The Importance of a Comprehensive Communications Plan

By: Shleby Eiger, PR Senior Account Executive

A strategic communications plan can help your organization get its message out in the right way to achieve business goals. The plan should amplify your marketing efforts by providing each audience with concise and effective messaging or your organization could be at risk of rowing in the opposite direction of your goals.

At times, companies put so much emphasis on communicating externally to their consumers and publics, they often forget one of their most important audiences: team members. Team members serve as your organization’s biggest mouthpiece in the community and within your markets, providing authentic experiences directly from your company. Your team members’ sphere of influence can create better relationships and is strengthened through better communications.

Having a robust communications plan is essential for companies to navigate reputation management, foster community relations, and support your business objectives.

When building your communications plan, remember these things:

• The Right Time
• The Right Order
• The Right Delivery Method

The Right Time

Message fatigue can disengage audiences meaning they are even closer to the delete button on an email from your organization including crucial information. Evaluating and understanding the cadence of messaging being distributed is key.

Keeping your audience engaged by paying attention to specifics like the time of day and day of the week can help ensure your message is not only being received but digested. An effective strategy can allow the message you developed to capture and sustain attention to facilitate action.

The Right Order

When developing your communications plan, it’s essential to have your audiences outlined from internal to external to ensure messages are being received in the right order. Ensuring your internal hierarchy is followed, leveraged and respected will help strengthen your messaging and support trust. With each internal audience that receives a message, you can offer a feedback loop to hear from each audience and anticipate questions the next audience might ask. As your communication cascades through the company, it will become even more clear, strengthened and tailored for each audience.

After establishing your internal communications, it’s important to customize your messages externally and understand the importance of the order. If a press release is being distributed, allow time for the media to receive and publish the news before sharing on your company’s social media pages and website for general population.

The Right Delivery Method

Not every audience will respond to messages the same way. It’s important to understand that the right delivery method varies in order to effectively communicate with each distinct audience. This will ensure your audiences receive consistent, effective communication allowing for collaboration and relationship building across audiences.

Utilizing the most effective method will allow your message to resonate to incentivize action in your audience. Keeping open communication internally and externally will allow you to determine the best way messages should be received.

As the oldest, largest, independently owned agency in Florida, we’ve been developing communication plans for diverse companies for 66 years and understand there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. By investing time and resources to build a plan, you are laying the foundation for effective and successful communication. If you’re looking for a communications partner, reach out to &Barr so we can develop your customized plan to meet your company’s unique needs.