How an association should NOT hold a press conference!

I recently witnessed and frankly should've commented on this before. Those who follow the association scene in Canada might recall back to March 23, 2010 when Dale Ripplinger, the President of the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) on reacting to a ruling of the Competition Bureau of Canada held a press conference in response to a ruling that arguably did not go in their favour. And while my point is not to argue the merits of their position, I must wonder what they were thinking in holding a press conference and who prepared their representative for what would likely be an aggressive media situation.

Some quick background info:

In Canada, the MLS system is operated by CREA, and until recently, nobody but a realtor could put a listing on that system. This upset people who wanted to sell their house on their own. In response, the Competition Bureau has intervened ordering them to open the system up. In a VERY odd decision, the Canadian Real Estate Association decided to call a press conference and then not take questions!

In my humble opinion, they would've been better off just issuing a written statement than subjecting themselves to this PR nightmare. Please take a look for yourself and let me know your thoughts. Click here



Mark A. Buzan, APR
Principal & Chief Magnifier
Action Strategies
#3, 270 rue Champlain
Gatineau, Quebec J8X 3S1
819.770.2899 phone
877-336-2701 toll free fax
http://www.actionstrategies.ca (Action Strategies website)

LinkedIn Group for Government Relations: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2465512&trk=hb_side_g
LinkedIn Group for Non-Profit Communications: http://tinyurl.com/nonprofitideas

Examples of How Building Partnerships Grows Non-Profit Causes

The nonprofit sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in North America right now, and with almost 150,000 registered charities and nonprofits currently operating in Canada, it shows no signs of slowing down. Of course, as more and more organizations are added to the mix, groups must become increasingly creative in the planning and carrying out of their mission. Whether seeking to advocate for a cause before government, build recognition with the public or fundraise, there is strength in numbers. Throughout my career, I can undoubtedly back up the value of identifying partnering organizations, matching them up and as a result, putting forth highly impact-full programming and outreach initiatives.

With the Canadian Paralympic Committee, I saw that one of the biggest challenges to growing the brand of the movement and that of the movement's 23 member organizations was that individually, all organizations lacked resources to grow recognition of their sports. Starting with a national conference on joining together on brand collaboration and later by identifying the common denominator for all involved, I coordinated a national task force that put the wheels in motion for all organizations to grow.

With the Canadian Construction Association, I coordinated 7 national associations into a common advocacy event on Parliament Hill with the result of growing awareness for an issue all held dearly: government investment in infrastructure. By collaborating, we shared costs AND showed a common front to Members of Parliament.

More recently, I am working with the Information Communications and Technology Council (ICTC) identifying partnering organizations in serving immigrants and employment issues. So far, more than seven organizations are now working with ICTC to focus group and pilot test coming online tool that will help immigrants in the IT sector find employment in Canada. Collaborating together, all organizations are benefitting from cost savings and in reaching out to new audiences otherwise impossible had they gone solo.



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Mark Buzan is principal and chief magnifier in Action Strategies, a full service strategic communications, public relations and public affairs consultancy for nonprofits and associations. Mark has coordinated and negotiated a number of partnerships and sponsorship arrangements for non-profits and associations even using them to advocate to Parliament. You can view his website at www.actionstrategies.ca.

Teaming up: Partnerships build Funding, Advocacy and Brand Building Opportunities

Partnerships among nonprofits, and between for-profits and nonprofits, are among the best means I have found for non-profits and associations to build brands or advocate causes. The benefits include cost efficiencies, revenue opportunities for nonprofits, more sustainable nonprofit organizations, and better services for communities in addressing vital issues in conservation, education, healthcare, the arts, and economic development. Where once "corporate giving" meant writing an annual check to a favorite charity, more recently businesses and nonprofit organizations (NPOs) have joined forces to achieve their separate, but related missions. Economic pressures are stressing the nonprofit sector in delivering much needed services, but the pressures will also drive savvy funders, nonprofit boards and executives to pursue innovations, partnerships, and efficiencies.

In my experiences, I have used the concept of identifying partnering organizations on the basis that working together we can accomplish more, and accomplish it faster it than by working alone. The key is to think strategically. Target your partners as you would your donors. Look for similar target groups, compatible missions, appropriate images and profiles and adequate resources. As for programs, set objectives that are of mutual benefit. Get the story straight and communicate it. Start slow and build for the long term, and measure and sell your success.

