Communications Lead Training Manual_v1_2022
Communications Lead Training Packet
Communications Lead Training Packet
Introduction
Newsletter
Templates
Running content list
Collecting newsletter analytics
Social media
Our accounts & audiences
Social strategy
Review process
Scheduling socials
Blogs
Nonprofit accounts
HubSpot email inbox
GitBook space
Communications policies & procedures
Annual reports
Donation campaigns
Miscellaneous
Appendix: All resources
Introduction
The Communications Lead is responsible for overseeing the creation, review, and publication of all external communications that Greenstand produces. This includes blogs, social media, website content, external profiles such as Guidestar, media inquiries, and more as needed. In addition, the Communications Lead supervises volunteer contributors that fall under the “Communications” umbrella. In addition to the roles listed above, volunteers may also include graphic designers and videographers that are focused on external communications, rather than UX/UI design.
The Communications Lead should be flexible, responsive, and openly communicative with the team. This role entails keeping track of multiple deadlines, staying aware of relevant industry news, and regularly checking into our social media accounts to reply to comments and messages.
Newsletter
Each month, we compile a newsletter of Greenstand updates, industry news, partner announcements, and original content. Network For Good (often abbreviated as N4G at Greenstand) is our donor management and email communication software. You can sign into N4G here.
Templates
Within N4G, we have developed several templates that are used for different purposes.
Internal Communications: designed for communications within the Greenstand community; this is typically used for communications with the Board of Directors, which must be sent by an executive only.
Monthly Newsletter: this is the template from which you will begin each monthly newsletter; it includes instructions regarding fonts, layouts, and basic content structure.
Welcome to Greenstand Growth: designed to be sent to new subscribers; includes general info about Greenstand and how to get involved.
Donation Acknowledgements: these are for fundraising leads only, but that role may overlap with yours at times; note that N4G automatically sends a tax receipt email to every donor, so the following are sent as a secondary more personal thank you’s:
Donor Thank You: this is a general donation acknowledgement
Existing Contributor - Donation Thank You: this is for donors that are already Greenstand contributors
Repeat Donor Thank You: this is for repeat donors who are not Greenstand contributors
Other templates
Occasionally, the need arises to create new templates, typically during donation campaigns. Any extra templates outside of this list may be found in N4G, but should not be used for anything other than their intended purpose.
Spam tester
When sending newsletter testers, use mail-tester.com to ensure that our emails do not bounce. The website is fairly self-explanatory. Simply copy and paste the email address displayed on the website and send a test email to that address. Click “Then see your score” to reveal the email’s score out of 10 and a breakdown of each point deduction.
If you are blacklisted…
Occasionally, Greenstand Growth shows up on spam databases because we send bulk emails frequently. Each database is different and has different requirements for de-listing your IP address. To check if we are listed in an individual database, search for the source email (growth@greenstand.org) or our corresponding IP address (167.89.13.177). If any email correspondence is required by the database, ensure that you send the email from growth@greenstand.org.
Running content list
A list of running newsletter content is housed in an Asana task entitled “Newsletter Content Running List” under the Communications board. As Comms Lead, you should be subscribed to several email newsletters related to the reforestation industry and generally informed about ecological restoration happenings. When you come across content that you believe aligns with our mission and would engage our audience, you can link it in the description of the Asana task.
Collecting newsletter analytics
Each month, the Comms Lead should compile analytics from the previous month, which will be shared at Comms Team Meetings so we can review our performance and make changes to our content accordingly.
Begin by logging into N4G and navigating to Communication → Email Blasts on the left side menu.
Select the email blast you’d like to collect analytics for and click “See Results”. Typically, this is the previous month’s email blast. However, after “special editions” or donation campaigns, you may have multiple email blasts to compile analytics for. Collect the information in chronological order, starting from the earliest blast sent.
Record the open, click, and bounce rates into the Comms Analytics Tracker and include whether these numbers indicate an increasing or decreasing trend. (If neither, you can type “No Change” and highlight the cell in the appropriate color.)
Social media
Our accounts & audiences
Greenstand has two main social media accounts: LinkedIn and Twitter. We tend to use LinkedIn for more academically- and professionally-oriented content, whereas Twitter is a more general platform that necessitates simpler content. Our audience is primarily composed of ecological restoration practitioners, green marketing groups, industry representatives from NGOs such as the United Nations, World Resources Institute, Society for Ecological Restoration, and more. Our content also attracts environmentally conscious users from diverse geographical, educational, and professional backgrounds.
