1 Identify your stakeholders

Before you craft your message, you need to know who your stakeholders are and what they care about. Stakeholders are any individuals or groups that have an interest or influence in your project, organization, or issue. They can be internal or external, supportive or skeptical, active or passive. To identify your stakeholders, you can use a stakeholder analysis matrix that maps their level of interest and power. This will help you prioritize and tailor your communication to each stakeholder group.

2 Understand their perspective

Once you have identified your stakeholders, you need to understand their perspective. This means finding out what they know, believe, feel, and expect about your topic. You can use various methods to gather this information, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, or social media analysis. You can also use empathy maps or personas to visualize and empathize with your stakeholders' needs, goals, and challenges. By understanding their perspective, you can frame your message in a way that resonates with them and addresses their concerns.

3 Choose your frame

A frame is a way of presenting your message that emphasizes certain aspects and downplays others. Depending on your purpose and audience, you can use different types of frames. For example, a value frame appeals to the shared values and principles of your stakeholders, such as fairness or security. Alternatively, a problem-solution frame defines a problem and proposes a solution that benefits your stakeholders. Additionally, a story frame uses a narrative structure to engage your stakeholders emotionally and cognitively. No matter which frame you choose, it can help you communicate your message in an effective way.

4 Use framing devices

Framing devices are the specific elements used to convey a frame. These include words, images, metaphors, symbols, slogans, and stories. By employing these devices, you can emphasize, simplify, or illustrate your message in a way that is more memorable and persuasive. For instance, you can use words that evoke positive or negative associations, such as “innovation” or “crisis”. You can also employ images that trigger emotions, metaphors that compare your topic to something familiar or abstract, symbols that represent your identity or values, slogans that summarize your message in a catchy way, and stories to illustrate your message with real or fictional examples.

5 Test and refine your frame

The final step is to test and refine your frame. You can do this by asking for feedback from your stakeholders or a representative sample. You can also use metrics such as reach, engagement, or conversion to measure the impact of your frame. Based on the results, you can adjust your frame to make it more effective and relevant. You can also monitor the reactions and responses of your stakeholders and adapt your frame accordingly.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?