Effective communication is necessary to manage a collaborative venture. Managers should ensure that all of the partners understand their communication; they should avoid acronyms and jargon unless these are well known to all partners. Ideally the manager will be able to communicate a vision that will electrify the partners. The communication needs to be regular, frequent, consistent and clear. I also recommend building program collaborations among a multitude of partners for the greatest reach into the community.

So what are your experiences? Have you found partnerships to be useful? If so, how have you leveraged them?


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Mark Buzan is principal and chief magnifier in Action Strategies, a full service strategic communications, public relations and public affairs consultancy for nonprofits and associations. Mark has coordinated and negotiated a number of partnerships and sponsorship arrangements for non-profits and associations even using them to advocate to Parliament. You can view his website at www.actionstrategies.ca.

Budget 2010 - What will it all mean?

Earlier this month, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty released the long anticipated Federal Budget. With the recession now supposedly behind us, the Prime Minister has important challenges ahead of him. Namely, balancing the budget again and setting in policies that set will the tories in a position to reach the long elusive position of earning a majority government. For non-profits looking to set their agendas, here's a brief overview of the budgetary priorities of the government:

Budget by the numbers

Projected deficit 2009-2010: $53.8 billion
Projected defict in 2014-2015: $1.8 billion
Projected program expenses 2009-2010: $237.8 billion
Projected revenues in 2014-15: $296.5 billion
Projected program expenses in 2014-15: $257.7 billion
Federal debt 2009-2010: $517.5 billion

The latest budget stays largely true to that, continuing to roll out the stimulus spending already announced while winding down other temporary measures and taking initial steps to tackle Canada's first budget deficit since the mid-1990s.

Deficits to come

Last year, Flaherty projected a $33.7 billion deficit for the 2009-10 fiscal year, and $29.8 billion in 2010-11. Budget 2010: News, analysis, videos, live chat and more. By slowing the rate of previously planned growth in the defence budget, Ottawa hopes to save $525 million in 2012-13 and $1 billion annually thereafter.

In addition, Ottawa will spend less than previously projected on foreign aid. The capping of aid at 2011 levels will save an additional $1.8 billion by 2014, the budget forecasts. For many non-profits concerned by international development issues, this could become a challenging era and the need to re-focus their efforts will be all the more important.

In my opinion, trade and professional associations will have the most opportunities to make a difference in 2010/ 2011. For business associations, the government is signaling its biggest priority - job creation and economic recovery. To further spur business investment, Ottawa is also pushing ahead with plans to make Canada the country with the lowest corporate income tax rate in the G8 by 2012. At 22 per cent in 2007, Canada's corporate tax rate is on pace to fall to 15 per cent by 2012. Under the program, homeowners received up to $1,350 in tax relief on home renovation projects.

For organizations in the construction, energy efficiency, and environmental sector Ottawa did, however, unveil $80 million in new tax credits available for energy-efficient retrofits by Canadian homeowners. Their challenge will be maintaining contact with Natural Resources Canada and other departments to ensure these credits meet their members' needs.

How has Budget 2010 affected your organization?

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/03/04/budget-flaherty-parliament-ottawa.html#ixzz0jUaOCyHr

___________________________________
Mark Buzan is Principal of Action Strategies, a GR Consultancy for non-profits. If you have questions on how you feel your organization could benefit from legislative monitoring services or even undertaking a grassroots advocacy initiative. Subscribe now to his Lobbying tips newsletter at www.actionstrategies.ca

Issues coming this Parliamentary session and how we relate to just some of them

Parliament resumed nearly a month and a bit ago. With it, came a plethora of bills that needed to be re-introduced after the Prime Minister prorogued parliament. For many associations and executives, the unfortunate episode of proroguing parliament meant that the time they had invested in building relationships, researching their positions and advancing legislation now starts from scratch again. While the Conservatives have promised that they will endeavour to re-introduce legislation through Parliament, there are no guarantees that the opposition will accommodate them.

According to the Hill Times, over 30 pieces of legislation were left in limbo in the House of Commons and another 6 in the Senate. Reviewing the list, my sense is that associations will need to refocus their efforts on rebuilding relationships and doing what's required to get their bills through the process. While I will spare you from the entire list of bills (that can be reviewed at the bottom of the page of this Hill Times' article), we at Action Strategies have important experience dealing with a few of the former pieces of legislation that will be debated again in Parliament:

STATUS OF GOVERNMENT BUSINESS AT THE END OF THE SECOND SESSION OF THE 40TH PARLIAMENT

House of Commons

• S-8 Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion on Income Taxes between Canada and Colombia, Greece and Turkey Bill (second reading): Working with Jason Kenney, MP (then the Revenue Critic of the Official Opposition) issues of tax treaties were a common issue I consulted on.

