Back to basics: Two steps to a good year

Step one: Review

For many American Legion posts, districts and departments, new officers have been elected and appointed for the 2018-2019 year.  If you were just appointed or elected to a communications position, now is the time to think about your communication strategy.

Where to start
First, review your communications toolbox – the resources The American Legion provides to communicate with members, potential new members, and the community. Access these tools at www.legion.org/nalpa/resources.  

Second, review communication information on your post, district or department website and social media accounts. Is the information current? Have the new officers been added to the website? Are photos updated?  

On your social media accounts, when was the last news item posted? For social media to be effective, the accounts need to be active and content must be current or people will not follow you. Post content on Facebook at least once or twice a week, at a minimum.  

Dates and times on websites must be current or upcoming as old information shows a lack of attention and members, as well as potential new members, will not consider it a reliable source for information.

Third, review your media contacts for the local newspaper, radio and television media outlets. Employees come and go on a regular basis so it is good to contact your media outlets a couple of times a year in case your contact person has changed.
Fourth, review your membership communication strategy or create one if there isn’t one in place. With assistance from your post, district or department adjutant, use www.mylegion.org to view the contact information you have on members. Having a list of current addresses, emails and phone numbers will help build a communication chain.

As postage costs continue to rise, alternatives to communicating with members is through email and by phone. Online communication resources such as www.mailchimp.com and www.call-em-all.com can help reduce the cost of communication to Legion members.  

Last, review your calendar for the year. The NALPA 2017 fall newsletter at www.legion.org/nalpa has an article about starting, maintaining and reviewing a yearly calendar.  

Step two:  Execute
After your communication strategy review:
Edit your post, district or department website to remove outdated information and add new content.
Mark on a calendar when to make consistent and relevant social media posts.
Send press releases to your news channel contacts about the newly elected officers, upcoming events, and activities or programs your post, district or department host or participate in.
Communicate with membership at least once every 60 days. You want membership to know what is going on at every level of The American Legion.
Final tip
When writing an article about an event or program, read it from the viewpoint that you know nothing about The American Legion. Does the article make sense to someone who may not know The American Legion? Why is it of interest to the reader? Did you use acronyms only Legionnaires would know?

I encourage you to download The American Legion’s Style Guide at www.legion.org/publications, located under Media & Communications. It offers valuable tips on writing copy that’s clean and clear.

The American Legion will celebrate 100 years of service to veterans, servicemembers and their families in 2019. However, not everyone knows who we are or what we do. Review our communication strategy often to ensure we are communicating effectively.