There are a variety of activities that could be carried out to influence/educate the target audience on your issue but the task is to select those activities that will have the greatest impact. A paid radio commercial has no impact if the target audience does not listen to that station. The development and placement of media advertisements is often costly and may not be as effective as other types of communications strategies. Tours of places with the problem or places where actions are being taken to address a problem provide a personal interaction with the conditions and solutions. The more direct engagement that the target audiences have with the issue the more they will be inclined to take positive action to address the issue. Some individuals are swayed by compelling facts while others are swayed by compelling stories/examples. When selecting the strategies to convey your messages it is important to ensure that both the facts and stories are compelling and accurate. Some strategies/tactics/activities that have been used successfully to communicate the messages are; tours, media campaigns, community meetings, speakers bureaus, feature articles in news media, individual meetings, letter writing or e-mail campaigns, community forums, social events, FAM tours, “op ed” articles, fairs and the list goes on. Take the time to think through the activities to ensure that the target audiences will be exposed to your messages.
- VIP tour of the neighborhood
- Presentations before the Planning Commission, Redevelopment and Housing Authority and City Council
- A media FAM (familiarization) tour for media
- Community forum at the local Church