• C-23 Colombia-Canada Free Trade Agreement (second reading): In professional and personal circles, I've maintained important contacts in Colombia. We've also taken on important issues consulting government in trade policy in Latin America.

• C-34 Protecting Victims From Sex Offenders (report): Working in the office of Jason Kenney, one of his pet projects at the time was this subject. Through years of experience, I worked with a number of activist organizations on the subject from all over the country assisting them in making contacts and reaching out to the public and media to advance their cause.

• C-45 Foreign Nationals Working in Canada (second reading): Over the course of the last 2 years, we have worked most specifically with a number of non-profit organizations on issues relating to assisting internationally educated professionals (IEPs) integrate into their profession here in Canada. Most recently, I am working with the Information and Communications Technology Council on some important issues helping IEPs find parallel work in the IT sector.

—Updated to Dec. 17, 2009

There are other issues too sure to come up this Parliament. Drop me a line and let's chat on how we can advance your agenda this parliamentary session. Also, please leave a comment...I'd love to have your opinion.


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Mark Buzan is Principal of Action Strategies, a GR Consultancy for non-profits. If you have questions on how you feel your organization could benefit from legislative monitoring services or even undertaking a grassroots advocacy initiative. Subscribe now to his Lobbying tips newsletter at www.actionstrategies.ca

How Action Strategies builds relationships with legislators & prepares associations for meetings with MPs

From the Canadian Construction Association, Canadian Hydropower Association and even the National Trade Contractors Coalition of Canada, we have followed a number of tried strategies to build our relationships in government and prepare association professionals for meetings with policy makers. If you have minimal knowledge of government affairs or the people in it, you can be left feeling helpless--relying almost blindly on your contractors to guide you through a labyrinth of protocol, rules, precedence, unique customs, and complex interrelationships to achieve their goals. With the stakes for your association high--such as passage or defeat of an important piece of legislation--skillful management of your contract lobbying resources is critically important. Even more so, is understanding the processes and strategies in building a network in government.

In government relations, meaningful influence and relationships depends on trust, and it has to be earned with all those involved in the government’s policies and decisions from both the political and bureaucratic sides of government. We throughly research all of the contacts and influencers along the way to success. As such, we make certain not to avoid even the slightest contact we may not be certain directly impacts on our client's issue. Along the way, by even making good with lower level staff, we show respect and as a result, have continued to manage our contact base. Some of those whom we met years back as junior staffers are now in very high level positions!

Finally, by engaging the broadest possible group – your Board, the wider membership, the client groups of your organization, the media, the members of other political parties, the community at large and your own family and friends – in a shared effort to make things better; we have continued to build bases of support that have made the difference for legislative success.

We engage also a number of other strategies, including online outreach. What strategies have you found successful?


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Mark Buzan is Principal of Action Strategies, a GR Consultancy for non-profits. If you have questions on how you feel your organization could benefit from legislative monitoring services or even undertaking a grassroots advocacy initiative. Subscribe now to his Lobbying tips newsletter at www.actionstrategies.ca

With the budget coming, new Ministers & parliament prorogued, where does your agenda stand?

After 3 months of Parliament out of session and a state where bills need to be re-introduced, organizations need to review where they stand with the government. 70 pieces of legislation will need to be re-introduced this Spring. The coming budget will also make a time for association executives to be more vigilant than ever. Contract lobbyists can be a great benefit to any government affairs program. Larger associations can use them to handle big projects and even mentor staff. Smaller associations may find that they can gain instant access and quickly match the clout of political adversaries. To that effect, the value of legislative monitoring comes to point.

The measure of success for many association executives, like it or not, has gradually become increased member services and stronger finances. This is especially true for small associations; although their resources may be strapped, they still carry the burden of members with high expectations. Since they can't be at the legislature or on Parliament Hill and managing member services simultaneously, keeping on track of developments is a tall order. Sometimes, even one small or undetected aspect of a piece of legislation otherwise unnoticed can make a difference.

When Parliament was prorogued in late December and new Ministers were nominated thereafter, the hard work your association may have undertaken in the past may need to be repeated. The situation however may even mean that legislative monitoring will be required to take a double take on where your organization finds itself. When Parliament returns on March 3 the Harper government could introduce a motion to restart its legislative agenda right where it left off, but the Liberals say they won't necessarily support it. If this occurs, the possibility of your association going before parliament again is very high and identifying once again before legislators and their staff will require a ramp up strategy.

