Creating your juggernaut – Communications Strategy
Contemporary politics is based on an ever-shortening news cycle. As an integral part of this, the daily political talking points from our politicians are used to answer all and any question from the media and constituents. It doesn’t seem to matter that the question is not being answered. It does matter if the daily talking point is not aired. It matters who is controlling the current headline or lead story. This approach can be perceived to be arrogant, but it reflects the importance of the communications strategy and the increasing efforts to control what we hear and see from our political leaders.
We are not at war in the traditional sense. However, the tactics and approach of our political leaders have many parallels with one of the most important communications strategies which can be deployed during periods of war. Propaganda can become the communications strategy and “truth”, and honest messaging becomes less of a priority.
The main thing which has changed to create this highly developed communications juggernaut is the digitisation of the media landscape and the ability to endlessly measure and receive feedback on message impact.
Of course, probably the most radical of these strategies seem to be from US political leaders where Twitter has become the first channel of choice. The change in approach from political leaders has also required many changes inside Twitter’s market engagement and user rules. An example of this is that most recently Twitter announced there would be no more paid political advertising on its platform.
How is the success of the communications strategy measured and judged? The answer to this must come back to your business foundation and strategy. Your mission, vision and values form the basis of what will be part of your communications strategy and what will be left out. It’s another reason to ensure that your strategy is well thought out and provides clear direction for the organisation and all its members. The communications strategy needs to be closely aligned with your corporate strategy. It needs to be able to build on your strategic positioning in a competitive market and differentiate your organisation from your competitors.
Of course, “war” conjures up many ghastly thoughts and images. You may not consider your organisation in a state of war with your competitors. However, being able to approach your strategic communications strategy with the same seriousness can be a great start to stamping your mark in your chosen market.
Managing the communication process requires a plan for four main areas:
1. Message: Decide on the message which is required to increase the volume and attention your strategy demands. This should be unique to your business and carve out your business as unique in a competitive marketplace. Messaging is an art and a science, and many communications experts can support message formulation. After many campaigns, I have learned that saying less can mean more attention. Using meaningful graphics and illustrations can enhance the message. The message must be clear to the target audience; not just to you and your employees.
2. Communications Channel: There are more communications channel choices than ever before. Channels are rising and falling in popularity. They move in and out of fashion with specific demographics. They are constantly morphing on who uses them and how they are used. Choose channels which target your ideal customer. Review the choices constantly for impact and effectiveness. The data is readily available to help you make objective decisions.
3. Audience: Who are they? What does the ideal customer profile look like? What media channels are they using? What problem do they need to be solved? What unique solution can you offer to get their attention? How do they like to engage? Getting to know your audience is a key part of any communications strategy. Nothing is more powerful than meeting with a sample of your ideal customer and asking for their input and feedback. Remember to dig deep so that their real problem and the business requirement is revealed.
4. Frequency: Overexposure can be as damaging as underexposure. In a recent discussion with a client, I commented that they seemed to be everywhere at the moment. The communications strategy they adopted was to put media out into multiple channels as often as possible until the business pull matched the business plan. In this case, it worked, and they have wound back the content push — the success of this particular approach suited to this client at a particular moment in time. What works for your business will vary on this. There is no exact formula for success.
No strategy is ever set in stone and must be agile to move with the market and the feedback being sourced. The three main areas where analysis and feedback can be obtained are:
1. Target Audience: What reactions are anticipated vs. what happened? How big is your virtual market? Is it in line with business requirements or expectations? What was the degree of engagement? Survey your customers for direct and anecdotal feedback.
2. Channel evaluation: Did the performance or response meet the agreed metrics. What was the ROI? How many sales leads and conversions were realised?
3. Responses: The popular metric in social media is the number of “likes” or “followers”, but this can be bought and engineered. In a lot of cases, they are just numbers. What about engagement? This could include comments, appointment request, sales orders or proposals written. Use metrics which have the most meaning for your business.
In conclusion: creating your own communications strategy juggernaut has never been easier or cost-effective. However, standing out in an increasingly noisy market place is now more difficult than ever before. Give yourself the best chance by planning carefully and creating a communications strategy that builds on corporate strategy and positions your business as unique. Clearly define your ideal customer and target them rather than the whole market.
Reference:
· Wikipedia: Strategic Communication