Locking in your business plan for the year? 5 ways to align it to your communication plan.
Aligning or creating your communication plan should be a key part of your annual business planning process. It is critical that any strategic goals or plans you decide on for your business are closely aligned to your messaging and communication activities.
Without strategic alignment, the message you send to your people and to your most important stakeholders, may not be in the best interests of your business goals or growth.
Here are 5 ways you can check in on your communication plan, or start thinking about creating one that suits the vision for your business:
- Do your business objectives or direction still align to your narrative? If the way you are positioning your business has shifted, then your communication (internal and external) will need to shift too.
- Audience – are you targeting a new group of stakeholders? Do you have a key project to deliver this year where you need better understanding of your customers? Now is the time to assess your audience for any changes or shifting needs.
- Messages that stick. If your direction or stakeholders have changed, then the same tired messages will need to change too. Think about what will stick with your audience. What do they want? What do they need to know?
- Select your channels – Reconsider new and innovative ways to reach your audience. Maybe something has changed since COVID-19?
- Measure – if you’re shifting direction or rolling out a new project, you need to measure your success in communicating it. Measure it against your business objectives – did it help you reach your goal? Launch your product? Connect with your stakeholders?
We work closely with our clients to create effective communication plans that align to your business strategy and help move you closer to your business goals.
Each year, I go through my own robust planning process with the guidance of my business mentor. Being guided through this process not only helps us to grow, reach our goals and ensure we have the right structure and systems in place, but it also challenges us on what?s working and what?s not. My next step is always to look at our own communication plan to make sure it will serve us and our plans.
Open a conversation today if you need some strategic advice on reaching your communication objectives or developing and implementing a communication plan.
