How do you communicate your social impact to customers and employees?

1 Define your social impact goals

Before you can communicate your social impact, you need to have a clear and measurable definition of what you want to achieve and how you will track your progress. Your social impact goals should align with your core values, mission, and vision, and address the needs and expectations of your stakeholders. You can use frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), or the B Impact Assessment to guide your goal-setting and reporting process.

2 Choose your communication channels

Depending on your target audience, you may want to use different communication channels to convey your social impact message. For example, you can use your website, blog, social media, newsletters, or annual reports to reach your customers, investors, and the public. You can also use internal platforms, such as intranet, email, webinars, or staff meetings to inform and inspire your employees. Choose the channels that are most relevant, accessible, and engaging for your audience, and use a consistent tone and style across them.

3 Tell stories and use visuals

One of the most effective ways to communicate your social impact is to tell stories that illustrate your achievements, challenges, and learnings. Stories can help you humanize your impact, connect with your audience emotionally, and demonstrate your authenticity and transparency. You can also use visuals, such as photos, videos, infographics, or charts, to complement your stories and make them more appealing and memorable. Visuals can help you highlight key facts, figures, and outcomes, and show the real faces and voices behind your impact.

4 Involve your stakeholders

Another way to communicate your social impact is to involve your stakeholders in your communication process. You can invite your customers, employees, partners, beneficiaries, or community members to share their feedback, testimonials, stories, or suggestions about your social impact initiatives. You can also encourage them to participate in your campaigns, events, surveys, or volunteer opportunities. By involving your stakeholders, you can show that you value their opinions and contributions, and that you are open to dialogue and collaboration.

5 Celebrate your successes and acknowledge your gaps

Finally, when you communicate your social impact, you should celebrate your successes and acknowledge your gaps. You should highlight your achievements and milestones, and recognize the efforts and contributions of your team and partners. You should also be honest and transparent about your challenges and limitations, and share how you plan to address them and improve your performance. By celebrating and acknowledging, you can show that you are proud of your work, but also humble and accountable for your impact.

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?