More on websites:

In developing your website, you should again rely on your previous work in developing your brand, identity and messages. Nothing new should appear on your site that isn’t consistent and complementary to these initial elements, or you risk fragmenting your story and confusing stakeholders.

Designing and building a website can be costly, but doesn’t always have to be. There are some great software packages and templates out there (Adobe Photoshop has some great stuff and even Microsoft Publisher has a reasonable set of website templates), and many web hosting companies offer discount rates for non-profits (and even for-profit rates with companies such as Register.com and GoDaddy.com are pretty darn cheap these days).

As with your business cards, it’s wise to find skilled help to design and build your site (unless you have strong graphic talent yourself) so that the first version is solid and compelling. Going back and redoing something later not only wastes precious time, money and resources, but you can alienate supporters and stakeholders by overhauling your site into something completely unrecognizable to a previous version. It’s better to think through what you’ll need in the long run to fulfill your mission (refer back to your strategic plan!) and design a phased approach to your website that builds the initial framework, look and feel now, while allowing you to add and augment as you move forward and grow.

###

Diana L. Reid, Conscious Communications

Website

Once you’ve got your mission, vision, name, logo and identity in place, you’ll want to provide a way for others to learn more about you. After all, you can only be in so many places at one time. (And, now that you’ve got those business cards out there and have whetted folks’ appetite for more information, you need someplace to point them to!).

Before developing your website, make sure you understand who will use it and what you want them to learn, know or do as a result of visiting your site. Do you want to simply convey information to others? Do you want people to take action, such as volunteering, writing their congressman or donating money? Do you want others to be able to communicate with each other via your site? Consider the usage patterns you want to enable as you build your site plan and content.

At the most basic, your website should include the following:
- Organization name, mission, values and purpose
- Who you serve & where you operate (and any appropriate research data or background information on the issue or cause you are addressing)
- Key programs and initiatives
- About the organization’s management team and board of directors
- How others can get involved and/or contribute to your organization
- Photos and graphics to accompany the text that visually tell your story and social mission

Over time you may wish to develop a much more robust website that might include things such as:
- Case studies or testimonials
- A media or news area for press releases, an online media kit, press coverage of your organization and other pertinent news
- Message boards or forums
- Blogging capabilities
- Online donation tools and/or generalized credit card processing (for events, product sales or other business-related activities)
- Calendar tools
- Web-based or email newsletter functionality
- An annual report on your organization and its progress

###

Diana L. Reid, Conscious Communications

Business Cards

Simple enough, but professional-looking business cards that map to the organization’s mission and identity are often something cash-strapped entrepreneurs overlook, or try to do on the cheap. Don’t.

Everywhere you go you need to be an ambassador and advocate for your organization, and opportunities (for cash, partnerships, hiring, etc.) can present themselves at any time. Make sure your calling card clearly conveys your organization’s mission and continues to inspire interest, confidence and emotional appeal.

Beyond ensuring your contact information and organization logo are clear and legible, think about ways to tell others what you do and what you value using your business card. Do you have a tagline or slogan? Would your mission or key values statement add impact? What about the region of the world where you work? Clearly, you don’t want to try to cram too much into a small space or get too cute, but try to envision what someone will think or feel when they pull your card out of their briefcase or pocket a month or six months from now. Make sure your business card tells a story, or at the very least, inspires someone to want to learn more.

A couple inexpensive ways to print cards (once you have a design ready) include VistaPrint, FedEx Kinko’s and iPrint. Plus, many of today’s home or small business printers offer impressive, high-resolution full color printing capabilities, enabling you to print card yourself in small batches to save money (just be sure to select high quality inks and card stock or you’ll ruin all of your hard design work).

Finally, do not be stingy in handing out your business cards. Yes, they can be expensive to produce, but this is your strongest and most immediate physical link to others – and the way you’ll pull them back into the other communications materials that you create.

Whenever you have the opportunity, tell your story in person, make an impact, then leave your card with someone and make sure it continues to tell the story. (Besides, at the end of the day, your business cards will likely be the cheapest piece of marketing collateral you’ll produce!)

###

Diana L. Reid, Conscious Communications

Name, Logo, Identity

As we discussed during the branding and identity posts, capturing the essence of your organization’s mission, values, culture and goals into an easy to recognize, meaningful name and symbol [logo] are important to developing your longer term identity, and to helping stakeholders and potential stakeholders begin to assess your value to them and how they might choose to become involved.

In choosing a name and creating a logo and identity, make sure that you develop something that resonates both visually and orally, and that there are no cultural “no-no’s” in the words or images you choose (think globally, even if you are starting your organization locally).

Hire an experienced graphic designer and/or branding team (or find a talented friend, volunteer, MBA intern or graphic design student) and develop and test multiple concepts. Ask people for their opinions both before and after sharing your own vision behind the name and logo, and make sure that what you are trying to convey is easily seen and understood (without you having to explain it to others).

And finally, make sure that what you create is evocative and thought-provoking while, simultaneously being immediately impactful. As a social entrepreneur you will want to play up the emotional impact of your cause or issue, while still being clear and precise in your delivery.

Once you have a name and a logo, you’ll want to consider other design elements, graphics and color palettes. What are the tones and visuals that will help extend your story and create a powerful impact with others? How can you communicate the urgency of your mission visually? Or, how can you reassure others of your experience and worldliness through your organization’s identity? Do you want to convey a very buttoned-up, business-focused image, or do you want to strike an emotional chord with others? Consider these questions as you round out the visual aspects of your identity.

As one closing reminder, before you finalize a name or logo, make sure to do your legal homework and ensure that you’ve covered the bases with copyright research and such. Don’t overtly or accidentally ‘leverage’ someone else’s look and feel or you’ll find yourself in a world of hurt later on…

###

Diana L. Reid, Conscious Communications

Over the past several months we’ve spent a good deal of time discussing the importance of a solid strategic plan for your organization and the benefits of marketing and communications for a social venture. We’ve covered how to think through branding and identity, how to develop a compelling message platform and strategic communications plan, inexpensive ways to conduct research and other assorted topics, but we’ve not yet really talked about how to pull all of this together into a “finished product.”

Or, more specifically, what are the essential materials you need to build to tell your organization’s story consistently and persuasively to others?

Certainly there are as many ways to communicate the value of an organization as the day is long, but there are some basic tools that any social entrepreneur should not be without. These include (but of course, are not limited to):

1. Name, logo, identity
2. Business Cards
3. Website
4. Brochure
5. PowerPoint Presentation

With these essentials, a social entrepreneur (and his/her staff, board and volunteers) can tackle just about any situation – from making a speech at a conference, completing a grant application, conducting an interview with the media, kicking off a capital campaign or attracting new sources of funding, making a case to a potential partner, influencing key officials or organizations to take action, and everything else in between.

###

Diana L. Reid, Conscious Communications