Once you have established your vision, you’ll need to develop a messaging strategy to make your case. The following questions will help you shape your messaging strategy:

Who are your audiences?

Even when you are trying to build widespread public will for a change, you are speaking to specific audiences. The following questions will help you define your audiences:

• Based on your power map and contribution analysis, which decision makers are you trying to reach?
• Who are the people that influence them?
• What organizations, agencies, or community groups do you hope will support your efforts?
• If you’re trying to reach voters, who are the community leaders that speak to them?
• How can you segment your audiences to make clear how your solutions will address their specific concerns?