Communication Planning

You’ve likely heard the expression, “putting the cart before the horse.” When it comes to effective communication, clients often focus on the tactics before establishing the strategic direction (a.k.a., the road map, the blueprint, the game plan). That’s like issuing a news release without understanding the overall messages, hosting an event without knowing whom to invite, launching a website before producing the content or marketing a service before determining the market. Establishing a road map for who, what, where, when, why and how you will deliver your content is essential to successful communication.

Start at the Beginning

To set up a strategic communication plan, start with a situation analysis — a deep dive into an organization’s strengths, weaknesses, challenges, environment, mission, vision and reputation in the marketplace. All the ingredients that make up your existing “history.” Participating in this initial exercise allows organizations to take a step back, determine who they are, how they want to be perceived and by whom.

With this background and analysis in hand, begin to outline communication goals, specific objectives, target audiences, core messages, spokespeople, timeline, strategies, tactics and activities. All the elements to execute and evaluate a successful communication program. It may sound daunting, but effective communication planning helps clients align their communication initiatives — be it paid promotion, owned communications, earned media or shared engagement— with their organizational priorities. What’s more, a strategic communication plan unites stakeholders around common reputational goals, ensuring consistency and adaptability when life changes.