Determine your goal.
The key here, and with most of the steps, is to be FOCUSED. "I want people to understand what we have to offer" is too broad. "I want the recreational fishermen within this county to be aware of the start date for the new fishing regulations" is much better.

Step Two:

Define your target audience.
Once again, being focused is an asset. Listing all the potential target audiences can be illuminating, but the outreach plan should focus on the top one or two. A target audience that is too broad often results in a message that is too diluted to be effective.

Step Three:

Think like your audience.
Writing an audience profile can be helpful. Include ways in which the audience likes to receive information, potential roadblocks for your efforts, and the elements of your product or service the audience will find most interesting. To be successful, the quick method requires access to someone familiar enough with the target audience to make these assumptions. Including a member or two of the target audience in this process is always a good idea.

A common mistake at this stage is to craft the message from the sponsoring organization's point of view instead of the customer's. Will the fact that all departments are now working together seamlessly move the audience to action? Or would the audience be more likely to take notice if the message underscores specific ways in which the audience will be better served?

Step Four:

Develop a plan of attack.
Brainstorm with co-workers to develop a long list of potential outreach activities, from hiring a skywriter to using an e-mail message. Afterwards decide which activities will provide the biggest return on the investment, taking into consideration available time, money, and expertise. Develop an implementation plan for the pared-down list.

Is this plan perfect? Not by a long shot, but sometimes perfection just isn't an option or even necessary. The shortcut outreach plan provides an orderly, targeted approach that will move organizations from the thinking stage to the doing stage in short order.

For more information, contact Donna McCaskill of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's CoastalServicesCenter at (843) 740-1272 or Donna.McCaskill@noaa.gov.