Start by asking yourself a simple question: What are you trying to accomplish? Are you trying to pass legislation, which is often a demanding job, or defeat legislation, which is typically easier? Many associations face obstacles as they seek to affect the actions of government, particularly rulemaking or administrative actions. Both the legislature and the civil service will follow specific but often very different rules.

Your success will depend largely on how relationships are managed and nurtured. Small lobbying firms such as Action Strategies should never be discounted. Our solitude often makes us nimble enough to keep up with big firms and we have usually, out of necessity, developed excellent information networks. We can also nicely round off a team of lobbyists that an issue may require and quickly become part of your team.


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Mark Buzan is Principal of Action Strategies, a GR Consultancy for non-profits. If you have questions on how you feel your organization could benefit from legislative monitoring services or even undertaking a grassroots advocacy initiative. Subscribe now to his Lobbying tips newsletter at www.actionstrategies.ca

Counseling Associations on Better Governance in a Social Media Age

Working with non-profits, I hear the continuing comment from association execs: "I like the idea of social media or a blog but what if someone says something negative about us?" In my last posting, I touched on the point that in all honesty, your bigger risks are not participating or having a social network presence devoid of participation.

That said, association executives and board members would be wise to consider strategic planning that reflects upon the following:

Avoid anonymous postings on other blogs or social networking sites: In the world of social media, commonsense rules still apply. It’s not wise to make hidden or anonymous attempts to influence the public perception in any forum.

Have a clear participation policy: Let your staff know the rules of when and if they are speaking on behalf of your organization. By like turn, be certain to explain to them that whether they like it or not, they should be mindful of what they place in social networking spheres in their personal lives can be cross referenced easily on the net and as a result, it can reflect on the organization that employs them! As a basic rule, don't post what one would not want neighbours to know about in one's personal life.

Decide on who speaks for the organization: Good social media communication and good governance protocols call for identifying who in your organization will speak. Depending on your audience and with whom they most regularly interact, this might vary from case to case.

Be flexible: I encourage experimentation and testing of new social media tools. Social media tools are new and developing rapidly. However, if no policies cover future technologies, organizations will need to be practical and flexible in dealing with them using what ever resources available. However, organizations should only adopt only those tools and platforms that will help them advance their mission, and not because they are trendy or cool.

What challenges is your organization confronting and how do you expect to face the needed paradigm shift?


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Mark Buzan is principal and chief magnifier in Action Strategies, a full service strategic communications, public relations and public affairs consultancy for nonprofits and associations. He is currently collaborating on a new book for the American Society of Association Executives called "The Will to Govern Well" where he will be providing advice on how associations can better adjust their governance structures in a Web 2.0 world. You can view his website at www.actionstrategies.ca.

Social Media changes control over your brand!

How is your association's governance structure adapting?

Social media offers important opportunities to connect with your supporters. However, you must be willing to let conversations about your organization occur - even if you are not driving the message! Time and time again, I hear the continuing comment from association execs to the effect of: "I like the idea of social media or a blog but what if someone says something negative about us?"

What are the risks vs. opportunities to an association's brand when your audiences control the message?

Many organizations think the biggest risk of social media is that people will use it to say negative things about them. That's certainly worth addressing, but the biggest risk is actually the opposite: that your organization will create a social media presence, and nobody will participate. There's no shortage of deserted online communities out there, some of them beautifully designed and clearly very expensive. Others garner participation... but the conversations quickly veer off-topic or into belligerent shouting matches. And still others start off well, but can't sustain their momentum; some aren't ready to scale up, some encounter embarrassing technical failures, and some just peter out and fade away.

So how do you avoid their fate? A compelling reason to participate... thinking about your audience before you think about anything else... staffing up to encourage participation and put out fires... and both knowing and pushing the limits of your organizational... these can all help. But nothing works quite as well as knowing social media in your bones, and that means diving in yourself and understanding exactly where your supporters can be found with the topics that will motivate them to participate.

Web 2.0 makes it easy to reach a worldwide audience, but the heady possibilities come with potential liabilities. Any errors in communication will be amplified. This is why many organizations find the concept of social media pretty scary. Allowing employees to blog, tweet or post Facebook updates is obviously more risky than not permitting anything outside the standard channels. Especially if those employees are executives or at the board level where devolving information or opinions could impact on the whole of a cause or industry.

As a communications guy that believes in associations being willing to expose even the ugly side of things from time to time (provided there are communications plans in place to respond and counter), social media really is going to change some aspects of how associations even govern themselves. For example, who will speak for the organization? Who owns the association's brand? In essence, social media will need to reposition may of the protocols in place in the strategic business plans of associations.

