How to be successful in your communication strategy?

Everyone communicates! Whether you like it or not! However, for your communication to make sense, target the right people and generate profit, a minimum amount of organization is necessary. This is where it comes in the communication strategy.

Here are the foundations for an organization that wants to start a real reflection on its way of communicating. In this article you will find what you need to do to take stock of the existing situation before starting to develop your communication strategy.

What is a communication strategy?

A communications strategy is a reference document written to evaluate progress. It is the result of collaboration between the business/project manager and communication professionals.

Defines:

• clear and measurable communication objectives
• the target and available channels
• an activity plan and a calendar
• communication risks and ways to mitigate them
• financial and human resources for success.

Is it possible to communicate without a communication strategy?

Yes, it’s possible. How is it possible to embark on the road without having a precise destination. The result will be the same: your destination will be completely random.

There is no success without an action plan. It can happen, but no one wants to leave the fate of their business up to luck, right?

Your goals are the key to the success of your communication strategy. Your communication is not an end in itself but must serve and therefore be aligned with your organizational objectives. Ask yourself what you can do in terms of communications to help your organization achieve its key objectives.

Aligning your communications and organizational goals will also help reinforce the importance and relevance of your communications and, therefore, make a compelling case for adequately funding communications activities within your organization.

Define your audience

You need to identify your target audience with whom you need to communicate to achieve your organizational goals. Be careful, your main goal for achieving a goal is not always the most obvious.

Your message

Strategic targeting and consistency of your message are key elements of your communication. Start by listing all your key messages, values, purpose, etc. of your company.

The question to ask at this stage is:

What is your mission or vision?

Take a few moments to think about the mission or purpose of your organization, event or project….

Remember that communication depends on the way you tell things: build a captivating narrative, engaging daily life stories and captivating images.

Tools and actions

Determine the most appropriate tools and actions to communicate your message to your audience. Define the most impactful offline and online channels and where your target has their habits. Make sure you adapt your tools and actions based on the time and available human and financial resources.

Evaluation and modification

Consider taking stock of your actions to gauge the effectiveness of your strategy with your audience. Ideally, it is ideal to hire someone independent to do this work. It’s always difficult to discredit your own ideas or those of your teams. This also avoids internal tensions. Examine and discuss the results carefully and use them to modify your strategy.

When developing your strategy, you need to involve your team and, on a smaller scale, the entire organization. Integrate the communication strategy into the organizational strategy to ensure maximum alignment and effectiveness.

Your communication tools

There are so many possibilities that it is necessary to select them intelligently so as not to exhaust yourself on uninteresting or financially inaccessible channels. Furthermore, you already have communication tools whose full scope you sometimes do not perceive.

The building

Residents of the neighborhood pass by regularly. This is what your competitors see, without daring to enter. It’s the place to welcome your customers. One of the first important elements of a company’s brand image it is the building itself. What message does it send? If it is dilapidated and poorly maintained, you are sending a very negative message. Is your company name on it?

The name of your business

What is the main goal of your business? Who do you want to attract? The name of your business is an important choice because it will reflect who you are to your customers and potential customers. Can we understand your business by announcing the name? This is not essential, but it can help.

And the logo

Your company’s graphic charter is one of the key elements of your communication strategy. In communication, being everywhere is an incredible advantage, as long as you are well represented! The logo for example. A logo can convey a message or emotiona particularity of your organization, your values, etc. If it carries a particular message or meaning, it must be within the reach of the neophyte.

Too often logos are a reimagining of existing things. Choose to collaborate with a professional and entrust him with the identity of your company. From a complex idea, he will be able to create a powerful visual image. The logo must be accompanied by its graphic card, in order to communicate in a harmonious and coherent manner.

Too often there is also the desire to put everything, to put everything in the logo or brochure. You can’t summarize the entire company and its different services in one logo, your message will be too busy and the message will be confusing. Don’t worry, let yourself be guided by a professional… and trust him!

