You resolve to have a better communications plan for 2025. So, you hastily scratch some notes down and promise yourself you’ll refer to them again during the year.
Then you get distracted by other day-to-day tasks. It happens.
In order for your communications plan to stick, you need to schedule, budget and create systems for it to thrive. Otherwise, you’ve just wanted your time and will soon lose momentum.
To make the most of a plan, you can begin with a quick summary. However, you then follow through on each point with someone who will hold you accountable.
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Follow each step to create an ideal communication plan you can easily follow. Photo courtesy of Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash
To get started, focus on these factors:
1. Purpose
Why are you doing this? To build awareness, address myths, point out new features or deepen your relationships.
Each strategy requires a different approach within your communications plan. Knowing your destination makes for a more direct journey.
2. Background
For this stage, consider three pieces:
1. What are your key upcoming projects, phases or events?
2. What impact do you hope to achieve with each one?
3. Who is involved in these and what are their concerns, issues or knowledge gaps?
This provides the context for the messages we would shape together.
3. Audiences
Remember, you have people within your circle and beyond. The best communications plans make sure everyone gets informed based on whether they are internal or external to your organization.
4. Communication Plan Objectives
This is where you firm up your outcomes so everyone can clearly see and measure them. For instance, you want to update clients on new benefits or features monthly. Once people know what you want, they can deliver on timing and messaging more effectively.
5. Strategic Context
Nothing happens in a vacuum. Therefore, you have to look at:
· Challenges and constraints
· Opportunities worth seizing
· What the public, media and other stakeholders expect and how they will react to your content
· How your messages link to their priorities
For instance, in times of inflation, it is wise to play up how you can help people save money. Yet, they will not resonate within audiences who are wealthy but wish to use their time wisely.
As market conditions shift, you must adapt as well.
6. Messaging
Now, you finally get to address what each key target audience wants and needs to know. Here, you write down your values, your mission statement and main storylines.
7. Communication Plan Activities
With this map drawn, next you lay out the steps that you or others can follow. This includes considering what each partner or audience requires.
What media will you use to deliver your messages and how much will it cost? You may think of social media as free, but you may need a professional video producer to deliver the quality that reflects your brand well. It also takes valued time to create this content.
Don’t overlook traditional media. You can leverage some free content if done right, but first you need to know where your audience listens. This takes a specific expertise you may wish to outsource.
Remember, free is not always the best option. If your competitors are gaining an edge with strategic investments, you need to look at all your options.
8. Budgeting
Will you assign marketing dollars from a separate budget line or via individual projects? Decide this early on so you can stay on track with fewer surprises if a staff member misunderstands your intent.
9. Evaluation
This is such a critical phase. What is working? What is not?
By tracking audience response rates and how they respond, you know if you’re on track or wasting your time. Sure, you may build brand awareness, but if customers are not knocking on your door, you need to reassess.
Go back to your purpose and refine the parts of your communications plan that are falling short. Then continue to watch the numbers so you can grow and thrive.
While this may sound like a lot, it’s a very healthy exercise to get outside of your head and consider other perspectives.
If you need help, people like me have done this countless times and know the process well. We can guide you through it more quickly so you can focus on the other elements of your business that need your precise expertise.
Have fun sketching. Drop me a line when you hit a wall.
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