UpLink
UpLink is a platform created by the World Economic Forum upon which people around the world can contribute their solutions to some of the planet’s most pressing issues in the form of “challenges”. In 2020, Greenstand submitted a solution and was selected as a finalist in the Trillion Trees Challenge, landing us a spot in the corresponding Trillion Trees Action Cohort. As a result, we have access to a general Trillion Trees social feed, and a private feed comprised only of the other Action Cohort members. After each Greenstand Growth newsletter, we create a copy of the email in N4G and send it to the contributor responsible for posting on UpLink. That contributor then opens the email in their browser via a link in the bottom right corner and copies it into an update post for UpLink. This is a relatively simple task that can be delegated to a trusted contributor without lead status.
Social Media Strategy
We use a combination of tools to develop social content each month. We begin with the Monthly Socials Planner in Airtable, where you can plan the type of content you’ll share throughout the month. Here are the basics of our social strategy:
We post at least 3 days a week, but beyond that threshold, the frequency and content of our posts is very flexible. During campaigns or other happenings that necessitate more frequent posts, we might plan to post every day, sometimes with multiple posts in one day.
We tend to post the same content on LinkedIn and Twitter each day, but we usually shorten and/or simplify the accompanying text for Twitter.
We have 4 types of content:
Industry news
About Greenstand (original content or media mentions)
UN Decade posts (content from the UN or other partners of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration; typically related to SDGs or other goals of the Decade)
Emotional branding (content that makes our audience feel something)
We have 5 content topics:
Restoration industry
Green tech
NGOs/sustainable development (this often overlaps with UN Decade content)
Poverty (often overlaps with emotional branding)
Food/drink (usually ties into agroforestry)
We have a handful of “go-to” hashtags:
#LetsGrowTogether - this is our general Greenstand hashtag that is used on all posts
#TechForGood - we use this when discussing the Treetracker platform or other forms of green tech
#GenerationRestoration - we use this for anything related to the goals of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
Feel free to get creative and think up some new hashtags!
Give yourself a few days to draft your ideas and source relevant content in the Draft social media posts document. Once you feel like the drafting is mostly done (typically when you hit a wall), post a call for content in the marketing_engagement Slack channel. Here is an example call for content, following the example format below:
It’s helpful to other contributors if you include a deadline one week out from the call for content. This week should be used to finish out the social drafts as a team, rather than focusing on reviewing draft content.
Review process
Once the content deadline has passed, clean up the draft social media posts as needed and post a call for review in the marketing_engagement channel. Here is an example call for review:
Be sure to include the following in your call for review:
Any special requests that you have (ex: “the January 21st post needs some extra attention, so please be sure to closely review that post in particular!”)
Instructions to reply to the post with a “thumbs up” emoji to approve the content
Link to the Draft social media posts document
Clear deadline, at least 1 week out from the call for review
Once the call for review has received 2 “thumbs up” responses (not including the channel lead; at least one thumbs up must be from an executive), it is approved.
Scheduling socials
We use Hootsuite to schedule our social posts each month. Copy and paste the text of each social post into Hootsuite, being mindful that Twitter posts may have to be shortened to fit the character limit. To save space, consider using symbols (“&” instead of “and”) and abbreviations (“UN” rather than “United Nations”). Hootsuite operates on Pacific time, so we typically schedule posts for 6am PST. This allows our followers throughout the United States to see our posts early in their day, and our international followers during their afternoon and early evening.
Collecting social analytics
Each month, the Comms Lead collects analytics for the previous month’s social media posts. We utilize the built-in analytics functions of LinkedIn and Twitter.
Begin by going to Greenstand’s LinkedIn page in admin mode. Select the Analytics drop down and select Visitors. The first metric shown is Page Views. Ensure that mobile and desktop are aggregated by toggling the switch in the upper right corner. Change the time range to “last 12 months”, as this will allow you to view the values for each individual month.
Record the number of page views and the percentage of change since the previous month in the Comms Analytics Tracker.
For the next metric, return to the Analytics drop down and select Updates. Update impressions is the default metric. Change the time range to reflect the last 12 months and record the number of impressions and direction/rate of change since the previous month.
Next, under the Metric drop down, select Engagement rate. Repeat the time range and recording steps for the engagement rate and rate/direction of change since the previous month.
Under the Metric drop down, select Clicks. Repeat the time range and recording steps for the engagement rate and rate/direction of change since the previous month.
For the final metric, return to the Analytics drop down and select Followers. The default metric is New followers. Repeat the time range and recording steps for the engagement rate and only the direction of the change since last month (ex: increasing, decreasing, or no change).
Begin by going to Twitter Analytics and ensuring that you are logged into @green_stand.