Remember this little English saying: “ Less is more » («less is more»), the more concise your message, the more identifiable and understandable it will be. All this applies to your entire communication strategy, not just the logo.

Your slogan

It must summarize your vision, the identity of your company. Be creative and find a formula that represents you, without falling into the plan. Again, make your slogan accessible to everyone, it’s a punchline that needs to resonate. The slogan will also be the spearhead of your communication strategy, refocusing your values ​​and its message.

The website

Is your website getting old? If you don’t have a budget or you don’t have the skills of one of your employees, you can use themes for WordPress, for example, which for around fifty dollars will allow you to get something clean, customizable (not always) and (relatively) simple to update. Divi is a great theme to get started.

However, the ideal remains for you to create a unique site that reflects your graphics and your identity. Furthermore, a (well-chosen) professional will ensure that your site meets search engine referencing criteria (loading speed, mobile-friendly design, user needs, user interface, etc.).

A higher productive quality of your communication will not necessarily lead to a better response in the short term, but it will have some impact on the general perception of your company.

Obviously today we no longer create a site like we did ten years ago. A consistent content strategy is essential. What can you offer your customers and potential customers, what content can delight them and attract them to your site without distracting them from what your brand is and what it offers?

This content strategy is a source of traffic (thanks to optimized SEO and shares on different social channels), engagement, brand recognition, conversion, etc.

Social networks

Social networks represent an extraordinary opportunity for all organizations and businesses. Digital communication must absolutely be an integral part of your communication strategy. We must look for people where they are, in their moment of » brain available » (remember this tasty statement by Patrick Le Lay, then CEO of TF1). A few years ago, television was that moment of relaxation, the moment in which a person was available, detached from any commitment. Only big brands, with colossal financial resources, could access it.

Other times, other customs! The arrival of the Internet on smartphones and tablets, and even more so on social networks, has made it possible to develop other uses. Nowadays, most people are no longer prisoners of television and simultaneously follow the discussions, photos and music of their «friends». TV channels have understood this and are now trying to integrate Twitter into their broadcasts. In the first quarter of 2019, Facebook had more than 2.38 billion monthly active users and 1.56 billion daily active users worldwide.

– Facebook it is the social network that brings together the most people around the world. Your main goal is definitely there! If the decline in reach has led to a decline in visibility of pages, the Facebook advertising network still allows you to perfectly target groups of people geographically, by center of interest, etc. Smart use of bots on Messenger can also give your social presence a boost.

– Twitter is a microblogging social network. Immediacy is the key word of this network. Professionals connect there and maintain their monitoring. Be careful, it is also a source of many excesses and a more or less controlled high.

– People will follow you on Twitter if the content you post interests and helps them.. Finally, I’m talking about the majority. There are also those who will add you without really following you just so you can follow them and build a network.

– Twitter will also allow you to reach certain groups of people very easily thanks to some hashtags such as those linked to your professional activity, your product or service or a geographical area.

– Instagram is also a network for studying. People interact better with images than words, and with the use of hashtags, it’s easier for users to find exactly what they’re looking for. Instagram can be a great resource for local businesses, large and small businesses, etc. It all depends on your main target. Since this is a different network, remember that you will have to communicate differently. There is no worse strategy than posting the same things on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to save money. Use Instagram to show behind the scenes of your business, highlight your greatest successes with your customers, promote your team, etc. There is so much to imagine! Don’t just reproduce what others do, innovate.

It is important to choose the social networks on which to intervene intelligently. Getting involved in too many networks leads to rapid demotivation: it’s difficult to be on all fronts!

Your brochure

Not all businesses need it, especially if everything happens online. Your brochure tells your story, introduces you and conveys part of your message. It is one of the most important supports of your communication, it should not be despised! It is the support that people offer to their friends and we should never overlook the power of word of mouth in communication. This is the most powerful way because it is provided by a friend or someone you trust.

There are definitely other aspects of your communication that I haven’t mentioned. Try to sift through them one by one through the following sentence: “ I make my message accessible and understandable to everyone« .