September 2025: AESA State Examiner

Integrating Best Practices for Marketing and Communications in Advocacy

Research and expert recommendations highlight several best practices for effective communications in the Pre-K-12 education sector:

• Align messaging with the institution's mission, values, and audience needs.
• Segment communications by stakeholder group (executive, legislative, agency policymakers and other interest groups) to maximize relevance and engagement.
• Utilize a mix of channels—email, social media, website updates, and earned media—to reach audiences where they are most receptive.
• Develop a proactive plan for crisis and reputation management and continually measure impact for ongoing improvement.
• Ensure internal alignment on messaging so all ESA spokespeople reinforce consistent narratives.

These practices help build trust, encourage participation, and position the ESC as a thought leader in education.

Leveraging Frontline Stories for Advocacy

Stories from the ESA frontline bring the agency or network mission to life and demonstrate real impact. The AESA Advocacy Toolkit specifically encourages using tailored, personal stories in advocacy efforts to engage stakeholders and legislators. By focusing on students’ or educators’ journeys, challenges, and triumphs, ESAs can highlight needs and illustrate the benefits of policy decisions in a way that is relatable and memorable.

Sharing stories that humanize equity gaps, celebrate successes, or spotlight transformational partnerships not only builds emotional connection, but can also inspire institutional and policy changes. Those who have successfully tapped into voters and policymakers’ emotions have had the most electoral and policy successes in recent years.

Storytelling’s Impact on Learning and Advocacy

Research underscores the powerful effects of storytelling on both learning and advocacy:

• Stories help audiences remember complex information, build trust, and relate to key messages on a personal level.
• Combining storytelling with supporting data amplifies advocacy, enabling decision-makers to see both the human and strategic rationale for action.

In advocacy, telling stories tied to impact and supplemented by data has been shown to move audiences to action and influence policymakers.

Practical Guidance from the AESA Advocacy Toolkit

The AESA Advocacy Toolkit provides actionable strategies for using stories effectively:

• Conduct audience analysis to ensure communication is relevant and tailored.
• Build relationships by sharing personal stories in meetings or statehouse visits.
• Integrate clear, concise messaging with a focus on outcomes and impact.
• Use visual and narrative communication to add depth and resonance to advocacy efforts.

ESCs can use the toolkit to craft narratives that not only describe what they do, but also vividly demonstrate how policy influences daily experiences and student outcomes. One can also use the template below to craft a story to drive home an important policy argument and set the stage for the big “ask.”

Advocacy Storytelling Template

Purpose: Empower advocates to craft memorable, actionable stories that build empathy, frame the problem, and deliver a convincing call-to-action in any setting.

1. Set the Stage

• Briefly introduce yourself and establish the context.
• Make it personal—share your role, relationship to the issue, or the setting.

Prompt:
Who are you, and why are you connected to this issue?

2. Present the Challenge or Problem

• Clearly describe the main obstacle, need, or barrier faced.
• Use concrete examples and emotional detail to engage the listener.

Prompt:
What is the specific problem or challenge? Why does it matter?

3. Convey the Struggle and Impact

• Share vivid details about the struggles faced, emotional or practical hardships, and past attempts to overcome them.
• Highlight the personal or community impact of the issue.

Prompt:
How has this problem affected you or those you serve?

4. Highlight the Turning Point or Solution

• Describe a pivotal moment, breakthrough, or solution that points toward hope or improvement.
• This can be a realization, a policy decision, or a community effort.

Prompt:
What changed, or what could change, to improve the situation?

5. Share the Outcome or Resolution

• State the results if the solution has been implemented, or the desired outcome if not.
• Connect the story to broader benefits—why does this matter to the listener?

Prompt:
What difference did the change make, or what difference could it make?

6. Make the Ask and Tie Back to Advocacy

• End with a clear, actionable ask or call to action: what do you want the listener to do next?
• Relate it to policy, funding, community support, or other outcomes.

Prompt:
What specific action do you want your audience to take?

Example Story Outline for an Elevator Speech

1. Introduction:
   “My name is Taylor and I’m an educational service provider in rural (state).”
2. Problem:
   “In my service territory, too many students can’t access mental health support, and their learning suffers.”
3. Struggle:
   “I’ve watched promising students fall behind and families despair because resources just aren’t there.”
4. Turning Point:
   “When our ESC piloted telehealth counseling, attendance and engagement shot up by 10% in one school year.”
5. Outcome:
   “Now, hundreds of students have regular support—and their grades, test scores, and confidence have improved.”
6. Ask:
   “With increased state investment, every student in our region could thrive. Please support increased ESA funding for mental health services.”

Additional Tips

• Practice brevity: Elevator pitches should fit within 60–90 seconds.
• Keep it conversational: Use clear, jargon-free language and universal themes.
• Emphasize both emotion and solution: Facts move minds, but stories move hearts and actions.
• Test and revise: Solicit feedback for clarity and resonance with different audiences.

This template is intentionally flexible for written, spoken, or multimedia communications, enabling ESA and other education advocates to adapt for testimony, legislative visits, media outreach, and beyond.

Bottom Line Conclusion

Engagement that is grounded in both knowledge and real-life stories is instrumental in moving policy from aspiration to implementation. When ESAs proactively surface and amplify frontline stories using proven communication strategies—and support them with data—their advocacy gains credibility and drives change that matters for educators and students alike.

Stay tuned for next month’s article, which will focus on advocacy as a learned habit and discipline that must be adopted by all education stakeholders looking to impact the state policy and funding debate.