9 steps to an effective communication plan
Is this the first time you've created a communications plan and you're wondering what's involved?
As with any activity used to manage and grow a business, an external communications project requires visibility: knowing where you're going, why you're going there and how you're going to get there.
In this sense, the communications plan is a strategic aid and a valuable operational framework... provided it is properly drawn up!
So how do you go about it? What elements should you consider and incorporate into your actions?
Here's an example of how to draw up a company communications plan, in 9 steps.
Defining a communications plan
As with any marketing, sales or HR project, a communications project requires an action plan to ensure that it stays on track, in line with the company's overall policy.
It therefore provides a framework for the operational teams by setting out the nature and planning of the various communication operations.
It also provides visibility for the company's senior management so that they can evaluate and adjust the strategy as necessary.
☝️ While a communications plan involves the creation of a document setting out the various actions to come, by this term we mean above all their implementation, as we shall see in the development of this article.
Why draw up a communication plan?
There are several advantages to following a finely-tuned communications plan:
- Precise definition of communication strategy requirements,
- estimating and controlling the costs of communications projects
- organising and coordinating activities
- assessing the performance of actions undertaken.
However, to be fully effective, a communications plan must include a number of stages. Let's take a look at them in detail.
A concrete example of a 9-step method for producing a communication plan
Step 1: Clearly define your mandate
In order to communicate intelligently with your audience, you need to define precisely what you want to achieve.
The objective of a communications plan, or mandate, is the starting point for the project, and will guide all operations and decision-making.
For example, it could be to
- publicising a new product or service
- raising your profile with a specific segment,
- increasing the number of sales,
- changing your brand image,
- influence your consumers' behaviour,
- solve a communications problem,
- increase customer loyalty, etc.
☝️ In addition to your goal, a mandate generally includes a timeframe, a deadline. For example, it might take the following form: produce a communications plan to double sales of product X between April 2020 and December 2021.
Step 2: Identify your target
As in marketing, targeting is the key to the success of your communication campaigns.
Identifying who you're targeting means knowing how to talk to them and through which channels.
☝️ Be careful not to confuse marketing targets with communication targets. The former represents the people you want to sell to, the latter those you want to make yourself known to. Consequently, the communication target is larger in volume than the marketing target.
What criteria?
As a general rule, the criteria used to determine your communication target can be divided into three categories:
- socio-demographic criteria (age, gender, geographical criteria, social class, etc.),
- psychological criteria (personality, lifestyle, etc.),
- criteria relating to buying behaviour (consumer habits, buying behaviour, etc.).
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Depending on your objectives, determine which criteria are the most interesting to exploit.
Which method?
To do this, think about who your message is really aimed at.
☑️ Determine who your target audience is in theory: is the new product you want to communicate about aimed more at young professionals? Or an older, more established population? Is your target audience predominantly male, female or both?
Ask yourself the right questions, the ones that will tell you which segment of the population is best suited to achieving your initial objective.
☑️ Determine who your target audience is in practice: do you know what the typical profiles are for your message? Now it's time to correlate this data with that gathered from your website or your physical point of sale.
💡 Does your company already have CRM (customer relationship management) software? This tool is designed to optimise the relationship with your prospects and customers, with the aim of increasing conversion and loyalty rates. Consequently, the effectiveness of CRM solutions depends to a large extent on the collection and analysis of data relating to these same prospects and customers. Age, gender, customer history, areas of interest... don't hesitate to use this type of software to pinpoint the targets of your communication plans.
Step 3: Find your communications focus
Once you've defined your mandate and identified your target audience, you'll need to identify your communication focus. This is your reference point, the central idea around which your entire plan will revolve.
But what exactly is it?
A communication axis is the promise that your message conveys. For example :
- a cheaper product,
- a feeling of prestige associated with using the product,
- belonging to a community,
- ecological considerations, etc.
The possibilities are endless, and the only limit is your creativity. However, it should be noted that a good communication strategy should generally :
- respond to a need or desire of your target audience,
- differentiate you from your competitors
- ensure that you are remembered.
Step 4: estimate your budgets and resources
So that you know where you're going and don't get caught out, always estimate in advance the budget and resources you'll be allocating to your communications plan.
This estimate will help determine the nature and scope of the actions that will actually be carried out, as well as the operational objectives.
Step 5: set your operational objectives
While the communication plan depends on an overall strategic objective (the famous mandate), it also requires a set of operational objectives to monitor its implementation.
The SMART method is the most commonly used to set these objectives, not least because it has a positive effect on employee motivation.
A SMART objective must be both :
- Specific and simple,
- Measurable
- Acceptable
- Realistic,
- Temporally defined.
Step 6: Determine your KPIs
To know whether your communication plan is going well and whether the operational objectives of each are being achieved, it is important to determine the KPIs( key performance indicators) beforehand. They meet the "Measurable" condition of the SMART method.
As part of a communication plan, these KPIs are determined on the basis of :
- your objectives: for example, if you want to raise your profile, monitor the development of your community on your social networks and their engagement, or the increase in traffic to your website. If, on the other hand, your aim is to increase your sales, analyse the conversion rates from your campaigns.
- from the communication channels you choose.
Step 7: Plan your actions
You have your message and your target. How do you get your message across to your target audience?
By devising a distribution strategy based essentially on the following two questions:
☑️ How do I get my message out?
There are many distribution channels:
- emailing
- social networks
- websites
- blogs,
- influencers
- print media
- radio, etc.
Ultimately, the question to ask yourself is: which communication channels are most likely to reach my target audience?
☑️ How often should I disseminate my messages?
Produce a schedule, a calendar of your actions.
☝️ The concept of a communication plan is often associated with that of a table.
A table makes it easier to see things clearly and to meet deadlines using the retroplanning technique. This involves starting with the project deadline and planning the activities by going back in time and setting milestones.
Example of a communication plan table:
Love Communication
Step 8: Take action
Now you need to take concrete action:
- by determining precisely the role of each member of staff or service provider in implementing your communication plan.
- by producing the various communication media required. Message, visuals, format... always keep in mind the specific characteristics of your target audience and your objectives. Above all, be creative!
- by distributing these materials through the channels you've determined in advance, while keeping to your timetable.
💡Project management software, as well as task management software, will prove invaluable in the conceptualisation and execution of your communication plan. Planning actions, allocating resources, controlling the budget, monitoring the progress of operations, collaborating, readjusting actions... these are all possibilities offered by this type of tool, and doing so efficiently.
Step 9: Evaluate your results
Finally, use the KPIs to monitor the performance of your communication plan and adjust it if necessary.
No communication plan... without an internal communication plan
At the end of the day, the life of a company is largely based on the execution of plans, whatever the objectives or departments involved.
And communication is no exception to the rule, so much so that the discipline requires a clear strategic vision and rigorous implementation of actions. That's why a well-crafted communications plan remains a solid tool on which to rely and which, coupled with the use of the right software, will ensure the success of your projects.
However, while the communication plan offers visibility to every player, whether internal or external to the company, it cannot function properly without a strong policy of collaboration. This is why we also hear the term internal communication plan. Its objective? To keep all the project's protagonists properly informed, with the aim of improving overall coordination, but above all increasing commitment and motivation!
Article translated from French