You know communication is important. However, communication goes well beyond saying a bunch of words. Communication must have purpose and meaning behind it. Otherwise, you’re communicating just for the sake of communicating. It’s not the act of communicating that’s important, but rather the goal you’re trying to achieve through your communications.

Don’t communicate simply to communicate

Many district leaders understand how important it is to be consistent. Once you create a content schedule, you have to stick to it. Stakeholders would get confused if you skipped a monthly newsletter or weekly superintendent update. For that reason, some districts put out content just for the sake of putting out content.

You can’t have consistency without purpose. Yes, consistency is important, but there also needs to be a purpose behind every piece of communication. Once you say something, there’s no taking it back. Your content must offer value to stakeholders, especially since they’re going out of their way to read or watch it. Make content worth their while by communicating with purpose!

Define your goals before communicating

Every piece of communication starts with a goal. That goal could be something as simple as boosting attendance at the next school board meeting. Or, the goal might be to strengthen stakeholder relationships and gain their support. Create the goal first, then write the message. Goals should be at the root of everything you say!

Keep in mind that goals can (and should) evolve over time. As goals change, so should your communications. New goals impact where you communicate, how often you communicate, who you communicate with and the types of messages you communicate. Allow your communications to be flexible and open to change.

Always keep the purpose front of mind

As you create content, you should be actively thinking about your goals and purpose. They’re the driving force behind all communications. Throughout the content creation process, ask yourself questions like, “Why am I writing this? How does it contribute to my goals?” This will help you stay on track and send out communications that benefit both stakeholders and your district.

Communications exist to support your goals. If you didn’t have a goal in mind, there would be no reason to communicate! Goal setting is just as important as the content creation process, and only once you have a goal in mind can you begin communicating with stakeholders.