Ira M. Gostin, MBA, APR is the chief strategist at G8 Strategies, helping global companies tell their brand stories to move the needle.
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Developing a robust communications strategy is a vital aspect of your business’s marketing plan. A company undermines its marketing efforts, though, when it sends confusing messages, presents an unclear story or fails to provide a clear call to action for its audience.
The good news is that some deep thinking and deliberate planning can tighten up your company’s current comms formula or help you develop a brand-new one. Here are five essential things to do when developing your business communications strategy:
1. Identify your target audience.
Identifying who you want to speak to is a crucial first step. Are you trying to appeal to investors, retail consumers, business-to-business (B2B) customers or some other stakeholders? Each group will require a different tack, and you may have multiple audiences that require different messages.
It’s also vital to understand how each audience consumes information. Where do they spend their time? What do they read? Who do they listen to? Answering these questions will help you focus on and develop a targeted message that resonates with each audience.
2. Understand your audience’s needs.
This is an often overlooked step in the planning process, but it’s critical, so don’t skip it. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Try to understand their challenges, needs and desires. What’s important to them, and which problem does your company solve for them? Putting some thought into their frame of mind will help you develop targeted messaging that connects with them on a deep level.
3. Craft your story.
Storytelling is a powerful marketing tool (I think the most powerful!). Your story should be direct and have a significant impact on your audience. It should give them a reason to care about what you are saying and what you bring to the table. It isn’t a boring rehash of your firm’s history. It’s a piece that grabs their attention and gives them a reason to like you or your product. What do you stand for? Why should they believe in you? That’s your story.
4. Develop a marketing message.
Your marketing message is more than just a tag line. It’s the nugget that piques your interest and hooks your audience. That hook leads them through the process of considering, then engaging, your services. The marketing message should be an unmistakable, concise statement that reflects your brand’s values and resonates with your audiences. Let me be clear: Your marketing message isn’t your entire story. The marketing message is merely the first taste.
5. Provide a clear call to action.
Shouting your message without a specific call to action is like yelling at the Grand Canyon. You know it’s out there, but is anyone listening? Your messaging must tell the customer what to do next: call you, text you, visit your website or download an information piece. The call to action must be specific and synchronized with your brand story and marketing message. It all aligns to dramatically increase engagement with your target audiences.
So you’ve done your homework. You’ve planned and executed this five-point plan. Don’t forget to measure the outcome. And I don’t just mean bringing in new business or selling more widgets. Remember that call to action? Measure it through the number of downloads, unique website visits, phone calls, etc. You can measure your comms strategy by observing how it’s bringing in the audience to look, how much engagement you’re able to perform and then ultimately how much you’re moving the needle for your business.
Developing a communications strategy that aligns with your overall marketing plan is critical for the success of your business. It isn’t easy, nor should it be. It takes time, thought, planning and deliberate execution in the right channels. But by following the steps, identifying your target audience, understanding their needs, crafting a compelling story, developing a clear marketing message and providing a specific call to action, you can effectively engage with your audience and achieve your marketing objectives.
A well-executed communications plan can make all the difference in how your brand is perceived. Invest the time and effort to develop a strategy that resonates with your audience and drives results for your business.
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