How to produce effective communications that engage your residents - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

How to produce effective communications that engage your residents

Ocean Edge Public Relations Ltd who we are and what we’re passionate about

3 Experts in social housing and engaging with residents 3 Award winning track record

Why send out newsletters?

Tenant newsletters are a key method

• f communication to:
• celebrate successes
• inform customers of what you’ve been doing in the local community
• give advice/information on housing management issues
• provide an opportunity for residents to share their stories
• update the way your audience sees you

and ultimately to:

• encourage involvement and raise satisfaction levels

It’s crucial your residents are reading your newsletter!

It’s a great

• pportunity to

communicate, and if your audience are acting on the messages then it’s delivering value for money.

10 top tips

to encourage more readership

1

Get residents involved

• Set up an Editorial or Reader Panel
• Invite ideas for articles and layout and compare with other magazines
• Encourage residents to write articles (Plain English training)
• Helps to ensure magazine is user friendly, interesting, makes sense

2

Think about the way it is written

• The language must be friendly and engaging
• Ensure it is easy to understand with no jargon and using Plain English
• Portray your organisation as professional, welcoming, friendly,

inclusive and inspiring

• Keep it short and snappy
• Long, boring articles put readers ofg
• Keep to 1 or 2 article per page and signpost for more information
• Consider ‘easy read’ principles like big numbers, shorter text, images

3

Develop a design that is instantly recognisable to readers

• You want readers to know

instantly who it is from

• Think about colours, masthead.

Link to your logo, website and

• ther leafmets/publications
• Familiar features

4

Include varied copy to attract readers of different ages

• Think about the audience and keep the articles varied
• Entice more young people to read the newsletter by getting them

involved

• Invite young people to sit on editorial panel to ensure magazine is

interesting and relevant (liaise with youth and sports groups)

• Great opportunity to learn new skills, develop a career in journalism
• Encourage them to write about interesting projects – eg residents fun

days, cultural festivals, carnivals, music projects etc)

5

Link it to your social media posts

• Generate excitement by running

teasers for articles and competitions

• Reach a much wider audience
• Listen to your audience and

adapt accordingly

• Encourage residents to post their
• wn photos and comments online
• Quick and easy way to monitor

success

6

Include ‘softer’ articles

• Recipes, competitions etc

encourage more people to open it up

• Make it feel less of a ‘corporate’

publication

• Link in to your wider objectives – eg

healthy living, cooking on a budget, get fjt, CV advice etc can help to promote health and wellbeing

7

Always use real people

• Include case studies and real stories from residents
• Use quotes and photos to inspire others

8

Encourage interaction

• Open up a dialogue with readers through letters, photo pages and on

social media

• ‘You said we did’ to show residents are being listened to

9

Consistency is key

• Keep your brand consistent across all your communications (eg

newsletter, Annual Report, social media, website).

• Always use the same style of language, tone of voice, colours

10

Shout about your success

• Use the articles and photos from the newsletter as press

releases to tell the media about your successes

• Enter awards to raise your profjle

And don’t forget to maximise value for money

• Send out rent statements or other letters

in the same mailout

• Include Annual Report in a bumper issue once a year
• Encourage people to receive an electronic

rather than a hard copy

• Send e-copies to councillors, decision

makers and stakeholders

• Build an online archive of copies on your website

Browning EMA’s success story

How we transformed Browning EMA’s newsletter and Annual Report into award winning publications. Masood Hussain, Estate Manager will discuss their journey to success. From this To this

Need some help?

Visit us in the exhibition room for a chat about how we can help write, design, print and even post your newsletters. We can also help you with: 3 Publications and Annual Reports 3 Tent arrears campaigns eg individualised Christmas cards and postcards 3 Social media 3 Web design 3 Rebranding 3 Award writing 3 Media liaison

Don’t forget to tweet! @OceanEdgePR #nftmoconf15