Your strength and expertise is concentrated in the wood and forest products industry, but even so, you’re constantly communicating with one or more of your audiences. Customers, partners, current and potential employees, the community at large and the next generation of wood-product users all are part of your circle of influence, and you have an ongoing need to stay in touch with all of them.
Naturally, your message and relationship with each group is different, but you still need to provide value and keep people engaged with your message. When you consider all the variation in communication needed and the multitude of avenues open to you, from social media to talking with kids to recruiting, keeping up with current and useful supporting information can seem daunting. Maybe you need a secret weapon.
If you’ve been reading this magazine a while, you’re already aware of the North American Forest Foundation, and our role in championing the forest products industry and providing educational outreach. However, you might not be aware of the free resources we have available to help you deepen your relationships with all your audiences.
Let’s look at the many groups you interact with and explore the resources you can use to provide value to these connections.
Customers
Ongoing relationships with customers are vital. Keep them up to date with tips and information they can use and share with their own customers. From factual resources to informational videos, tap into the tools available on our site.
Supply your customers with details on the sustainability of wood products as well as guidance on selecting the right building materials or product as one of the many ways you bring value to the relationship.
Keeping your social media lively and engaging while sharing information that helps others get their jobs done takes work. We’ve compiled a wealth of wood facts and statistics that can add flavor to your communications. Use what you need, and tag us when you do!
Employees
Your employees are also ambassadors of the industry. Refresh your internal communications with news and industry insights to keep your whole team aware of the latest trends and need-to-know information. Their view of the industry and your company shapes the image that is communicated, potentially attracting more people into the industry.
Help your workers develop their personal and professional skills within the wood products industry and support them with training; let them see the range of opportunity that’s open to them.
Recruits and potential employees
Like those in other industries, you’re probably feeling the pinch of needing to recruit and hire skilled workers. Targeted recruiting videos on our site can help bridge the gap and help showcase the career paths open to those entering the wood products industry.
At college or other recruiting events, enthusiasm builds once people can see the opportunities and growth potential for careers in the forest products industry. The Forest to Frame video can be a handy tool for providing a capsule view of the industry.
Students
A big part of preparing the industry for the future is attracting new talent, and making the effort to reach future generations of students is an important step in the process. Apprenticeships, internships, and cooperative efforts with colleges and high schools can help draw young people in and allow them to experience the breadth of opportunity open to them through a career related to forestry and wood products.
Career days at middle and high schools set the stage, offering kids a chance to explore the possibilities. Supplement your existing presentation with videos from our site either on specific career paths or the industry as a whole.
Field trips–for visitors of all ages–add a further dimension of enrichment that engages all the senses and provides context. Enhance your tour with some of our free resources to help your visitors absorb and retain what they experience.
Kids
You may not be fully aware of your youngest audience–future workers and customers. Understanding the many ways wood products affect daily life can be an eye-opener for many young students.
Several resources on the NAFF site, as well as The Truth About Trees educational classroom kit for teachers are designed specifically to support the learning experiences of this age group. A section on the site is geared just for kids.
The more you know, the more you can share with others, and that in turn, helps keep the industry active and alive.
Think back to how you got your start in the wood products industry. Was it a simple, direct path, or one that took many twists and turns? How much have you learned and grown as a result–and who needs to hear your story to be inspired to choose a career involving wood?
Virtuous Cycle
Have you noticed how we’re looking toward the future? NAFF has a definite bent toward helping support the industry and educating the next generation.
If you also see a bright future for the industry–and the planet–as a result of sustainable forestry and fact-based education, why not join us in our mission. There are many ways to help us make kids exTREEmely-
smart smart and attract more talent into the wood products industry.
Here’s how you can make a TREEmendous difference!
•BECOME A SPONSOR: to help bring the Forever Forest traveling children’s museum exhibit to your community or region (encourage field trips to your location too) where it can introduce the realities of forestry to kids and families and inspire the next generation.
•MAKE A DONATION: Help more classroom teachers gain valuable resources for teaching K through third grade students about trees. We provide TRUTH ABOUT TREES kits free of charge–your donation underwrites the cost of producing and distributing them. School will be starting soon–the perfect time to help teachers provide a worthwhile addition to the science curriculum. Each kit typically reaches 250 students.
•SPONSOR the new junior-high digital app. Help us take forest products industry education to an additional 12 million students at the point in their lives when they are starting to explore potential careers.
To learn more about NAFF’s latest activities, to make a donation, or find out more about how you can get involved as an individual or as a company, just visit our website or reach out to me directly at adeford@northamericanforestfoundation.org.
We’re rooted in education and our mission is to support the forest products industry through education, promotion, and advocacy of science-based facts about sustainable forestry. The resources we’ve developed are here to help you–so let us know what information we can add to help serve you more effectively. We’re here to be a secret weapon you can turn to in support of your communication needs.
