Communication & Content

Understanding Communication

Communication is about and about creating connections. When you want to communicate something, ask yourself:

• What do we want others to understand or act upon?

• How do we make sure our message reaches and resonates with the desired audience?

Tip: Be clear, human, and visual. Say the important stuff first.

Key Questions When Creating Content

• How do we reach the people we want to reach?

• What is worth saying?

• How do we make sure someone actually listens?

Tip: Focus on purpose-driven content, every message should have a reason.

Knowing Your Audience and Message

Define who the target audience of your message is. Are they?:

• Members of the organisation.

• Youth.

• Journalists.

• Local communities.

• Politicians.  

Clarify your message

• What do you want them to know, feel, or do?

• Decide your organisation’s voice.For example:
  ○ Youthful and bold.
  ○ Serious and diplomatic.
  ○ Friendly and approachable.

Tip: Being consistent builds trust and recognition.

Creating Effective Websites

When building a website, think like a visitor:

• Who are you?

• What do you do?

• How can people get involved or contact you?

Effective style:

• Keep it simple, visual, and mobile-friendly.

• People scan rather than read – use headings, bullets, and visuals.

• Borrow ideas from other sites – if it works, it works!

Tip: Adjust your content according to your abilities and needs. Don’t have “latest news” if you’re not posting regularly.

Social Media Strategy

Social media is a free and direct way of communicating, but people’s attention is limited. You don’t have to be on every Social Media channel. Choose wisely based on your needs:

• Facebook: Events and groups.

• Instagram: Reels, stories, photos.

• TikTok: Authentic, humorous, youth-led content

Posting tips:

• Reuse content across channels.

• Focus on consistency – you don’t need to be everywhere.

Tip: Canva is a good tool to create templates and visuals for social media.

Three Key Takeaways

• Know your audience.

• Be clear and real – not perfect.

• Use what you have capacity for – reuse, simplify and experiment.

Three Practice Tasks

1. Understanding Communication

Purpose Mapping. Pick a message your organisation wants to share (event, campaign, announcement). Answer:

• Who is the audience?

• What do you want them to understand or act upon?

Present your answers to the group and discuss their clarity.

2. Key Questions for Content Creation

Content Prioritisation Drill. Take a piece of existing content, for example: website text, social media post, or newsletter.

• Rewrite it starting with the most important information.

• Highlight ways to make it clear, concise, and visual.

Present your content and discuss their efficiency.

3. Knowing Your Audience and Message

Audience Persona Workshop.Create 2–3 audience personas (name, age, interests, communication preferences). For each persona, write:

• One thing they need to know.

• One emotion you want them to feel.

• One action you want them to take.undefined

• Decide what tone of voice works best for each persona.

Present your content and guess the other groups’ three objectives.