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Laura Walton, Lea Ramsey & Zoe Croft COM 4418 Dr. Dean Mundy
Executive Summary
This report provides an analysis of Western Youth Networks (WYN) communication efforts and their overall effectiveness in reaching key publics. The components of this analysis include comparative examinations of same-cause organizations, primary and secondary research findings, a SWOT analysis and recommendations for WYN as they move forward in their communication efforts. Based on these components, results indicate that while WYN is effective with traditional media and word of mouth communication. However, the use of strategic social media presents an opportunity for future growth by more effectively engaging the community and raising awareness for WYNs prevention programs. The report finds the prospects of the organization in its current position is positive, but has great potential for future growth and better support from within its own structure--namely its board members and staff. Recommendations include ensuring that all staff and board members are promoting WYN to their personal networks, creating awareness for WYN in the local community (specifically with university students in Boone), focusing more effort into word of mouth communication, and effectively utilizing their established social media platforms.
WYN: Communication Audit service. Today, WYN employs 11 staff members and has 12 board members. By strengthening community and promoting healthy lifestyles, WYN serves as a positive support system that encourages individuals to reach their full potential.
Media Presence
Western Youth Network communicates through many forms of media. WYN has both traditional and non-traditional platforms in which they spread their mission, events and news. Their most popular media platform is their Facebook page. With 741 likes and 27 photo albums, WYNs Facebook has more information and resources in comparison to any other social or traditional medium they use. This page is managed effectively and is a planned systematic effort based in two-way communication with stakeholders. Another social media site that WYN uses is Twitter. This fast paced, short message style is used to update WYNs publics on upcoming events. WYN has tweeted 614 times and follows 153 twitter accounts, resulting in 102 followers. The majority of their tweets are linked to their Facebook statuses. WYN does not use hash tags and rarely retweets or favorites tweets. Their longer messages and more personal accounts are documented in WYNs blog. This blog, although viewed by few, is the most personal of all their online sites. WYN has posted 15-blog posts since January 2013. Its topics range from Alcohol Awareness month to essay contest winners. This platform develops a more invested relationship that shows the reader the personal connections that are made at WYN. The use of theses three sites aids WYN in producing three diverse messages to stakeholders. They target different attention spans, age groups and followers by engaging them in a conversation about bettering the lives of High Country Youth. WYN has these three forms of communication linked to their website homepage. This strategic placement allows WYN to showcase their messages but also show their stakeholders and web visitors how often they communicate with their publics. On average they are posting once every two days. WYN donors and volunteers are informed about upcoming news and information via monthly newsletters emailed to them directly. These newsletters inform those closest to the organization about its impact in western North Carolina. Titled Dare to Care, the e-newsletters allows its readers to donate in many ways as well as hear personal accounts of those positively affected by their donations. In traditional media, WYN has earned media in Go Blue Ridge, Boone Mountain Times, Watauga Democrat, and High Country Press. These articles highlight organization sponsored events and WYNs impact in the High Country. WYNs vision is stronger with a variety of communication vehicles. Their fluidity of graphics and visuals throughout all mediums allow them to connect with key audiences as well as engage new publics. At all levels, it is imperative to WYN that communication occur consistently and information be presented with clarity whether online or in print.
Served Publics
WYNs programs serve 5th -10th grade students. These students participate in prevention, after school, mentoring, summer programs. As well as fostering important youth relationships, WYN develops important connections with the parents of the youth involved in their non-profit. In addition to providing youth programs, WYN has adult mentoring opportunities that are available to people of all backgrounds.
Communication Efforts
Communication efforts are primarily online through social media. Their use of Facebook and Twitter allows them to update frequently and directly to those who follow or like them. These messages show their publics how to get involved, donate or find more information about their mission.
Comparative Organizations:
Wings for Kids (Local, SE) www.wingsforkids.org Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (National) www.bbbs.org
WYN: Communication Audit branch of BBBS. BBBS provides Mentoring Brothers, a program that focuses on engaging the three largest African-American fraternities to mentor littles. BBBS has a discussion board and newsroom, as well as an international page for their 12 programs in countries around the world.
What can other BBBS and Wings for Kids learn from WYN?
WYNs success in Word of Mouth as a communication tool should be emulated and promoted at like-minded organizations. What clients, volunteers and employees say about an organization has a huge impact on the publics perception and likelihood of benefiting from programs the organization has to offer. Because of this, internal communication is crucial to keeping constituents informed on the happenings and services offered. BBBS and Wings would do well to benefit from WYNs example of targeting messages through only three social media platforms. In communication, more mediums does not make the message stronger or better, but can potentially spread the organization too thin. Keeping a mainstream of communication that is consistent, well crafted and strategic is more effective than covering every social media platform available.
WYN: Communication Audit of respondents actively consume newsletter content. Perhaps WYN could turn their attention to updating social media platforms and more streamlined mailings, instead of newsletters.