While all of these issues may seem scary, properly prepared communications protocols, social media policy, and a communications plan tied to solid governance principles in a non-profit's by-laws can effectively mitigate the risks. What concerns do you have about social media?


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Mark Buzan is principal and chief magnifier in Action Strategies, a full service strategic communications, public relations and public affairs consultancy for nonprofits and associations. Contact him for advice on reaching audiences you may or may not have yet considered in your marketing communications and PR campaigns. You can view his website at www.actionstrategies.ca.

The age of Cloud Computing & Online Membership Management

Two opportunities have come my way for interesting discussion which I feel enters at least on the peripheries of social media and online public relations for associations and non-profits. Recently, I was made aware of a possibility of speaking at the Trillium Chapter of CSAE's annual Tech Conference. The subject? Cloud Computing and Social Media. What is cloud computing? Basically, this new development allows organizations to store information on online sources instead of on individual hard drives. Myself, being an active Mac user subscribe to a similar service with Apple's Me.com. This new development provides some interesting opportunities in that from a social media perspective, groups and in particular, associations can share information amongst colleagues, members and supporters. Security protocols can limit access where needed and allow groups of stakeholders to contribute online to documents, for example.

With memberships being the lifeblood of many associations, keeping track of them all can be a challenge - especially in a social media age where everyone on the net expects content to be personalized. As a result, I am firm believer that for associations and NGOs to stay ahead of the curve and communicate regularly (and in a personalized manner) with their supporters. For that to occur, associations need to develop robust CRM (Customer Relationship Management Software) databases. Smart organizations also develop means of allowing this information to be shared over distances, safely stored at a remote location, and preferably allow their supporters to contribute to the database online.

As recently as a few years ago, an organization who wanted to do even mildly sophisticated things online needed to hire web designers and programmers to create a custom member database, to design their website, or to customize existing software to their needs. The process was expensive and laborious. Often these projects would require elaborate and expensive IT infrastructure. And, all too often, the end result was just a temporary fix — a site unable to accommodate the growing organization or, even worse, failing to meet its goals in the first place.

This leads me to the second opportunity which has had me thinking of social media, cloud computing and membership management - all of which are essential to successful membership retention and recruitment. I stumbled upon a newly released white paper "Membership Management Software Selection Guide: For non-profit organizations". While it is produced by my friends at Wild Apricot, it does present a number of important points in how you would consider managing your membership from a cloud computing perspective.

So, how is your NGO or association considering cloud computing, online membership management or even the sharing of documents online?


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Mark Buzan is principal and chief magnifier in Action Strategies, a full service strategic communications, public relations and public affairs consultancy for nonprofits and associations. Contact him for advice on reaching audiences you may or may not have yet considered in your marketing communications and PR campaigns. You can view his website at www.actionstrategies.ca.

Action Strategies is offering a Pro-bona lobbying grant

Kicking off 2010, we're grateful for all the support we have received over the course of the last year. As part of our desire to demonstrate our continued dedication to the non-profit sector, we will be offering our services pro-bona to one deserving organization seeking to make their case to Parliament.

As part of this offering, we are providing up to a year of ongoing federal government relations support to nationally based organizations to include:

- relationship development and meeting coordination with civil servants, Members of Parliament, and Senators
- legislative monitoring to ensure your organization stays on top of the issues
- government grant research and writing (if required)
- grassroots campaigns to mobilize your supporters before government

If this is of interest to your organization, we ask that you submit your proposal/ request outlining the following items:

- a complete profile of the organization including a break down of the board of directors and their biographies
- a description of your organization and its history of building networks of support/ membership across Canada (or in the least a minimum of 2 provinces)
- describe the cause you are seeking to support and why Canadians (and why legislators should care)
- describe the media coverage your organization has managed to garnish

We look forward to your proposals!

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Mark Buzan is Principal of Action Strategies, a GR Consultancy for non-profits. If you have questions on how you feel your organization could benefit from legislative monitoring services or even undertaking a grassroots advocacy initiative. Subscribe now to his Lobbying tips newsletter at www.actionstrategies.ca

Do non-profits and associations allot professional development funds in public relations or marketing for their staff?

