Written by Maura Keaney, Vice President, Engagement Services

When organizations develop communications strategies, they typically start by thinking about the messages they want to share, the audiences they need to reach, and the channels they will use. Those are all important questions. But I would argue there’s an even more important place to start: What do the people we’re trying to reach actually need from us?

It’s a question that can fundamentally change how we approach communications, particularly when we’re working to reach diverse communities across a city, state, or country. We saw this firsthand while supporting communications for California’s Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) initiative. Communicating with families across a state as large and diverse as California required more than developing consistent messages and translating them into different languages. We needed to understand what information families were looking for, what questions they had, and what might make it difficult for them to find and use that information. That meant engaging families and community partners early, before we fully developed the communications strategy and materials. And what we heard helped shape the work.

Families wanted practical information to help them make decisions: Where are programs located? What do they cost? What are the hours? What languages are spoken? What supports are available for children with different needs? We wouldn’t necessarily have prioritized these questions if we had started from the perspective of what the state wanted to communicate. That’s why listening should shape the strategy, not simply validate decisions already made.

Too often, organizations develop a communications strategy, create materials, and then ask their audiences for feedback. By that point, many of the most important decisions have already been made. Engaging communities earlier lets us challenge assumptions, understand what people need, and spot barriers we might otherwise miss. It also helps us make better decisions about what information to share, how to organize it and where it should show up. One of the important lessons from our UPK work was that reaching families also required thinking more broadly about where they get information and whom they trust. Websites, social media, and other digital channels are important, but they’re only part of the picture. Families also get information from teachers, child care providers, community organizations, libraries, health care providers, and places they visit every day. These aren’t simply additional places to distribute materials. They are opportunities to reach families through people and organizations they already know and trust. Who delivers information can be as important as what it says.

Another challenge with large-scale communications is balancing consistency with local relevance. Families should have access to clear, accurate information regardless of where they live. But not every community has the same questions, needs, or experiences. The strongest approach creates a consistent foundation while giving local partners the tools and flexibility to make communications relevant to their communities. That requires involving partners in the process, understanding their needs, and making it easier for them to reach the people they serve. For me, the biggest takeaway is that listening and community engagement shouldn’t be treated as separate activities that happen before or after the communications work. They are part of the work.

And listening shouldn’t stop when a campaign launches. We need to keep hearing from families and community partners, understand what’s working, and adjust along the way. Ultimately, the goal isn’t simply to get information in front of people. It’s to help them understand their options, make decisions, and take action. That’s why the strongest communications strategies are built with communities, not simply delivered to them.

At Collaborative Communications, we’re working with partners to bring listening, community engagement, and trusted messengers into communications planning from the beginning. Watch our LinkedIn Live conversation, From Listening to Action: Building Communications With Communities, to hear more about what we learned and how organizations can apply these lessons to their own communications strategies.