From this screen, you can record the values and direction of change for the following metrics: profile visits, impressions, and new followers (see “Jan 2022 Summary” on bottom right).
For our final metric, select the blue hyperlink “View all Tweet activity” in the lower left of the above screenshot. Select the date range in the upper right corner and select the month you are compiling analytics for.
Finally, on the panel on the right side of the page, the monthly engagement rate can be found in blue text. (In this example, the engagement rate is 3.3%.) Please indicate this percentage and the direction of change from the last month in the Comms Analytics Tracker.
Blogs
Blog content organizer (Airtable)
Around the holiday season, Greenstand begins planning blog topics for the following year. This typically begins with a list of “green holidays” that we narrow down by selecting holidays that are most aligned with Greenstand’s work and mission. Contributors work to come up with other relevant blog content to post throughout the year, ensuring a minimum of one new blog each month. These ideas, complete with notes and proposed publication dates, live in the blog content organizer linked above.
Blog series
Greenstand’s blog has 5 categories:
Contributor Spotlight
Contributor Spotlights were designed as a monthly interview & write-up with a different Greenstand contributor. These are fan favorites - Greenstand contributors and our external audience love this content! Typically, the Comms Lead begins by reaching out to contributors and asking if they’d be interested in being interviewed for the blog. The Comms Lead should schedule a 30-minute call with the interviewee and use the Contributor Spotlight Blog Template to inform their interview. These can be delegated to trusted contributors below lead status as well.
Note: the Contributor Spotlight Blog Template is NOT to be edited unless the template is being updated. Please instruct contributors to make a COPY of the template before they begin writing.
Treetracker Spotlight
Treetracker Spotlights, previously known as System User Spotlights, were designed as a monthly interview & write-up with a different Treetracker partner. This gives Greenstand the opportunity to showcase the work our partners do and the impacts on the true beneficiaries of the Treetracker system. The Comms Lead or a trusted contributor begins by reaching out to Treetrackers, or receiving an introduction from another team member, and asking if they’d like to be interviewed for the blog. These interviews are very similar to Contributor Spotlight interviews; they should be about 30 minutes long and guided by the Treetracker Spotlight Blog Template.
Note: the Treetracker Spotlight Blog Template is NOT to be edited unless the template is being updated. Please instruct contributors to make a COPY of the template before they begin writing.
Hot Topics
The “hot topic” series of our blog covers green holidays and other miscellaneous blog posts that do not fit neatly into our other categories. These are excellent first assignments for new comms contributors, as it allows the Comms Lead to gauge their skill sets and inform future assignments.
Instruct contributors to begin by making a copy of the Hot Topic Blog Template, reminding them that it is a TEMPLATE and is not to be edited.
Internal news
These are general updates about Greenstand and are not particularly structured.
External news (typically just an external link)
These are often publications that mention Greenstand, especially content published by our partners. They take up space on our blog page but actually link to the external content.
Review process
Team review for blog posts is very similar to socials review. Typically, contributors submit their drafts directly to the Comms Lead via email or DMs for their review (unless the Comms Lead is the author). When the Comms Lead determines that it’s clear enough for team review, they should post a “call for review” on the marketing_engagement channel. Here is an example:
Be sure to include the following information in your call for review:
A deadline
Link to the draft blog post
Any special requests for the team - for example: “I’m not sure if I worded the technological part correctly. Could someone on the tech side of the project take a look?”
Shouting out on socials
When compiling socials, there should be placeholders included for blog posts whose final links are not ready yet. These placeholders are not scheduled on Hootsuite. When the blog is on the website and therefore the link is ready, finalize the placeholder post and schedule it on Hootsuite.
Nonprofit accounts
Greenstand has various profiles on websites that rate nonprofits to inform potential donors. We believe that these accounts improve our reputation as an organization and make us seem more legitimate to donors. Each platform has its own requirements, scoring criteria, and front-end presentation, and these are subject to change. It is recommended that we check in and update these profiles at least twice a year.
Charity Navigator - we haven’t been active here, but would like to be.
Benevity
Benevity is a bit different than our other nonprofit accounts. This platform is specifically for employees of companies who match their charitable donations, such as Apple or Google. Greenstand has access to this platform thanks to personal networking on behalf of our VP of Engineering, and so we must be cognizant of the fact that this audience is slightly different than that of our other platforms. One unique feature is the ability to post “funding opportunities” in conjunction with a specific employer, which incentivizes employees to donate to a specific cause. We used this method for our 2021 end-of-year fundraising campaign and it was a major factor in our success.
To access our profile and specific fundraising projects, log into the Benevity Causes Portal.
