Developing Messages

Federal, state, and local policymakers, citizens groups, healthcare providers, community partners, and the general public each play a role in public health. Effective communicators tailor messages to their audiences.

To develop messages that resonate effectively with target audiences, you will need to know why a specific audience needs to know about your work and why it is important to them. For example, if the goal is to increase flu surveillance capacity, you may develop one set of points to convince local officials to allocate funds but use a different set of points to persuade local residents to wash their hands to help prevent the flu. Once you know your audience well enough to develop targeted messages, be sure to do the following: 

Communicate clearly to the audience.
A strong message makes it clear to your audience that you are talking to them. 

Specify your request.
Be clear what you want your audience to do. For example, "value public health" is not a clear request for action. A better request would be to ask for an increase in a certain line item in a budget or a key amendment to a piece of legislation.  

Provide a reward that your audience cares about.
Do not assume to know what your audience cares about. For example, "it's good for you" is not a reward that motivates. If your audience's priority is homeland defense, then the safety and security that a strong public health system provides is a better reward than reduced smoking rates or lessened health disparities. 

Make the reward believable by providing evidence to back it up.
Evidence does not have to be hard data—in fact, some audiences are more convinced by a compelling example of how public health or prevention saved an individual life or made a lasting difference for a specific group. 

Use vivid and appropriate images.
A good analogy can be the single most powerful way to communicate your message. People will remember it, relate to it, and repeat it. 

Choose the right moment.
Messages have the greatest impact when they are delivered in the right place at the right time. Look for ways to tie the message to events that have seized your audience's attention. 

Choose the right messenger.
Often, the message is not as important as the messenger. An influential partner with the ear of your audience is best positioned to move your audience.

Remember, knowing your target audience and their characteristics, concerns, and values is the first step to effective messaging. A strong message should tell the audience the information they need to know, including what actions to take and what impacts the policy, program, or event could have on people's lives. Effective communication is not about you, it is about them. 

Fact sheets contained in the Communications Toolkit also provide examples of effective public health messages.