"If you do not know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else."
- Delicious Fortune Cookie I Once Ate
What is the RACE formula?
An effective method of approaching communications is through a four-step process called the RACE formula.
RACE stands for:
Research
Action Planning or Analysis
Communicate
Evaluate
Recently, some communicators chose to add a G to the formula and I think this is pretty slick.
The G stands for Goal Setting, critical for communicators when evaluating the success of initiatives.
This relates back to the initial quote - if you don't know where you're going, how would you know if you've ended up somewhere else?
To ensure goals are well-defined, communicators use another formula - SMART.
What are SMART Goals? What does SMART stand for?
SMART goals are:
S - Specific
M - Measurable
A - Achievable
R - Realistic
T - Timely
Start by creating SMART goals when defining the direction and audience for your communication.
Here is an example of a possible goal for a non-profit palliative care centre:
Fund a resident's care for one month by raising $20,000 through two online auctions being held in March and April.
Specific - Who? What? When? Where? Why?
Measurable - How much money needs to be raised? ?
Achievable - Is it possible to raise this much money within this time frame?
Realistic - Because of the cost of the items and previous history executing these events, is $20,000 is a realistic amount to fundraise using online auctions?
Timely - When will the auctions finish? When will we know if the goal is achieved?
Finally, if you really want to drill down into communications strategy, once goals are set, objectives are added to further ensure tactics are measured and stay on course. However, objectives are an advanced level blog for another day and that's why it's not GORACE - although as an acronym, that's pretty catchy.
Need help defining strategic communications goals for your organization? Or wondering how to create a strategy to achieve goals you've already created? Click Minnow specializes in providing communications consulting services to assist in guiding your organization's online business strategy.
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