What’s Working, What’s Not: Using Data to Refine Your Messaging Mid-Year
As the midpoint of the year approaches, many school systems and nonprofit organizations are taking time to reflect on their goals, impact, and areas for improvement. Your communications strategy should be no exception.
At SMJ Communications, we work with clients to ensure that messaging remains aligned with mission, responsive to audience needs, and relevant in a shifting landscape. That alignment doesn’t happen by accident; it requires intentional, data-informed refinement.
Here’s a structured approach to reviewing what’s working, what’s not, and how to refresh your messaging with clarity and confidence.
Start with the Data, But Go Deeper Than Metrics
While email open rates, social media engagement, and website traffic provide important insight, they only tell part of the story. Effective mid-year reflection means looking at why certain messages performed well and whether performance aligns with strategic goals.
Questions to consider:
Which messages consistently drove engagement, and what do they have in common?
What content sparked dialogue or feedback from your audience?
Where did we see lower performance, and why?
Tip: Review both quantitative data and qualitative feedback to identify patterns and blind spots.
Prioritize Audience Insight and Feedback
Meaningful communication is a two-way exchange. In addition to metrics, consider the insights you’ve gathered from your community:
Feedback from staff and families
Questions or concerns that have surfaced repeatedly
Themes emerging from listening sessions, surveys, or frontline conversations
Ask yourself:
Are we addressing the most pressing needs of our audience?
Where do we need to clarify, simplify, or expand our messaging?
Who are we not hearing from—and how can we reach them?
Listening is a critical step in building trust. Your messaging should reflect what your audience is actually experiencing, not just what you intended to share.
Revisit and Refine Core Messages
Now is the time to examine your highest-priority message areas, such as enrollment, mission, impact, or program updates, and evaluate their clarity, tone, and relevance.
Use these prompts to guide your refresh:
Is this message still aligned with our current goals and values?
Is the tone consistent with how we want to show up?
Would our audience recognize themselves in this message?
If updates are needed, involve your team in the process. Align on what needs to shift, and co-create messaging that reflects both your organizational voice and your audience’s lived realities.
Need support? Our Messaging Alignment Toolkit includes worksheets and templates to guide this process.
Let Go of What’s No Longer Serving You
As your organization evolves, so should your messaging. Holding on to outdated narratives, language, or strategies can dilute your impact and confuse your audience.
Consider:
Are there messages we’ve continued out of habit, not relevance?
Have we shifted priorities without updating how we talk about them?
Is our messaging proactive or reactive?
Being willing to retire or revise old messages is a sign of strategic growth.
Refining your messaging mid-year is not about starting over. It’s about making intentional adjustments based on what you’ve learned so far about your goals, your audience, and the world you’re operating in.
Clear, aligned, audience-centered messaging strengthens trust, deepens engagement, and positions your organization to lead with purpose in the second half of the year.