Keen to know about how to better communicate the actions undertaken with EU funds in social media? We have something interesting for you! Read the article to know what are the lessons from the dedicated training organized in Trentino within the project Together for Cohesion: Let’s rEUnite!
Stakeholders are major actors in the implementation of Cohesion policy actions, and, as such, their effective communication about the benefits of the policy is essential! This is why Together for Cohesion is launching a series of workshops trainings in its flagship regions offering stakeholders high-quality learning opportunities on how to better communicate.
On January 23rd, the Province of Trento organized the training course “The Communication of European Funds using Social Media”, which was held by IFOA Professor Alessio Conti, an expert in Digital Marketing, Branding Strategies, and social media.
The course was attended by 20 stakeholders directly involved in information and communication activities related to EU funds. Through presentations and practical exercises, participants gained excellent insights on how to better communicate their EU funded actions in an ever-changing and digital world, and how to be an effective actor within the new arenas of communications – social media.
As presented, the communication of European funds and projects is not an easy task. Yet, there are some core aspects that if properly addressed can make a tangible difference:
- Language: Technical language, acronyms, highly specific words (e.g. operational program, thematic objective, to name a few) are difficult to understand for a non-specialized audience. Online and offline communication on the website, media outlets, and social media must employ a language that is easy and fast to absorb by the general public.
- Partnership: One of the core aspects of the European funds is that they are a tool jointly managed by actors at different levels (vertically and horizontally). Partnership shall also be one of the cornerstones of the communication around these activities: Involving all the different actors in the communication of the impact and results gives solidity and sustainability to the project and multiplies the outreach of the message.
- Endorsement: Third-party endorsement is one of the most effective marketing strategies: Give the floor to third parties to communicate about the benefits of a product/services. This is particularly relevant within cohesion policy: The stories of the beneficiaries of the policy are a very incisive and persuasive tool.
What’s next?
Other workshops and trainings for stakeholders will be organized soon in the other flagship regions in a virtual format.
We will keep you posted with new insights from these learning exchanges!
Photo Credits: First photo from Unsplash; second photo from the Province of Trento
