Knowing how to talk about your organisation or project in a way everyone can understand can feel like an overwhelming task for many organisations – particularly if you work in a conservation or science-based field. But if you’re not sure where to start when it comes to telling your organisation’s story, don’t panic. That's where my messaging development service comes in.

One of my favourite things is taking a complicated subject and, put simply, absolutely geeking out. I'll chat to you and your team to get to the bottom of what you'd like to say and how we can phrase it in an engaging and inspiring way. Then, I'll distil our conversations into a messaging document that you can use throughout your organisation.

But what's actually involved in messaging development? My messaging development service is tailored to each organisation's specific needs but there are usually some similarities in the process. See below for an overview of what's usually involved.

Briefing call

A 30-minute call to discuss your needs before we get going. During this call, we'll make sure we're clear about expected project outputs and will have the opportunity to answer any questions you might have.

Providing background info

I'll ask you to share any documents that might give me some useful information about your organisation or project. The more the merrier at this stage - even if you're not happy with the current wording - this information helps me immerse myself in the project and understand all its nuances.

Messaging workshop(s)

A workshop (or series of workshops) with key stakeholders to talk through the project in your own words. This is structured so it feels like an informal chat to your team. But this is how I glean all the information I'll need to create a great messaging document. Please note: the audio of these calls is recorded for transcription purposes (so I'm not desperately typing to keep up with all the gems we'll come out with!) and can be shared with you, should you wish.

Messaging development

This is where you sit back and I get to work. Using the background information and our workshop discussions, I'll prepare a full messaging document that will give you the confidence to talk about your project in a way the general public (or your specific audience, if you have one) can understand. Need messaging within specific word counts? No problem - just let me know and that can be accommodated.

Tweaks

One or two rounds of amends based on your feedback.

Sound good? Don't just take it from me...

I recently worked with the Stronger Shores team at South Tyneside council and was delighted with this lovely testimonial they shared about my work:

"I had the pleasure of working with Melissa very recently on communications planning for the Stronger Shores project. Melissa’s brief was to take our complicated project messaging and distill down to make it pop! Melissa’s passion for marine conservation was a real draw; I knew we were in the best hands possible, as her love for nature and the ocean really shone through.

"I was particularly impressed with the way Melissa cleverly facilitated the workshops. What felt like a conversation to us, Melissa was expertly gleaming the information she needed to hone together an effective and punchy messaging document. I would highly recommend Melissa for any of your pr/comms and copywriting work, especially if you are looking tailor your comms strategy to encourage behaviour change and help the environment! I really hope to work with Melissa again in the future."

Veronica Rudd
Sustainability & Carbon Specialist
South Tyneside Council

If you're interested in finding out more, get in touch to talk about how I can help with your messaging.