Communication Resources

ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï has a team of communicators who are experts in translating scholarship into language for a public audience and strategically amplifying public and community-engaged scholarship projects. Our office works closely with Strategic Relations and Communications and other campus communicators to develop stories and connect with community partners and the media.ÌýÌýÌý

Best PracticesÌý

  • Start with your school, college or unit communicator. They can help you design a communications strategy for community-engaged projects and events, considering relevant messages, key audiences, communications tools and more. Our office can also discuss outreach communications strategies and best practices for publicizing your project locally or in Colorado communities.Ìý
  • Learn how to communicate with the public. Have you ever been in a room with experts from another academic discipline and they used "in-house" acronyms, terms and language? ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï communicators will help you break down your scholarship into language and ideas that the public will understand.ÌýÌýÌý
  • Do not contact the media directly. If you have a potential story for the media, email Strategic Media Relations as well as your campus communicator. They will discuss whether the story has media potential and then design a media strategy. Our office can also work with you, Strategic Media Relations and your campus communicator on potential stories for the media.ÌýÌý

Communications ProcessesÌý

Public communications has strategies and processes, described below, that differ from academic communications.Ìý

A well-defined strategy can help you effectively share your project. Any campus communicator you work with will ask questions to help you refine your goals and strategies.ÌýÌý

  • Identify objectives. What is your vision for how you want to share your project with the public? What are your goals? What steps will you take to achieve those goals?Ìý
  • Target key audiences. Faculty, staff, students? Community Partners? Anyone else?Ìý
  • Develop relevant messages. What key information about your project or program do you need to communicate with your audience?Ìý
  • Choose appropriate tools, such as paid (ads, fliers and ), earned (news stories that are pitched to the media), owned (website, blog, newsletter, targeted emails), social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn).ÌýÌý
  • Clarify available resources. Who will write and layout materials? Will the community partner be involved? Do you have funds to create materials?Ìý
  • Set realistic timelines. It takes time to develop PR materials for an event or program, and it’s important to determine the proper timing. Start a month or two ahead of time!Ìý
  • Evaluate how well the PR messaging worked. Did people attend? What tool drew them to the event (social media, ad, flier, event listing, news story)?Ìý