Conservation Outreach Manual Campaign Manual FINAL | Page 2

Identifying Goals, Objectives And Target Audiences
B
efore beginning any outreach, it is important to take the
time to plan and strategize. Planning will help ensure more
effective messages that reach your target audience, a wiser use
of resources, and increased capacity to measure results and
demonstrate success.
Step 1: Determine your Goal
A goal is a broad statement or purpose that aligns with the
overarching aim of your conservation project or mission.
Ask yourself, “what is the problem the campaign is trying to
address?” and “why is this problem important to people?”
Examples of goals:
• To increase support for marine managed areas.
• To reduce threats to coral reefs.
Step 2: Define your Objectives
Objectives are formal statements that specify your exact
intended outcome. You will use your objectives to measure your
success, so take time to draft them carefully. It is not enough to
say your objective is to “build more awareness,” you must
consider why awareness is important and what specific
outcomes it will have for the project.
TIP: All objectives should be S.M.A.R.T.
S - Specific
R - Relevant
M - Measurable
T - Time-oriented
A - Achievable
Students view a
lion fish display
in Grenada.
© Grenada
Marine
Protected
Areas
Network
Examples of objectives:
• To increase support for marine managed areas among
fishers and coastal communities from “medium” to “high”
by year 4.
• To host lionfish tasting and awareness events in 10
communities within the first 6 months of the project.
Step 3: Decide your Audience
Don’t list the “general public” as your target audience,
outreach should consider and celebrate the uniqueness of each
community or group. People are more likely to listen when
a message hits close to home, so narrow down your target
audience and get to know them.
Consider your resource users and jot down categories (eg.
fishermen, hoteliers, tourists, business owners, school children).
Consider questions such as: What motivates them? Where do
they go for information? Where do they spend their time? What
are they concerned about? What is their education level? What
do they have the power to change?
PRACTICE: Fill out the remaining sections of this
sample table:
Audience Knowledge/Attitude to Gain
Fishers Availability of alternative
sustainable livelihoods within
protected areas
Students The negative impact of
pollution
Government Conservation should be an
environmental, economic and
national security priority
Where?
Activities
Lion fish
tournament
and fish fry
event
School
School visits
to project site
Conservation Outreach Manual - Page 2