Posts in Digital and Social Media
How to reach families without internet
How to reach families without internet

Reaching families without internet access isn’t a new challenge for communicators. As of last year, one in five households in America were unable to get online at home. 

But in April, millions more families across the country are poised to lose their online access as the Affordable Connectivity Program funding runs out. 

This could make reaching kids and families in your district or community more challenging. So today, I want to take a moment and share what we’ve learned about reaching and supporting offline families.

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Nonprofit Communications, Brand/Materials Creation, Accessibility, Communications Campaigns, Digital and Social Media, Most Popular, School District Marketing, Storytelling, Writing and MessagingEmily Swartzlanderbroadband, internet, no internet, free resource, reaching families, tactics, Reaching families without internet access, Low bandwidth communications tactics
Not your grandma’s style guide: Tips to help your team remember the why
Not your grandma’s style guide: Tips to help your team remember the why

Have you ever read or updated your organization’s style guide and paused to think, “Wait, why do we do it this way?” You’re not alone.

After countless communications audits and years of helping organizations discover what they need to say to reach their people, we’re convinced — good rules require great reasons.

Here are three tips to help you create a style guide that shows your team how to communicate and helps them remember why it matters.

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Brand/Materials Creation, Digital and Social Media, Accessibility, Writing and Messaging, Storytelling, Nonprofit CommunicationsForthright AdvisingNonprofit style guide, Accessibility, how to create a style guide, style guide best practices
A look back at how PR has changed
A look back at how PR has changed

A couple of weeks ago, my colleagues and I were reminiscing about “how PR used to be.” In addition to making us feel – well, like seriously seasoned comms professionals who have seen it all – it made us realize just how different things are.

So then I asked the rest of our teammates how PR has changed over their careers. Here are their answers, just for fun.

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Writing and Messaging, Digital and Social Media, Media Relations, Communications Campaigns, Nonprofit Communications, School District Marketing, About ForthrightNiki Juhaszsocial media trends, media relations trends, press releases, media relations best practices, communications strategies, changing nonprofit tactics
The best ways to share your news this summer
The best ways to share your news this summer

We’re sharing the freshest data about how people are consuming news in 2023, so you can ensure your information gets in front of your target audiences, even while they’re sunning themselves at the beach.


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Nonprofit Communications, Media Relations, School District Marketing, Digital and Social Media, Communications CampaignsKatie Test Davisdata, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Radio, Broadcast, newspaper, breaking news over the summer, announcements
The Twitter rules all advocates need to know now
The Twitter rules all advocates need to know now

Twitter has made its intentions clear: to keep your feeds free and clear of this kind of “disruptive,” duplicative posting.

We waited a beat to see how this rule was playing out in our feeds, the algorithm and in our partners’ social strategies. Here's what *we know* this means so far for all of us and our Twitter experiences.

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Nonprofit Communications, Brand/Materials Creation, Digital and Social MediaKatie Test Daviseducation
3 questions to ensure your images center DEI
3 questions to ensure your images center DEI

We’ve all heard the phrase a picture is worth a thousand words. And that’s true – but in marketing and advocacy, the images aren’t just about the pictures themselves and the words they represent. They are also about the feelings they evoke and the narratives they help shape.

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School District Marketing, Nonprofit Communications, Brand/Materials Creation, Accessibility, Digital and Social Media, Communications Campaigns, Writing and Messaging, StorytellingNiki Juhaszeducation, nonprofit
Three questions to ask before chiming in — or logging out
Three questions to ask before chiming in — or logging out

When Jon Jon served as Forthright’s social media strategist, his wise counsel about how and when to use our voice on national issues was a guiding beacon for us. Today, Jon Jon joins us for special projects like this one – helping you decide if, when and how to chime in on Big Conversations.

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Brand/Materials Creation, Digital and Social Media, Most Popular, Communications Campaigns, Nonprofit Communications, Hiring and PeopleKatie Test Daviseducation
Maybe you should quit Instagram.
Maybe you should quit Instagram.

You have 20 tabs open.

You’ve got your phone in one hand, scrolling through your feeds, while you’re checking your emails on your laptop.

You’re wondering what hashtag you should use.

Put down your phone. Close those tabs. Resist the trending hashtag.

We’re always being told more is better. More social media outlets, more messaging, more fries, more EVERYTHING. But here’s the thing: that’s a lie (with the exception of the fries part.)

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Nonprofit Communications, Brand/Materials Creation, Digital and Social Media, Communications CampaignsKatie Test Davisnonprofit, education
Are you harnessing the power of video?
Are you harnessing the power of video?

Even before staying at home became the new normal, video was a top marketing trend. And a recent Nielsen report showed that adults spent at least 35 minutes per day watching video on phones, tablets, or computers.

You can capture some of these eyes by incorporating video into your upcoming communication campaigns.

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Nonprofit Communications, Brand/Materials Creation, Digital and Social Media, Communications Campaigns, StorytellingKatie Test Daviscommunication, core messaging, communications tips, video
Why People Can't Find Your Website
Why People Can't Find Your Website

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a vast and seemingly endless topic. But, with more than half of all web visits coming from unpaid search, SEO—which helps make your website easier to find for people—is an important strategy for every organization. So, in typical Forthright fashion, we’ve done the research so you don’t have to. Here are your “must knows!”

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School District Marketing, Nonprofit Communications, Brand/Materials Creation, Accessibility, Digital and Social Media, Communications CampaignsKatie Test Davisnonprofit, SEO
How You Can Combat Fake News and Rumors in a Crisis
How You Can Combat Fake News and Rumors in a Crisis

We don’t have to tell you that families and school staff have a lot going on right now. Searching for information—and wondering what they can trust—just adds to their stress. That's why we’re sharing tips to ensure your audience sees and trusts your messaging.

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School District Marketing, Nonprofit Communications, Digital and Social Media, Media Relations, Writing and Messaging, Communications CampaignsNiki Juhaszcrisis communication, marketing, tips