Tools, Tactics & Templates
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Section 3
Best Practices & Resources
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Section 4
- Tools, Tactics & Templates
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Contact Us
Get help, give feedback, or share resources
At this point, it might be helpful to visualize common communications materials and tactics. It’s important to know the right time and circumstance to use each, so read carefully!
Know Your Tools
Before you think about how or where you’re going to say what you want to say, you absolutely must have your stories and messaging nailed down first. If you haven’t done the Story of Self/Us/Now and message box exercises, read no further and head back to the Crafting Strategy section. We get it: sometimes it’s instinctual to make something before we even know how or why — but in comms work, being unstrategic can actually be detrimental to your goals.
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Tool |
What it is |
When to use it |
Template or how-to |
Sample |
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Communications Plan |
A tool for organizing the critical elements of your campaign comms strategy. |
Create annually and update as needed. This should reference and connect comms strategy to your campaign goals. All comms tactics should be accounted for in this plan so you can build a narrative arc for your campaign comms over several months. Create a day-by-day or week-by-week project comms plan whenever you have a “moment.” |
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Message Box |
A tool for developing nimble, succinct, and clear talking points to help you stay on message. |
Reference your message box again and again, repeating the same points you want to hammer home. The content here should inform the messaging in all the tactics below. |
Message Box Template (make a copy!) |
Choose a Communication Tactic & Template
Don’t start from scratch! This resource will help you access tools and templates and assess which comms tactic is right for each objective.
Tools & TemplatesChoose Your Tactic
When you have your communications plan, and you’re ready to start mapping campaign milestones and moments across your timeline, consider when and where to use the following tactics to get your message out there. To make these tactics successful, you must know what your message is and should have a strategic communications plan.
It’s important to remember that tactics are most strategic when they’re not used in isolation -- building an arc, where tactic after tactic build on top of one another, is the best way to ensure your communications are leveraged toward your goals.
- Are you trying to draw media attention/invite press to an event? → Try a media advisory!
- Is there something newsworthy happening in your community or campaign that merits media attention/that you’d like to weigh in on? → Consider a press release!
Read sample Press Releases. - Is your goal to garner media coverage of your issue? → Try pitching! Bonus: Is your issue timely? → Consider holding a press conference!
- Do you or a spokesperson have an argument to make, or an audience to persuade? → Give a letter to the editor or op-ed a try! Bonus: These tactics are great ways to engage partners and volunteers!
- Do you want an influential voice in your community to weigh in on your issue? → Send your local newspaper editorial board a memo!
Find more details on this in the Campaign Communications Tools and Tactics resource.
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Tactic |
What it is |
When to use it |
Template or how-to |
Sample |
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Media advisory |
A written tactic to inform the press about an upcoming event related to your campaign. Ex: rally, ribbon cutting, press conference, or city council vote. |
Use when you want news coverage and can direct reporters to an event. Email to reporters on your press list five days before the event, as well as the morning of the event. |
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Press release or statement |
A written tactic for making an announcement to the press. Ex: campaign kickoff, your city’s commitment to 100% clean energy, issuing a reaction statement to a proposed gas plant, releasing a report, or stating your campaign’s support for a new wind project. |
When you want news coverage of a campaign moment or a recent story in your community. This tactic should be reserved for newsworthy stories that clearly address the 5W’s. Email to reporters on your press list as soon as the announcement is made or event has happened. |
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Press conference |
An organizing tactic whereby you hold an event to share information and invite reporters to ask questions. Examples when this might be useful: in response to an announcement of a fossil fuel plant closure, campaign kickoff, to put pressure on your mayor in an upcoming decision. |
When you want to draw attention to your campaign or coalition’s issues, publicly target a decision maker, or weigh in on an urgent and relevant matter in your community. Hold the press conference in a symbolic or highly visible place, ideally in the morning, and be sure to send a media advisory inviting reporters beforehand. Invite 3-5 diverse speakers. Visuals are key -- make sure lots of supporters and signs are present. |
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Newspaper letter to the editor |
A 200-300 word letter by a reader about a single issue addressing the readers of the paper and asking them to do something. Ex: in lead-up to a big moment, celebrating a win, applying pressure to a target, commenting on recent news. |
When you want to make media buzz, apply light pressure to a target or opposition, voice support or opposition for recent news, and increase public awareness about an issue. |
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Newspaper op-ed |
A 500-800 word opinion piece written by someone who has an important perspective to the issue |
More in-depth chance to call out opposition, apply pressure to a target, voice support or opposition for recent news, and increase public awareness about an issue. Op-eds can be time consuming, and are generally more competitive to get published than letters to the editor. They are best authored by people with a compelling story, expertise, or with clout/name recognition. |
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Newspaper editorial board memo/meeting |
A tactic for informing your local newspaper editorial board about your campaign or issue with the intent to encourage the board to pen an editorial. |
Because newspaper editorial boards are influential voices within most communities (and have a major platform), their opinions matter. Editorial boards are usually comprised of a group of reporters and editors who provide an opinion “voice” for their paper. By encouraging them to write an editorial about your issue, you’re seeking an influential 3rd party voice that will lend credibility and recognition to your work. |
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Pitching news story (article, radio or tv spot) |
A method of getting a reporter to cover your campaign or a newsworthy event |
Earned media is just that -- earned. While you can’t control what a journalist says, you can do your best to position a story well. Media advisories and press releases can generate coverage; pitching is another way to let reporters know about a story you think they should cover. |
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Sample pitch (email and script for phone call) |
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Factsheet |
A one-page explainer of your campaign or issue that is evergreen and can be printed and widely distributed. |
To advertise, recruit, and inform about your campaign or issue. This tool should be relevant for anyone looking for more information. Have copies on hand when you’re tabling or meeting with officials or partners. |
Trade Me's |
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Try to answer these questions before moving on.
False. Reevaluate your goals to determine what tools and tactics will give you the best chance of getting a particular message out there, and don’t miss the “choosing a tactic” section above.
A) stay on message. Remember you should return to your key messages again and again. Repetition of your values and returning to your Story of Self, Us, and Now is key to hammering your public narrative, and a message box is important to keeping you on this path.