Crafting Effective Communication Strategies and Plans

In the realm of corporate communications, success isn’t measured by the volume of words spoken but by the impact they create. Whether you’re a rising star or a seasoned pro in the field, crafting communication strategies and plans that drive desired results is more than a fundamental skill; it’s a professional imperative. May this article serve as your compass on a journey to unlock the secrets to supporting business leaders with professionalism, poise and finesse.

 

The Foundation of Success: Get Curious

Before you embark on any communication project, lay a sturdy foundation by asking these questions:

 

• Why does it matter? Begin by determining the overarching purpose of your communication. Is it to inform, persuade, inspire or engage?
• Who are the players? Identify the critical stakeholders, both internal and external, who will shape and influence this communication journey. Does the initiative have executive sponsorship? Are your partners in one department or in different departments or divisions?
• Is timing fixed or flexible? Explore the timing and urgency of the message. Is it tethered to a particular event, milestone, program launch or market condition? Is a deadline real or self-imposed?

The answers to these questions inform the level of importance and support the initiative has, as well as the degree of complexity.

 

Nurturing Vision: Collaborating with Leaders

While business leaders often possess a clear vision in their own minds, they may need your expertise in translating it into effective communication. Here’s how to do it seamlessly:

 

• Listen intently: Engage in deep conversations with your leaders to grasp their vision and business objectives.
• Strategic synergy: Ensure that your communication aligns harmoniously with the overarching purpose and goals of the organization.
• Setting expectations: Establish what success entails—be it heightened employee engagement or an enhanced public image; driving a specific action or bolstering sales.

At this stage, it’s important to foster inclusion. Leaders vary. Some have a strong point of view and are eager to express it while others are longer in thought or may need encouragement to express their thoughts in a group. I’ve found that asking questions early and often is a powerful tool to reach consensus and build unity of thought.

 

Related: Asking Questions Fosters Understanding and Unity

 

An effective framework for capturing the team’s vision and objectives is by determining their Desired Outcomes. This framework asks four questions: What do you want the audience to know, think, feel and do?

 

Time Saver: Here’s a Desired Outcomes template that you can customize and use for your next project.

 

While this exercise seems simple and straightforward, be prepared for the real work to begin as you work toward gaining universal agreement on what you capture on the page. As it turns out, words matter, and it takes time to refine them when you put them on a page.

 

Word of Caution: During initial conversations, it’s quite common for leaders to jump to tactics. Avoid the temptation to determine solutions before you really understand the issues or align around the desired outcomes.

 

Understanding the Audience(s)

In crafting impactful messages, knowing and understanding your audience is paramount:

 

• Segmentation mastery: Organize your audience into discernible groups based on demographics, job roles, interests or behavior. Is the audience in front of their computers or in a role away from technology? Are they located in one place or mobile? For large projects, it’s worth developing simple personas to inform your communications plan.
• Insightful research: Gather data and insights to fathom the desires and preferences of each segment. Make time to review and analyze the data you gather. I’m surprised when research is gathered, but it’s not analyzed to inform messaging and tactics.

Crafting Tailored Messages

Once you’ve pinpointed your audience, tailor the messaging meticulously:

 

• Showcase benefits: Make it clear how your message caters to the distinct needs and aspirations of each group.
• Desired outcomes inform messages: A message designed to inform is different than a message designed to elicit emotion or inspire action.
• Focus on the WIIFM: Ensure you highlight the WIIFM (pronounced “wiff-em”), which stands for “What’s In It For Me.”
• Consistency is key: Ensure that all messages are in harmony with the overarching communication strategy. While the way you achieve the desired outcomes for each audience may vary, the result should be the same.

I’ve found that it’s helpful to ask three questions when crafting key messages: What? So What? Now What?