I've started a discussion on my LinkedIn group. I'll hope you'll check it out:

Do most professionals prefer in-person training, or distance learning (i.e. webinars)?

http://tinyurl.com/yapfj75

Best regards. Mark


LinkedIn Profile: http://ping.fm/ckBJ1
LinkedIn Group for Non-Profit Public Relations: http://ping.fm/A0dPY
LinkedIn Group for NonProfit Government Relations: http://ping.fm/1hqCe

Mark A. Buzan, APR
Principal & Chief Magnifier
Action Strategies
#3, 270 rue Champlain
Gatineau, Quebec J8X 3S1
819.770.2899 phone
877-336-2701 toll free fax
http://ping.fm/HZ9RV (Action Strategies website)
mark@actionstrategies.ca (email)

How Association Executives can Maintain and Track Networks of Contacts for better Lobbying

As 2009 comes to an end and Parliament prepares to recess, it's time to take stalk of your network of contacts and process for monitoring the legislative and regulatory process. There are 312 Members of Parliament in Ottawa and 105 Senators. With anywhere from 10 to 20 different committees meeting each day referring through hundreds of testimonials and background materials, even the most seasoned association public affairs professionals can find themselves encountering challenges. Add on the need for media monitoring to put a contextual and political analysis of affairs and the process becomes all the more challenging.

At Action Strategies, we have been able to maintain a consistent level of contacts through a number of techniques that include:

Attendance at political fundraisers: also a social opportunity, political fundraisers can be a great opportunity to not only demonstrate one's tacit support for a politician, it also positions my clients in a favourable light when we respectfully disagree on a point of order or want something changed. Also, if you are so inclined, volunteering in political parties can also help your cause.

By mixing our public relations activities with our government relations services, we multiply our contact base: It amazes me each day that as we serve our association and non-profit clients in their social media, public relations and marketing communications needs, inevitably we we often find ourselves undertaking initiatives or attending networking events that put us in contact with other professionals who share their contacts with us. Also interesting is that in many instances, legislators themselves often take part in these events offering an opportunity to relay my clients concerns onto them in a social atmosphere.

Find Other Opportunities to Maintain Contacts – Local organizations often have their Senators and Members of Parliament speak at luncheons and other gatherings. Many MPs also frequently schedule “Town Hall Meetings” where any area citizens can talk with them. Look for such events in your area and go, or have someone from your company attend, and talk with the Member, mentioning your company. Send a follow-up letter to them after any personal discussion. Also, send them a letter at least several times a year commending them for some position they have taken, even if it does not relate specifically to your business. Members need to know that you are paying attention to what they are doing and that you care.

Maintaining and monitoring legislative and political digests - To be an effective practitioner, you really do need to have a grasp on a number of different subscriptions, publications, and media sources to monitor committee meetings, upcoming legislation, and who said what. Keeping on top of this information can be a challenge but it also provides us the chance to identify up-and-comers.

By implementing these strategies and maintaining my contacts from the time of when I worked as a Legislative Assistant to Jason Kenney, MP, I have been able to open doors in many corners of government.

Finally, I cannot stress enough the value of putting in place a system of monitoring the progress of legislation and identifying the possibilities of regulations that can come about regularly. Each year, hundreds if not thousands, of regulations and bills go through the system. While many associations stay on top of the issues of importance to their membership, it can be a tall order to fill expecting them to know of every possible politician's quote affecting their issue, Private Member's/Senator's Bill, upcoming committee hearing date, or regulation. For this reason, I believe the value of engaging legislative monitoring into your advocacy efforts cannot be overlooked.

Addressing this point, Action Strategies has launched it's newest GR service: Legislative Monitoring. Are you on top of everything occurring on Parliament Hill and in the Provincial capitals? What have been your experiences in developing networks of contacts in the legislative system?


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Mark Buzan is Principal of Action Strategies, a GR Consultancy for non-profits. If you have questions on how you feel your organization could benefit from legislative monitoring services or even undertaking a grassroots advocacy initiative. Subscribe now to his Lobbying tips newsletter at www.actionstrategies.ca

Are you moving your organization into 2010 with a Social Media Strategy?

Social media, like it or not, is here to stay. Unfortunately, many non-profits and associations still remain confused on how to implement social media into their communications initiatives. A mystery for many, social media need not be beyond the capacity of non-profit organizations.

When Action Strategies works with it's clients on social media strategy, we work to repurpose your organization’s online PR and social media strategy is so as to wire together any content that you produce into many different web sites, in as automated a process as possible. To be effective, you need to have an understanding of how this will fit into your overall public relations and establish which social media presences will be your "anchors" vs. your "outposts". We walk our clients through developing a very robust identity and set of connections on specific Anchor Sites (eg LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, etc), and then develop a thinner identity on a large number of Outpost Sites. The Outposts lead people both to your Anchor sites and to your main web site. At the same time, your friends/connections/contacts will be connecting to you through your Anchors, and your prospects, clients and the media will find you through better and more consistent exposure on Google.

