Overview
Effective communication is key to maintaining strong, lasting relationships with cooperative members. A member-centric communication calendar ensures that your messaging is consistent, timely, and tailored to the needs and interests of your members throughout the year.
Core Tactics:
- Map key dates and cooperative milestones.
Sample Cooperative Communications Milestone Map:
| Month | Key Events or Activities | Communications Touchpoints |
| January | New Year Message, Annual Planning | Newsletter, Member Survey |
| March | AGM Preparation and Invitations | Email Campaign, Save-the-Date Mailer |
| May | Co-op Month Planning Start | Internal Planning Communications |
| October | Co-op Month Celebrations | Member Spotlights, Social Media, Local Events |
| December | Annual Report Release, Holiday Thanks | Email, Mailed Report, Social Media Highlights |
- Segment your audience for targeted messaging.
Sample Member Segment Communication Strategy:
| Member Segment | Preferred Channels | Example Messages |
| New Members | Email, Orientation Events | Welcome Series, How to Get Involved |
| Long-Term Members | Newsletter, Town Halls | Impact Updates, Strategic Input Invitations |
| Prospective Members | Social Media, Webinars | Membership Benefits, Joining Stories |
| Committee Participants | Slack, Direct Email | Updates, Project Invitations |
- Balance informational, inspirational, and action-driven content.
Sample Monthly Content Mix Plan:
| Type of Content | Example Topics | Frequency |
| Informational | Policy changes, event reminders | Weekly or Biweekly |
| Inspirational | Member spotlights, impact stories | Monthly |
| Action-Oriented | Voting reminders, event signups | As Needed |
- Bring everything together in a Unified Editorial Calendar. We’ve created a google sheet that allows you to map out your message plan across all of your segments. Download Monthly Content Mix Planner (Google Sheet)
- Track and adjust based on member engagement.
Sample Communication Effectiveness Dashboard: You can include this tracking in the Unified Editorial Calendar download.
| Metric | Target Goal | Current Performance | Notes |
| Email Open Rate | 40% | 37% | Improve subject lines |
| Event Attendance Rate | 30% of invitees | 28% | Test RSVP incentives |
| Social Media Engagement Rate | 5% | 6% | Continue current tactics |