When you write a communications plan for your business, it’s important to keep in mind that it’s your road map for how you communicate – both internally with your team and externally with your customers and potential customers.
Where exactly do you start if you want to write a communications plan for your business?
It all starts with the 5 W’s and an H – who, what, when, where, why, and how, though we switch up the order a bit.
Why: business goals
Your business goals are your why. The rest of it doesn’t really matter if you’re not clear about what you’re trying to accomplish. What business goals are you trying to reach, long-term and short-term? What challenges should your business be prepared for and where is your business headed?
Who: audience
Who are you trying to reach? Who is your target audience or ideal customer? This includes both demographics like age, gender, where they live, income level, profession, etc., and psychographics which is more focused on what matters to them. And, of course, identifying what YOU can help them with.
What: key messages
What do you need to say to your audience? Do your key messages align with what your audience needs/wants to hear? Developing some key messages for your business can help keep your message clear and consistent over time and across channels.
Where: communications channels
Where can you find your target audience? Do they prefer digital marketing or print? A mix of both? What social media channels do they use most? Knowing your audience is a great first step to determining which channels are best for your business.
When and how: action items
When you write a communications plan for your business, the “when” and “how” is the part that contains your action steps. For example, reviewing and revising your website to incorporate key messages and keep your content fresh and updated, developing a clear social media strategy to engage with your customers, or creating a series of print pieces to support your sales team.
Once you have a strategy in place, review your communications plan regularly and update it to reflect any changes within your business.
Want to learn more on this topic? Check out this on-demand webinar on writing a communications plan.
Need some help creating a communications plan for your business? Schedule an intro call with our team today, and let’s start developing a strategy.