By undertaking an outpost and anchor strategy, the objective here is to connect with audiences all over the social media sphere (and internet) and draw them into your website, blog, or in the very least, your anchor sites where your team most regularly interacts with fans and supporters.



Posts on outpost sites incite visitors to your profiles downwards through to the various other positions your organization holds on the net and as a result, allow them to connect with other fans of your cause. In addition, by creating such buzz on so many other sites on the net, your organization's position in Google search engines improves and the likelihood of connecting with media, sponsors and other connections increases too.

Because the power of your strength in social media rests upon continually putting out good and relevant content, the challenge comes in assuring that your potential audiences receive information about your organization through the numerous internet forums they prefer. The trouble of course in all of this is identifying which out of the 300+ social media sites out there will act as your anchors and outposts. As an organization, you cannot nor should you try to be in every single sphere of activity. Answering that question involves the first step of a social media strategy: the social media audit which answers clearly where your audiences are located and how you need to reach out to them.

Do you know where your audiences are in the social media sphere? Give us a call for a free consultation and quote on setting your organization on the right step.
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Mark Buzan is principal and chief magnifier in Action Strategies, a full service strategic communications, public relations and public affairs consultancy for nonprofits and associations. Contact him for advice on reaching audiences you may or may not have yet considered in your marketing communications and PR campaigns. You can view his website at www.actionstrategies.ca.

Yes, Non-Profits CAN Build an Energized Fan Base with Social Media

As many know, last week, I hosted my first independent webinar. It was a great success with over 95 registrants from all over North America. Many requested a transcript or recording of the presentation and as such, I invite you to take a look:

Open up the video in a separate window and/ or download it
For your information, the video is in Quicktime and runs for a total of 54 minutes, 21 seconds. (Click here to download Quicktime). You can also download the slides in Powerpoint format here or in Keynote format here.

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Mark Buzan is the Principal and Chief Magnifying Officer in Action Strategies, a full service Public Relations and Advocacy consultancy for associations and non-profits. He employs a number of services such as social media in order to aid his clients increase support and engage their stakeholders. Please register for his free newsletter series in public relations or government relations.

Are your blogs receiving comments?

As mentioned earlier, this past week I was speaking at the Canadian Society of Association Executives' Annual convention. During this time and as a result of the comments I received as well from last week's webinar on social media for non-profits, I thought it pertinent to address a recurring question. Namely, "why isn't my blog receiving any comments"?

To answer that question, my response would be the following:

1. How inviting and relevant is the need for commenting? From the beginning, your metrics may need to consider whether or not people are actually visiting and reading your website. Reading through the website of the Social Networking and Media Association (SNAMA), I found an interesting stat that showed very clearly that on average, most social media participants are "lurkers". In other words, they're often more interested in consuming information on blogs than in actively participating. So...don't be so hard are yourself! In my view, the number of unique visitors and other metrics you can receive from Google Analytics is more valuable.

2. Is your content boring?? More often than not, visitors may come to your blog and think "hmm...so what?" In my view, if your constant objective is to elicit comments, you're going to need to become a thought leader and be provocative. For associations, this lesson is all the more pertinent - whether seeking comments or not. As the experts in their respective field, associations have an obligation to be ahead of the pack.

What are your thoughts?
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Mark Buzan is Principal of Action Strategies, a PR and GR Consultancy for non-profits. Subscribe now to his newsletters at www.actionstrategies.ca

New Book Released: Online PR & Social Media for Associations and Not-for-Profits

Well..new news. After much deliberation, research, trials and errors, I'm happy to announce the release of my first book. Back in March, I placed a YouTube Video on this blog announcing the launch of a trial and error process to learn specifically how non-profits can build a fan base through social media (you can view the video by clicking here). The end result has been a book I have co-authored with Randall Craig of Pinetree Advisors which I believes goes far beyond the far too common hype around social media. Instead, we've aimed to offer concrete step-by-step advice on how you can leverage this great new communications tool for your organization. I sincerely hope you will check it out:


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Mark Buzan is Principal of Action Strategies, a GR Consultancy for non-profits. If you have questions on how you feel your organization could benefit from legislative monitoring services or even undertaking a grassroots advocacy initiative. Subscribe now to his Lobbying tips newsletter at www.actionstrategies.ca

CSAE Conference: Lessons in the Need for Strategic Plans

For those not already aware, I'm here in Toronto this week attending the Canadian Society of Association Executives (CSAE) annual convention. While there are a number of subjects we have already covered and undoubtedly more will come, one topic in particular stands out:

"Why do good association executives get fired?"

