In today’s noisy world of professional and social media, it’s hard to get your message heard. Thriving booster clubs know that clear, impactful communication with parents is vital to success. But how do you break through the distractions and reach your parents?
The answer is really not that difficult – you just need to be intentional when crafting your communications. Whether communicating by email, newsletter, Facebook or Twitter, these three best practices will help get your message read, not ignored.
1. Establish a clear call to action. What do you want your parents to do after reading your message? Sell a product in a fundraiser? Help with an event? Get their students to practice on time? To have them act upon your request, create a clear and concise call to action statement. After reading your call to action, parents should know exactly what you are asking of them.
2. Create a compelling headline or subject line. Distill your core message to a single compelling statement. Capture your readers’ attention and give them a reason to read further. But if they don’t, be sure you have given them the essence of the message within your headline.
3. Be brief and to the point. Prune your original draft until you are left with your core message. Eliminate everything that doesn’t support your call to action.
Space your text so that it is easily scannable. Many readers will not attempt to read text that appears too dense on a page. Your high school English teach may cringe at the thought of one sentence paragraphs, but they’re scannable and easy to read. Remember, you’re not writing a book report.
These three best practices will get you on the road to impactful and meaningful communications. If you want to become a better, more confident communicator, check out my book, The Booster Leader: 35 Leadership Essentials for a Thriving Booster Organization. The Booster Leader is available on Amazon in Kindle and soft cover formats.
Question: What has proven effective in communicating with your parents? You can leave a comment by clicking here.