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SWOT Analysis
See Appendix D for full details
WYNs strengths lies in their strong word of mouth communication. Their clients are given to them through DSS, school counselors, and juvenile court counselors meaning that their communication can focus more on volunteers and donors and less on producing clients. They have social media presences on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, the top three social media platforms of publics in Watauga county as indicated by our survey results. WYN is weak in that their prevention program is not well known and therefore not utilized to its full capacity. WYN is disconnected from the Watauga community, thus losing an opportunity for potential volunteers or donors. Another weakness is that not all board or staff members are engaging their personal networks to advocate for WYN, which is a sign for poor internal communication and/or a lack of commitment to WYNs mission from its board or staff. Because of these weaknesses, WYN has great opportunity for growth. The use of consistent hashtags can create a branding for the organization to set them apart from other local likeminded organizations as well as create continuity for the social media platforms. WYN can engage more with like-minded organizations through reposting their stories, directly tagging them or engaging in other pertinent ways. WYN can also grow in making their social media content more individualized for each of their three social media platforms. WYN has a few threats as an organization. First, they have a limited budget, which limits their resources, staff and could potentially mean the organization will not be able to sustain themselves further down the road. Second, their staff is limited, which limits the opportunities to reach new clients and grow the mission of WYN in the High Country and beyond. Finally, they have local competition for donors from the other many nonprofits in Boone.
Conclusion
Proposed improvements
The key to effective communication for WYN is to ensure that all members of the organization, both the board and staff, are reaching out to their personal networks. Due to the scarce amount of funds, the board and staff are the organizations greatest resource. As research showed, word of mouth is WYNs most successful form of outreach, so conversations about WYNs mission should happen frequently. Intentionally entering into conversations with community members and organizations on Appalachians campus (the ACT office, classes and clubs) will help expand knowledge about WYN and their mission. In addition to engaging personal networks, the organization needs to improve on both traditional and non-traditional outreach methods. Appalachian State University makes up a large portion of Watauga County and, therefore, a large portion of WYNs publics. It is prominent that WYN focus on college aged students as well as the local High Country residents. The organization should reach out to local publications like The Watauga Democrat and The Appalachian with press releases and calls for volunteers because both students and High Country residents read these two sources. As for nontraditional media, it is important to give attention towards Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The organization is already present on these sites but needs to ensure that they are posting frequently and that the material is consistent.
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WYN: Communication Audit YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/BBBSofAmerica 803 Subscribers; 408,561 Views; Last video updated 1 month ago Other Communication Efforts: !iHeartRadio: airs public service announcements for BBBS through all 850 Clear Channel radio stations www.bbbs.org/site/c.9iILI3NGKhK6F/b.8586641/k.A9D9/Start_Something.htm !Start Talking: blog sharing stories of the people and partners that power BBBS www.bbbs.org/site/c.9iILI3NGKhK6F/b.8348167/k.422B/The_stories_that_Start_Somethi ng.htm !Start Something [Again]: BBBS alumni resources www.bbbs.org/site/c.9iILI3NGKhK6F/b.8480925/k.7004/Start_Something_br_again.hm !Latino Bigs: BBBS focused on the Hispanic population www.latinobigs.org/site/c.elKVIaOTIlJ8H/b.8332667/k.9111/Why_Latino_Bigs.hm !Mentoring Brothers: BBBS focused on engaging the three largest African-American fraternities to mentor littles www.mentoringbrothers.org/site/c.9rJQK4MEJeLYH/b.7939479/k.BFD4/Home.htm !BBBS Discussion Board www.bbbs.org/site/c.9iILI3NGKhK6F/b.6572201/k.EAC/Big_Brothers_Big_Sisters_Discu ssion_Board/apps/mb/discussion.asp !BBBS Newsroom: Provides media contact, press releases and fact sheets www.bbbs.org/site/c.9iILI3NGKhK6F/b.5961563/k.F90D/The_latest_news8212big_and_l ittle.htm !BBBS International www.bbbs.org/site/c.9iILI3NGKhK6F/b.5961005/k.97C6/International/apps/s/link.asp
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WYN: Communication Audit Google+: 3 Other: 0 Q5: Do you read any of the following local publications (online or print)? (Check all that apply) Total Responses: 28 The Appalachian: 28 Mountain Times: 5 Watauga Democrat: 8 Blowing Rocket: 0 Other: 1 - High Country Press Q6: Based on the subscriptions you already receive (either e-mail or mailing), how do you respond to monthly newsletters? Total Responses: 41 I receive them and read them: 4 I receive them, but very rarely read them: 16 I receive them, but do not look at them and/or immediately discard them: 5 I do not receive any monthly newsletters: 16 Other: 0 Q7: Which classification do you most directly identify with? Total Responses: 42 Freshman: 1 Sophomore: 5 Junior: 11 Senior: 18 Graduate Student: 2 High Country Resident: 2 Other: 3- Alumni; Alumni; Mother of student at app.
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Graph to demonstrate that newsletters are fairly ineffective in terms of informing publics (Screenshot from Surveymonkey.com)
Graph based on survey results to emphasize the importance of utilizing social media, especially Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. (Screenshot from surveymonkey.com)
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Reference List:
Start Something for a child today - Big Brothers Big Sisters. (n.d.). Big Brothers Big Sisters. Retrieved April 21, 2014, from www.bbbs.org/site/c.9iILI3NGKhK6F/b.5962335/k.BE16/Home.htm Western Youth Network: raising a community. (n.d.). WYN. Retrieved April 22, 2014, from www.westernyouthnetwork.org/wordpress/ Wings: Helping Kids Soar. (n.d.). Wings For Kids. Retrieved April 22, 2014, from www.wingsforkids.org/
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