Presented by Jack Shand (Leaderquest Inc.), there are a number of factors that point to indicators of why matters can go awry. More often than not, association executives themselves are not to blame. They are the victim of poor strategic plans or the lack thereof of any strategic planning itself. When non-profits exist in a vacuum of a clear idea of where it is that they are going, boards and volunteers (not to mention staff) can be left in a guessing situation of what can be expected as measures of success. When this occurs, association executives can soon find themselves in an environment where no matter what they do, their efforts and hard work can be quickly placed in doubt. While the ramifications of this may seem evident for senior association and non-profit staff, I cannot help avoid thinking that from an effective communications or even government relations perspective for NPOs, there are important lessons to be learned as well. PR and lobbying efforts in an association environment will only be as effective as the planning processes that exist behind them.

Strategic planning is needed on two levels. First, a non-profit itself needs an overall strategic plan that sets a clear mission and direction. It cannot be a vague document nor can it set out a laundry list of "to-do's". If an organization's overall strategic plan is unclear, it cannot be expected of a communications professional or lobbyist to reach clear goals. After all, as communicators and government relations professionals, we set in place initiatives with the objective to back up an organization's strategic plans. In the same tune, communications and government relations initiatives need to have their own planning processes. If we fail to plan, we plan to fail!

So, what are your thoughts? Do you think association and non-profit organizations given enough attention to strategic planning? What about in general terms towards the need for communications and advocacy planning? I argue that more than ever, NPOs need to pay more attention to the value of planning of course for the strategic direction of their organization - but they also need to pay attention to the value of strategically planning their advocacy to government and their communications. Without such clear objectives laid out, too often we see the professionals that act in this sphere fall victim to the whims of boards of directors who may not have the insight of all of the ins and outs or successes that have occurred.
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Mark Buzan is Principal of Action Strategies, a GR Consultancy for non-profits. If you have questions on how you feel your organization could benefit from legislative monitoring services or even undertaking a grassroots advocacy initiative. Subscribe now to his Lobbying tips newsletter at www.actionstrategies.ca

A new webinar: Social Media Strategies for Associations and Non-Profits

Booked for November 24, 2009 at 1PM EST.

Engaging Members & Supporters in Grassroots Lobbying

Many associations and advocacy non-profits engage in lobbying. What sets them apart however from corporations who also lobby is that they have an important asset at their disposal: a membership & supporter base. Understanding this concept, earlier in my career as the Director of External Communications for the Canadian Construction Association, I coordinated a nation-wide campaign initiative to engage CCA members into the 2004 federal election.

Faced with frustration at the lack of attention CCA was receiving from federal legislators regarding its issues, I was assigned with a strategy to raise the association’s profile. Undertaking a full year effort to identify construction industry champions on Parliament Hill and opportunities where significant legislative advances could occur, I developed a strategic plan that included the following:

1. An interactive website was developed especially where the media could learn about construction issues and members could login specifically to a special area of the website to download a series of manuals and ideas on how to influence candidates in their region.


2. A specific communications campaign to the Members was undertaken to educate them on the election and how their involvement could make all the difference.


3. Options for sharing content were provided and members were also trained/ encouraged to forward on news of the campaign to colleagues.

Over the course of a year, I succeeded in earning the association an invitation to participate in consultations with the federal government over reforms to the Bankruptcy Act. Approaching the policy developers of each of the five federal parties present in Parliament, I also succeeded in having aspects of the CCA’s position reflected in each of the party platforms during the 2004 general election.

Now...it is important to note that all this occurred before the rise of social media and social networking. I am currently experimenting means of how these grassroots campaigns can be all that more improved with interesting results. Now, with the expanding world of social media, lawmakers are creating Twitter accounts. Granted, the person actually doing the tweeting probably isn’t the lawmaker, but this does provide another avenue, on top of paper, phone calls and emails, to communicate with elected officials. Other effective means of grassroots advocacy is occurring through specially made applications that permit sharing of content and as a result, engage other supporters as well.

Whatever your strategy, a grassroots advocacy campaign will need to consider the key elements of what will engage and motivate supporters towards your cause.

Give us a call for more information!
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Mark Buzan is Principal of Action Strategies, a GR Consultancy for non-profits. If you have questions on how you feel your organization could benefit from legislative monitoring services or even undertaking a grassroots advocacy initiative. Subscribe now to his Lobbying tips newsletter at www.actionstrategies.ca