HubSpot email inbox
Greenstand utilizes HubSpot to manage our main shared email account, info@greenstand.org. A handful of team members have access to this inbox, which necessitates our HubSpot Email Workflow. The Comms Lead is primarily responsible for reading these emails and assigning them to the proper team member. Details can be found in the workflow linked above. If you have any questions, contact the HR Lead or VP of Operations.
GitBook space
GitBook is the primary place Greenstand uses to store finalized documentation that designates SOPs and workflows for all operations tasks at Greenstand. The Comms Lead only needs to worry about the Operations collection, which houses division handbooks and other documents regarding HR, fundraising, partnerships, and communications.
Communications policies & procedures
2021 External Communications Policies & Procedures
Periodically, the Comms Lead should update our External Communications Policies & Procedures document. This document should be read by each Greenstand contributor to ensure that, at the very least, they are not unintentionally misrepresenting Greenstand on their social profiles. Initially, we updated this annually, but we have come to find that this is not always necessary. In future versions, we would like to label the document by version number, rather than year. By this nomenclature, the above document would be entitled “External Communications Polices & Procedures v2” rather than making reference to 2021.
Annual reports
2019 Annual Report: The First Three Years
Annual reports are started from planning documents that track our organizational achievements. If there is not yet a planning document for the 2021 report, a good reference point is our Organizational Timeline on our website nder the History tab. After the general content has been developed, the Comms Lead or a designee may begin laying out the graphic skeleton of the report in Canva. The team should work together to draft and finalize written content. The review process is similar to other content, but it is imperative to get approval from more than just the Comms team. It is recommended to get approval from the Design team and absolutely necessary that all members of the Executive team sign off.
Donation campaigns
Donation campaigns are primarily the responsibility of the Fundraising Lead, but they naturally overlap with Greenstand’s external communications. The Comms Lead primarily assists with planning and creating content for email journeys, social media posts, and peer-to-peer fundraising materials. Relevant tasks may include:
Creating the initial content schedule
Drafting engaging email journeys
Identifying “fundraising champions” that can assist us in a peer-to-peer fashion
Creating or delegating necessary graphic assets such as infographics, social media graphics, videos, etc. (this depends on current volunteers’ skill sets)
Staying on top of social media accounts during the campaign to respond to questions, comments, replies, or shares we may receive
Setting up campaigns on nonprofit accounts such as Benevity (corporate giving)
Helping the fundraising lead document “lessons learned” from each campaign to inform the following year
Miscellaneous
Website analytics
Each month, the Comms Lead compiles data from Google Analytics alongside social analytics. This information is also stored in the Comms analytics tracker. Begin by logging into Google Analytics. The four metrics shown at the top of the page are the same four that we record each month. Record users, sessions, bounce rate, and session duration in the Comms Analytics Tracker, along with the direction and rate of change from the previous month.
Most months, we receive over 1000 visitors, which this page would show as “1k”. If this is the case and you would like to know the exact number of visitors (recommended), navigate to the search bar at the top of the page. Search for “unique visitors [month year]”. A panel will load on the right side of the page with the specific information you’re looking for.
Website audits
Periodically, the Comms Lead will go to SEM Rush to run a site audit on greenstand.org. This process takes a few minutes but yields very detailed results regarding search engine optimization (SEO). We have a free account, so there are certain limits such as how many reports you can pull in 1 day. For the purposes of the Comms Lead, it is recommended to stick to the “site audit” feature until you feel more comfortable navigating the platform and exploring new features. The Comms Lead typically presents this information at team meetings and works with the website team to fix the issues.
Google Drive templates
Greenstand has a handful of document and report templates that are dated in the footer. This document was started with one of these templates, so you can see the information we put in the footer below. For example, this document was started in 2021, so the footer says 2021, although it wasn’t completed until early 2022.
To edit organizational templates, you must have the respective permissions. Check with the VP of Operations if you don’t have the option to edit templates. Begin by going to Google Docs. The top of the page should show Greenstand’s organizational templates. Select Template Gallery in the upper right and then click the “Greenstand” tab on the left.
Click the options symbol under the template you’d like to edit and select “Edit”. Update any references to the previous year. Note: be sure that you and the VP of Operations are on the same page before editing any templates.
Appendix: All resources
General
Newsletter
Socials
Monthly socials planner (Airtable)
Greenstand’s UpLink 1t submission
Blog
Blog content organizer (Airtable)
Treetracker Spotlight template
Contributor Spotlight template
Nonprofit accounts
Benevity profile
HubSpot inbox
Website Audit
Last updated