 

Strategizing Outreach

Your message’s efficacy hinges on the channels you employ and how you deliver it:

 

• Channel selection: Handpick the most-suitable channels—be it email; an in-person, virtual or hybrid meeting; an intranet or magazine article; digital displays; posters; press releases or social media. Meet your audiences where they are—wherever that may be—and consider creating a balance of push (e.g., an email / newsletter) and pull (e.g., website / landing page) tactics.
• Content magic: Fashion compelling content that resonates deeply with your audience’s tastes. If the content is naturally compelling, that’s great! However, quite often, your challenge is to communicate something that would be met with “Meh.”
  
  In those cases, I’m reminded of a great question I learned from Steve Crescenzo, who suggested we ask ourselves, “How do I make the ordinary interesting?” It’s a tough question but worth asking. The answer might come from linking your content to an interesting but little-known fact, a recent news story or a topic that’s trending on social media.

Setting Clear Communication Goals

Goals are the north star guiding your journey, and they pave the path for measurement:

 

• SMART goals: Frame your goals to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. For more, read Communication Planning Using SMART Objectives.
• Metrics for measurement: Outline how you’ll gauge success, whether it’s through website analytics, survey responses, training completion rates, event attendance, sales data or some other metric. The key here is to ensure that it’s something numeric and that everyone agrees the metric is worth measuring.

Crafting an Actionable Plan

Now, here’s where it gets fun! Let’s roll up our sleeves and transform strategy into action:

 

• Set the stage: If gathered a lot of information (e.g., business objectives, audiences, desired outcomes, communication objectives and strategies). Now is the time to centralize all that information in one place: the communication plan.
• Tactics and timeline precision: Create a meticulously-detailed timeline, showcasing when each tactic will be executed. Also include who will be responsible to delivering the message. Be sure to include a column to track status.
• Roles and responsibilities: Delegate tasks and responsibilities within your team or another department. Enlist key communicators, like organizational leaders, managers and HR business partners, to deliver the message.

The formats of an effective communication plan vary widely. For simple plans, I’ve found a Word document works well. For more complex plans with dozens of tactics over the course of a year, I’ve found the combination of a Word document for the plan’s essentials and an Excel document for the detailed tactics to be most effective.

 

Time Saver: Below are a couple templates that you can download and customize for your own use.

• Standard Communication Plan (Word)
• Large Project Communication Plan (Excel)

Communication Measurement: The Unseen Hero

To truly grasp the effectiveness of your strategy, measurement is your trusted ally:

 

• Measure what matters: Not all key performance indicators (KPIs) are equal; prioritize meaningful metrics over an excessive quantity, focusing on “measuring what matters” as opposed to activity for strategic decision-making. For example, if you’re objective is to maximize attendance to an event, measure the number of registrations as opposed to the email open rate of the invitation.
• KPI insights: Regularly evaluate Key Performance Indicators to chart your progress towards your goals. If you’re not sure what you should be measuring, Beekeeper offers a list of their Top 10 KPIs for Communications.

The Call to Unleash Your Potential

Supporting business leaders in achieving their goals through effective communication is a dynamic journey. By asking the right questions, listening carefully, defining clear objectives, understanding your audience, crafting compelling messages and employing strategic delivery, you’re well on your way.

 

Remember, continuous learning and measurement are your steadfast companions and mile markers, respectively, on the path to being a credible communicator and strategic business partner. In the ever-evolving world of corporate communications, adaptability is paramount. Arm yourself with these strategies, and you’ll not only support business leaders effectively but also establish yourself as a successful and respected communications professional.

 

Parting Thoughts… Adapt and Evolve

I’ve built and executed hundreds of communication plans over the course of my career. As thoughtful and as thorough as I’ve been, here are two words of advice. Be flexible.

 

You may have heard that if ever you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans. I look at every communication plan I develop as a living document. While you may execute many of the tactics as planned, things change… new information emerges, priorities shift, audiences are added. Be prepared to flex, pivot and adjust your plan based on the feedback you receive, insights you glean and data you accumulate.