January 3, 2012: Mark Buzan's PR and Public Affairs Spot on the Web – A new development has come about.

Action Strategies' Principal and Chief Magnifying Officer, Mark Buzan has accepted a long term assignment as Executive Director of the Canadian Dental Assistants Association and is not taking on new long term projects at this time.

Action Strategies may undertake a limited number of projects to be carried out by associates or partners.  In addition, Mark is scheduled to speak at a number of conferences this Spring and is still taking on a number of specialized training sessions in public relations, social media, and government relations for both government and non-profit organizations.

"I am excited to take on this opportunity and I am convinced that this new experience as an Executive Director will only further enhance the capabilities that can be offered to current and future non-profit organizations and associations.  Combined with certification I am now seeking as a CAE (Certified Association Executive) from CSAE and very recent acceptance as a Volunteer Advisor with CESO (Canadian Executive Service Overseas), I believe that the future will position Action Strategies and myself better than ever to relate to the needs of the not-for-profit sector,"  says Mark Buzan.

For more information on this development or to determine if Mark can still help your organization, please contact him by clicking here.

Mark Buzan's PR and Public Affairs Spot on the Web: December 24, 2011 – It's been a while since I have posted and as such, I hope this message reaches you in time for Christmas and for the coming New Year.

2011 turned out to be a very prosperous year and for that, I thank you – my followers and clients.  May this be a very Merry Christmas for you, your family, and loved ones.  I truly hope the coming New Year of 2012 will provide you with magnifying opportunities!

In the spirit of continuing last year's tradition of a special video from my wife, Carolina and I, please view this year's special greeting to you.

Please stayed tuned as more news is to come.

July 18, 2011; Mark Buzan's PR and Public Affairs Spot of the Web: Unlike fundraising or direct program delivery, the value of communications strategy and public relations can be elusive or in the least relegated to an after thought in many nonprofit organisations.

However, it's my contention that public relations is essentially about winning hearts and minds.  Winning hearts and minds is the very essence of why most nonprofits, NGOs and charities exist.  By extension, good communications strategy delivers important results for nonprofit associations of all stripes.

In fact, a variety of results is likely if you undertake effective communications strategy (6 areas where PR helps you directly). For example, fresh proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; donors and prospective members starting to make repeat donations and expressions of support; membership applications on the rise; community leaders beginning to seek you out; welcome bounces in expressions of interest in volunteering; higher employee retention rates, capital givers or specifying sources starting to look your way, and even politicians and legislators beginning to view you as a key member of the business, non-profit or association communities.

Luckily for you, your PR people are in the perception and behavior business to begin with, so they can really do a job for you on this crucially important opinion monitoring project. When done correctly, it can catapult a nonprofit organization, charity or association's cause from an unknown entity to a household name almost overnight. But what most people don't see is the sweat beneath the glamorous exterior.  What goes on that makes for the value of hiring the outside help of a consultant resource for organisations?

Nonprofits are often pulled in different directions and as a result, seeing the forest from the trees can be a challenge.  The focus can far too often be upon managing day to day operations or chasing the next grant instead of building a long term vision.  

Developing relationships with the media, with social media stakeholders and relevant audiences takes time.  Much like developing a fine wine, these need to be nurtured over time and they have to be maintained.

So what is needed from good PR consultants?

HUMAN SKILLS:

- Patience: Whether it’s waiting to hear back from journalists or producers that you have pitched, or simply understanding that a PR campaign takes time to gain traction and evolve, if you don’t have patience, you will never be able to do this job. Now, if we could only get our clients to be so patient!

- Critical Thinking: “The most important thing is to think like a journalist.” – Ronn Torossian, Founder, President & CEO, 5WPR

- Nerves: Be it the nerve to cold-call a reporter on deadline, or the nerve to get up in front of a bank of microphones and disclose bad news, it takes a streak of cold blood to be able to do PR.

- Verbosity and Simplicity: The ability to communicate in grand ways and on simple terms is a must. If you’re not comfortable speaking to an audience of white-collar executives as well as to an audience of blue-collar hourly-wage earners, you won’t be able to do this job.

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS:

- Internet-Enabled: PR takes an immense amount of research, and PR people who don’t understand tools such as blogs, search engines, and premium search services suffer the consequences. Knowing how to find Google or Technorati is not enough – you need to understand how to utilize these resources as well.

The ideal PR person, in my book, is like what baseball scouts call a “five-tool” player: 1) hitting for average, 2) hitting for power, 3) running for speed, 4) arm strength, and 5) fielding ability.

Mark Buzan, APR

July 11, 2011; Mark Buzan's PR and Public Affairs Spot on the Web: Summer's here and what a better time to for your nonprofit organisation or association to take stock of its training needs in media relations, social media, and lobbying.  With school back, new demands on donors, members and supporters, is your message set out from all the rest?  With this in mind, Action Strategies is launching a number of Toronto training workshops.

