Advocacy Month – 3. Shape the Message

Crafting persuasive communications that resonate and stick

Great advocacy starts with clarity. You can have a rock-solid case and broad stakeholder support, but if your message doesn’t land, you’ll struggle to build momentum.

Influence involves telling the right story.

Your advocacy message needs to resonate with multiple audiences. That means connecting logic and emotion, staying grounded in evidence, and making sure the core message is simple, clear, and repeatable.

1. Understand your audience

Not all stakeholders are the same and your messaging shouldn’t be either.

Ask yourself:

• Elected officials want community outcomes, media soundbites, and political wins.
• Departmental staff want policy alignment, value for money, and implementation confidence.
• The community wants relevance, fairness, and tangible local benefits.
• Media and public commentary want clear narratives and memorable framing.

Tailor your messaging to:

• Match the interests of the audience.
• Adjust the technical depth and tone.
• Lead with why it matters to them.

Tip: Never assume one version of your case fits all. A two-minute explainer for councillors will look very different from a submission summary for Treasury.

2. The three elements of effective advocacy messaging

Every strong advocacy message includes three core components that are clearly and consistently presented.

Problem – What’s the issue?
Define it simply and in human terms.
Avoid: “We lack operational funding for service continuity.”
Use: “Local families are waiting up to six weeks for vital support services due to a lack of resourcing.”

Solution – What are you proposing?
Make it tangible and time-bound.
What’s your plan? What will it deliver, and how soon?

Impact – Why does this matter to your audience?
Link your outcomes to their priorities.
Think: job creation, cost-efficiency, community health, resilience, equity, or reputational uplift.

Bonus: Add a fourth “hook” where needed, what’s the risk of doing nothing?

3. Message framing tips

• Use plain language. If your message can’t be understood by a councillor or community rep in one reading, rewrite it.
• Lead with benefits, not technicalities. What outcome will be achieved, not just what will be built.
• Repeat key phrases. Create a message architecture that sticks: same intro line in your speech, your email, and your business case.

Example anchor phrase: “This initiative will deliver clean water security to 12,000 people and reduce treatment costs by 30% within five years.”

4. Mistakes to avoid

• Jargon overload. If your advocacy sounds like a policy textbook, you’ll lose people quickly.
• Talking only about your need. Funders and policymakers are focused on their objectives, show how you meet them.
• Inconsistent messaging. If the way your team talks about the project shifts depending on who’s presenting, it weakens trust.

5. Quick message checklist

• Can you explain your case in one sentence?
• Does your message include problem, solution, and impact?
• Is your language clear enough for non-specialists to repeat accurately?
• Is your messaging consistent across documents, meetings, and presentations?