Future articles in this series will focus on more advice on particular topics within the CSR agenda and will include Environment, Employees and Workplace, Suppliers, Community Engagement, Charity / Good Causes and Communication.
I’m still trying to keep the admin jargon out to make this as easy to implement and see results as soon as possible. I will also look to broaden the discussion beyond pure business benefits and address other environmental and social benefits to reinforce why all companies can and need to play their part.
This week’s theme is:
Communication
I have skipped Environment and Employees even though these are probably the two most important areas to consider in terms of actions and gone straight to Communication. The reason for this is simple. Almost all small businesses (not all, there are some bad ones out there!) are already participating in nuggets of ad hoc or reactivate large CSR initiatives, but most do not know about them or do not fully understand them. I am focusing on communication because everyone can benefit today, right now.
To help you understand this, I need you to take 10 minutes to ask yourself the following questions.
Make the effort to write your answers on recycled paper:
1. Has your organization ever donated money or support to a charity or good cause? This includes allowing employees to fundraise at work time, local youth sports clubs, churches, etc.
2. Do you recycle or have you reduced your energy use or waste in any way?
3. Has your organization ever gone beyond basic legal requirements to hire, improve productivity, or retain your employees?
4. How do you select a provider? Is it just about the best price, or do you use only local businesses, or do you consider environmental issues?
5. Does your organization have a formal or informal list of values for how it should operate on a day-to-day basis?
6. Has your organization ever helped another business without asking for payment?
I am not a clairvoyant or a magician, but I think your piece of paper has some notes on it.
The big question is who have you told and how have you told them about these great initiatives? I know that small businesses do not have external marketing departments or agencies or, in most cases, not even someone internally responsible for marketing. This should be everyone’s responsibility. Regardless, most marketing people don’t really understand the best way to use this ammo.
Rule 1 – Just do it!
So how can we avoid wasting the moment, getting stung with a ‘greenwash’ label, or sticking our heads too far over the parapet? My rule of thumb is, if you’ve acted on your best intentions, accomplished something real with integrity, and are comfortable with that, go for it! It is in the interest of the owners/managers/shareholders to raise the profile of the company wherever possible! It’s also great for raising the profile of any worthy cause you support.
Rule 2 – Be selfish
The first thing you should do with any good news is put it on your own website, Facebook page, Twitter, bulletin board, note next to the water cooler, whatever you control yourself. It’s your news. Wouldn’t your customers like to hear it from you first, as well as backed up by another source?
Rule 3 – Tell everyone
Don’t focus solely on getting media coverage in order to increase sales. Make every effort to inform everyone internally (employees) and close connections (suppliers, customers). Use your newsletter (or start one), sales PowerPoint presentations, bulletin boards, team meetings, employee handbook – everywhere! A good tip is to identify company gossip and involve them in initiatives.
Rule 4 – Make friends with the local media
You don’t need a PR agency or a marketing department to call the local newspaper and say ‘hey, who would be interested in this story?’ Local coverage is usually free and heavily advertised. I would highly recommend someone to actually call, not email, and make a personal connection with the best person you can at the local newspaper or radio, even in today’s internet dominated society. It may even cost you an entire lunch. Good stories in the local press can be picked up nationally. Don’t underestimate the local press! You may not get instant direct sales from this, but you will seriously start building your company’s reputation.
Rule 5 – Make others do your work
If you’ve delivered a project with a partner or a good cause, ask them to help you with your profile. They will probably have their own media and networking opportunities that you can use, as long as you’ve spent time building rapport. Charities have huge databases and PR expertise!
Rule 6 – The media prefers bad news
After eight years winning awards for Everton Football Club by creating innovative community projects, I know how difficult it can be to get press coverage for something ‘good’. Unfortunately, bad news sells newspapers. There has to be an angle or a human interest story to hook the media. Try to be creative. Focus on an individual staff member or person/project who benefited and their personal story, rather than trying to sell the commercial each time – people (and the media especially) want to read about people. Always include basic contact details like company name, website, logo, or phone number somewhere, and hope it gets through editing!
Rule 7 – Word of mouth
In my opinion, this is one of the best forms of communication to build reputation. It’s not great for direct selling, but it’s absolutely fantastic for slower burning and credibility. Your goal is to get people talking about you as much as possible. You have to give people something to talk about, even if your company isn’t the big story. A small role in a big story can do wonders.
Rule 8 – Complaints are wonderful
As long as you talk about most areas of CSR, you can easily stimulate passionate debate, especially as human beings, we enjoy catching people. The conversation can turn to climate change, sweatshops, sexual harassment, and many emotional topics. Take this opportunity with both hands, do not be afraid of this. As I said before, if it’s a good initiative made with the best of intentions, go ahead. You may come across an uncomfortable individual who intends to disagree out loud or try to change the story for their own ends. Treat this like any customer complaint and engage in open and honest communication and you could have a great salesperson in the making if handled right.
Okay, that was probably both beginner PR and CSR.
Just remember that if your company sees something tangible in your CSR initiatives, you are more likely to do it again and hopefully bigger and better, which is great news for all those issues that need our help. It’s simply about identifying the best win-win scenarios.