The schedule for these sessions are as follows:

1. Toronto: Social Media for nonprofit organisations and associations. August 23, 2011
2. Toronto: Media relations for nonprofit organisations and associations. August 24, 2011
3. Toronto: Grassroots advocacy and lobbying for nonprofit organisations and associations. August 25, 2011

In essence, this summer's training series is a new venture.  Making a break into Toronto, we're offering a three day series of seminars in the basic elements of public affairs for NGOs.  Register today for one, two, or three days of intensive training that will magnify your nonprofit or association's message! Summer is over and it's time to capitalize on the return back from vacations.  

1. Where are you in the education process of gaining support for your cause?  Have you been caught by surprise by a legislative initiative contrary to your mission and there's little time to react?  If this is the case, then perhaps you may have no other choice than to play the "Bad Cop" role.  Keep in mind however that playing this role too often can burn bridges.  The most successful nonprofit lobbying associations are those that position themselves as solution providers, not constant complainers.
2. Getting your ducks in line: How well developed are your stakeholder relations?  Making sure you have the appropriate linkages and enough trust built between all parties will be critical in making the judgement call of whether it is appropriate to go negative or positive in lobbying.

What has been your experience?

Mark

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Mark Buzan, APR is Principal and Chief Magnifying Officer in Action Strategies, a specialist grassroots and lobbying advocacy consultancy for nonprofit associations.

June 17, 2011; Mark Buzan's PR and Public Affairs Spot on the Web: In 2011 over 85 percent of new handsets will be able to access the mobile Web. Today in the US and Western Europe, 90 percent of mobile subscribers have an Internet-ready phone.  Currently, almost one in five people globally accessing the net have access to fast mobile Internet (3G or better) services.

Clearly, mobile SMS marketing is where nonprofit communications, charity fundraising, and nonprofit association membership recruitment and retention campaigns are going in the years to come.  If you refer back to a mobile text marketing blog post I published a few years ago, you'll note that the possibilities for getting a nonprofit organisation message out is quite extensive.

Among the common possibilities most experimented with, SMS (short message service) or text messaging and multimedia messaging is becoming popular to accomplish a number of objectives:

• SMS advertising,
• SMS competitions,
• SMS polls,
• Product/service branding,
• Promotion of specials and offers,
• Customer loyalty initiatives
• Chat engines to encourage immediate feedback on a recent company initiative
• Bulk distribution of SMS messages to your existing lists

Mobile marketing has the potential to provide associations and especially charities the opportunity to engage nonprofit association members and recruit charitable donors with a reminder or incentive anytime, anywhere. More often than not, people engage with mobile marketing calls to action in an instantaneous way because they can do so from anywhere. This allows NGOs the opportunity to fundraise for charities or engage association members in advocacy campaigns all on the go or in an impulsive way.

Text messaging is a very targeted, private medium. Because a cell phone number is a unique identification number associated with an individual person, marketers must be respectful of the privacy and preferences of users. In essence, when a person gives someone their cell phone number they are providing an opportunity to be contacted on a device that is carried in a purse or pocket, which makes for a very direct, personal communication channel.

There are a number of ways that mobile marketing is set to take off and strategies I recommend in my social media training series for nonprofit organisations but I would welcome your input.  Where do you think mobile marketing is going in the public relations or marketing sphere for associations, charities and NGOs?

Mark

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Mark Buzan, APR is Principal and Chief Magnifying Officer of Action Strategies.  He has investigated and trains on a number of the best resources available for charities, associations and NGOs in delivering effective text messaging and mobile marketing campaigns.  For questions on how to get your nonprofit organisation moving forward in this domain, contact him.

June 7, 2011; Mark Buzan's PR and Public Affairs Spot on the Web: Why would a potential sponsor wish to support your nonprofit organisation or association? Sponsors and corporate supporters are going to be looking for the answer to the question of "what's in it for them"?  More importantly, they will also be looking for communications are all-encompassing, 360-degree, 3-D channel.

To increase your association's revenue base from corporate sponsorships, it is your responsibility to magnify their marketing communications presence far beyond anything they would have been able to attain on their own (an article from 2006 points to the trends in corporate marketing).  It's said that for an organization's marketing message to be received, appreciated and acted upon, prospects need to hear about your NGO, charity or association's cause at least 7 times.

I would go one step further.  It is critical for nonprofit organizations to ensure their prospect audiences receive and NGO message multiple times AND from multiple different sources.

For example, where is your NGO planning to showcase their support?  Your association has likely given consideration to placing an advertisement on its website, in the coming conference promotional material, or even within its newsletter.  Those present good visibility for corporate sponsors of associations but the really successful associations are those that go the distance and integrate into their less passive marketing the support they receive from major revenue contributors.

Here are some ideas to consider:

• Mobile/ SMS text message marketing is going to become the next wave in succession of social media marketing.  Has your association considered what can be possible in promoting your nonprofit organization and the support it receives by pushing its message out to the smart phones of your many members and supporters?
• Your association undoubtedly engages in public relations and media relations.  Still a powerful means of building awareness, mentioning the support of sponsors in PR and press releases goes one step further in demonstrating commitment to sponsors.
• Social media marketing: If your charity or association has been anywhere at all in the last 5 years, you have begun to build a social networking presence and a following of supporters across the internet. Leveraging this presence for your sponsors is one more way to get out the word.

These are just some ideas of how you can go the distance for potential sponsors and as a result, grow the revenue and corporate sponsor potential for your association.  The bottom line relates to delivering and over delivering on service and marketing reach.  What is your association doing to grow its revenue base with the corporate world?

If your are interested in learning more, Action Strategies' association marketing webinar partner, CEPSM, will be delivering a complete webinar on this subject.  Click here to learn more about nonprofit association sponsorships.

Mark

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Mark Buzan is the Principal and Chief Magnifying Officer in Action Strategies.  His work in association marketing communications and stakeholder engagement has facilitated major sponsor support for national associations.

May 30, 2011; Mark Buzan's PR and Public Affairs Spot on the Web: Last week, the cabinet was announced and the Parliament is shaping up even more as the Leader of the Official Opposition, Jack Layton, announced his shadow cabinet on Thursday. While many will argue that lobbying strategy in a majority government changes from government relations advocacy more directly to caucus members in the government and on regional issues (there's some truth to this), it is pure folly for a nonprofit association executive director to ignore the Official Opposition.

May 20, 2011; Mark Buzan's PR and Public Affairs Spot on the Web: Earlier this week, Prime Minister Harper announced the cabinet of the 41st Parliament following the election of last month.  If you read my last posting on what the election meant for the lobbying advocacy of nonprofit organisations and associations, Wednesday's announcement of the new cabinet should also provide an important heads up to get your government relations and relationship development strategies in place.  

The new slate of legislators now occupying the highest positions in the land number 33.  In some areas, there were changes and in other places, some individuals stayed in their same positions.  In sum, here's the list:

1. Diane Finley: Human Resources and Skills Development
2. Bev Oda: International Co-operation
3. John Baird: Foreign Affairs
4. Tony Clement: President of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario
5. Jim Flaherty: Finance
6. Peter Van Loan: Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
7. Jason Kenney: Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism
8. Gerry Ritz: Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board
9. Christian Paradis: Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture)
10. James Moore: Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
11. Denis Lebel: Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
12. Leona Aglukkaq: Health and Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency
13. Keith Ashfield: Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway
14. Peter Kent: Environment
15. Lisa Raitt: Labour
16. Gail Shea: National Revenue
17. John Duncan: Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
18. Steven Blaney: Veterans Affairs
19. Edward Fast: International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway
20. Joe Oliver: Natural Resources
21. Peter Penashue: Intergovernmental Affairs and President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada
22. Julian Fantino: Associate Minister of National Defence
23. Bernard Valcourt: Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency)
24. Gordon O'Connor: Minister of State and Chief Government Whip
25. Maxime Bernier: Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism)
26. Diane Ablonczy: Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas and Consular Affairs)
27. Lynne Yelich: Minister of State (Western Economic Diversification)
28. Steven Fletcher: Minister of State (Transport)
29. Gary Goodyear: Minister of State (Science and Technology) (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario)
30. Ted Menzies: Minister of State (Finance)
31. Tim Uppal: Minister of State (Democratic Reform)
32. Alice Wong: Minister of State (Seniors)
33. Bal Gosal: Minister of State (Sport)

So what impact will this have on your association?  Which legislators, Members of Parliament, Senators, and policy makers will you need to relate with in your government relations and stakeholder relations strategy?

Mark

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Mark Buzan is Principal and Chief Magnifying Officer of Action Strategies, a full service government relations, lobbying, and relationship building firm with legislators for nonprofit organisations and associations.

Mark Buzan's PR and Public Affairs Spot on the Web – May 13, 2011: Implementing social media in a nonprofit organisation can be a daunting concept when you are just starting out.  As I have mentioned in a number of other previous posts on implementing social media marketing strategy, the answer really begins with understanding your audience and then taking it step by step.

Recently, I stumbled across an excellent video at Non-Profit Times TV.  I believe it outlines a great example of how your association, NGO, or charity can begin the process.

Feed America has already some successes.  What is your nonprofit organisation doing?  

Mark

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Mark Buzan is Principal and Chief Magnifying Officer in Action Strategies offering social media marketing consulting for nonprofit associations, charities, and NGOs.