👤 This article is for Hub Administrators or Communications & Branding Leads.

What is an Off-Platform Communications Strategy? 

An Off Platform Communications Strategy includes all of the announcements and updates that you will give to members outside of those automated by 10KC. Your Off-Platform Communications are supplementary to the communications sent automatically by the 10KC platform, which include the Welcome Page, Invitations and Match Notifications. 

Do I need an Off-Platform Communications Strategy? 

An Off-Platform Communications strategy is strongly recommended.

Why? A well thought out Communications Strategy can significantly increase your Program adoption. It also helps to: 

• Leverage Familiar and Influential Voices: having Off-Platform communications come from a familiar and influential voice is an impactful strategy to increase excitement and adoption. 
• Build Excitement: Generate buzz before launch to get people interested and show them why your organization is investing in this.
• Increase Participation: People are more likely to join when they understand the program's value and are expecting to hear from 10KC.
• Keep Everyone Informed: Regular communication ensures participants stay engaged and are aware of key deadlines and updates.
• Foster a Sense of Community: Off-platform channels can create a space for networking and sharing experiences.

An Off-Platform Communication Strategy is a powerful tool to drive adoption, participation, and overall satisfaction with your program.

Craft your Communications Strategy 

Crafting your Off-Platform Communications Strategy requires you to refine your Key Messages per Audience and confirm which Communication Platforms you'll leverage for each Milestone. Review and reflect on the information below to design your optimal Communications Strategy for launching your 10KC Program, and use 10KC's templates to get started. 

Communications Audiences

There are 3 Key Audiences we recommend targeting your Communications Strategy to: 

1. Senior Leaders: influential Senior Leaders who can socialize the Program, encourage others to participate and participate as leaders 
2. People Managers: people leaders who can encourage their teams to participate and participate as leaders
3. All Participants: all potential participants 

Communications Key Messages

There are 5 Key Messages that your Communications Strategy should include: 

1. What is 10KC: an overview of the 10KC site and features
2. About the Program: a description of the Program and what's included 
3. Value Proposition: the value that the Program will create
4. Advocacy: how they can help the Program be successful 
5. Expectations: what participation looks like and what to expect

Communications Milestones

There are 3 Communications Milestones that are part of your Communications Strategy:

1. Pre-Launch: 2 - 4 weeks before launching the Community
2. Launch: the day/week invites are sent
3. Post-Launch: after major Program milestones 

Potential Communications Platforms

There are a variety of Communications Platforms you can leverage to get your Communications Strategy off the ground: 

• Email
• Meetings (e.g. Town Halls, Department Meetings, Team Meetings, 1:1s) 
• Intranet
• Newsletter
• Instant Messaging Channels (e.g. Slack, Teams) 
• New Hire Packages
• Posters (e.g. virtual backgrounds, eating areas, meeting rooms) 

Designing your Communications Plan

Design your Communications Plan by downloading the Communications Plan Template and confirming your Audience, Timing and Communication Methods. 

Pre-Launch Communications Templates

Leverage these templates 2 - 4 weeks prior to launching your Program.

⭐️ Avoid committing to specific dates to account for changes to your Communications planning. 

Launch Communications & Templates

Leverage these pre-launch templates upon launching your 10KC Program.

Post-Launch Communications Tactics & Templates

Leverage these pre-launch templates after launching your 10KC Program. 

• Communications Plan Template.xlsx10 KB