--- title: "Wednesday Buzz: Is Your Communications Plan Strategic?" id: "39286" type: "post" slug: "wednesday-buzz-is-your-communications-plan-strategic" published_at: "2017-08-09T21:38:19+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T20:07:04+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/08/09/wednesday-buzz-is-your-communications-plan-strategic/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/08/09/wednesday-buzz-is-your-communications-plan-strategic.md" excerpt: "Your communication strategy isn’t so strategic if you’re not measuring it against specific goals. Also: new ways to think about presentation delivery." taxonomy_category: - "Marketing / Communications" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "audience engagement" - "Business" - "Communication Strategy" - "KPIs" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "Director" - "Manager" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Wednesday Buzz: Is Your Communications Plan Strategic? How do you determine if your communication strategy is working for you? If you can’t immediately rattle off a list of goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) that your communication plan is being measured against, then it may not be as strategic as you think it is. Your communication strategy should include specific advocacy and fundraising goals. “While you can certainly have communications goals in and of themselves, most of your communications work should be in service of larger mission-oriented or fundraising goals,” Kivi Leroux Miller says in a post for [Kivi’s Nonprofit Communications Blog (opens in a new tab)](http://www.nonprofitmarketingguide.com/blog/2017/08/08/7-signs-your-communications-strategy-isnt-strategic/) *.* All associations want community engagement, but have you defined what that means for your mission? Miller recommends developing a clear target audience for your message. Also assign KPIs to your plan so you can measure performance. “If there’s no mention of measurements, you aren’t being strategic,” she says. ### Shake It Up [https://twitter.com/EventMB/status/895299948023074816 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/EventMB/status/895299948023074816) **Slideshows have their place at any conference**, but there are plenty of ways to break up the monotony of PowerPoint to have a bigger impact. Consider adding live feedback and polling to your next presentation. “Polling could be incorporated into the event app and shared via a live screen so the results are there and referred to as appropriate by the speaker, and attendees can vote from their seats with minimal hassle,” says a [recent Event Manager Blog post (opens in a new tab)](http://www.eventmanagerblog.com/12-presentation-ideas-for-speakers) . To amp up audience engagement, add a little role-play to your presentation. “Speakers can opt to invite audience members on stage to participate if they are looking for real-time reactions or have their own pre-rehearsed role-play situation if they are using it as a form of storytelling to enhance the experience,” says the post. ### Other Links of Note **M-I-C-K-E-Y …** *CMSWire* shares several helpful online community [lessons from the Mickey Mouse Club (opens in a new tab)](http://www.cmswire.com/customer-experience/lessons-for-online-communities-from-the-mickey-mouse-club/) . **Millennials are getting more sleep**than previous generations. *Forbes* reveals how that’s [transforming the workplace (opens in a new tab)](https://www.forbes.com/sites/larryalton/2017/08/07/millennial-sleeping-habits-are-changing-the-modern-workplace-heres-how/#b3adfcf359a8) . **Facebook recently made some changes to its API.** Here’s what associations need to know, [according to Mizz Information (opens in a new tab)](http://mizzinformation.com/2017/07/20/what-associations-need-to-know-about-facebooks-api-changes/) . (Jarmoluk/Pixabay) [Raegan Johnson](https://associationsnow.com/author/raegan-johnson/) Raegan Johnson is a contributor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/raegan-johnson/) Tags: [#audience engagement](https://associationsnow.com/tag/audience-engagement/) [#Business](https://associationsnow.com/tag/business/) [#Communication Strategy](https://associationsnow.com/tag/communication-strategy/) [#KPIs](https://associationsnow.com/tag/kpis/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: More Than Marketing: The Power of Strategic CommunicationsJuly 30, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/07/30/associations-now-presents-more-than-marketing-the-power-of-strategic-communications/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: Why Slower Marketing Can Drive Stronger Member Engagement (Episode 27)June 25, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/06/25/associations-now-presents-why-slower-marketing-can-drive-stronger-member-engagement-episode-27/) - [TemplateMembers onlyMember Onboarding ToolkitNovember 5, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/11/05/member-onboarding-toolkit/) - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association PlaybookOctober 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/29/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-tech-stack-how-ai-is-changing-the-association-playbook/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2017%2F08%2F09%2Fwednesday-buzz-is-your-communications-plan-strategic%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !