These time-saving comms tips for small charity teams will help you get the most out of your time and have the biggest impact possible with even minimal resource.
1. Link to other campaigns
If you don’t have the resources to run a big campaign, consider linking to awareness days that fit with your cause. Decide your aim for the activity, set yourself a couple of objectives, and produce some special content.
2. Make use of toolkits
These are usually available for sector-wide campaigns such as Volunteers’ Week, Giving Tuesday and Small Charity Week. They often include template copy, helpful graphics and tips on making the most of the campaign.
3. Be consistent
Even if you have very limited resources, small consistent actions will help you reach your aims. Make every hour count by having a simple comms plan that will help you use your time productively rather than procrastinating.
4. Review your content
Take a look at what’s working/not. If a specific type of content isn’t proving to be of interest to your audience, discontinue it and test something else. This isn’t always easy if there is an expectation that certain news will be shared via a charity’s comms channels.
5. Create templates
Engaging with your audience on social media is key to building strong communities. Creating a bank of template responses can be a real time-saver in the long run, particularly during busy periods like campaign launches.
6. Share other people’s stuff
Whether you include another charity’s resource in your newsletter or repost relevant content on socials, resharing is not only an easy way to provide your audience with useful content but is a great way to support other organisations.
7. Gather feedback
If a full story-gathering programme is out of reach, find other ways to include people’s voices in your comms. This could be saving and sharing comments from social media, recording anecdotes from staff, or asking for a quote from people and organisations you work with.
8. Work smarter
Combine social media content creation with tasks you are already doing. Eg: share relevant articles you have read, live share from events you attend, and build social media content production into projects like producing your annual review.
9. Set learning goals
With the constant changes in platforms, tools and trends, keeping up with current comms practices can feel impossible. Set a realistic goal of how much learning you can do each month to keep up to date and combat overwhelm.
10. Use AI tools
Explore AI tools that can save you time and free you up to be more creative. This might include using AI to take notes, analyse data, or generate ideas.
If you find this resource useful, please consider buying Claire a coffee! Find more tips for small charities on Claire’s LinkedIn page.
