Communication efforts should be well planned and agenda driven. In strategic communications, you communicate the best message, targeting the right audience, through the right channel, and being able to measure the success of your communication efforts.

The following are 5 tenets of communication to be applied when setting up strategies for effective communication campaigns.

Message Design

Creating an intentional message starts from establishing your communication goals. Ask yourself – what do I really want to achieve with this communication? Do you want to shape a positive reputation for your brand? Are you looking to raise awareness of your products and services? Or connect with stakeholders in a more meaningful way? Whatever the goal, it is imperative to make your communication process purpose-driven and aligned to the ultimate goal. At any point in time, the communication goal should go hand in hand with the organization’s goal.

 

Choice of Channel/Platform

The choice of platform to transmit your message is crucial for any communication activity. The rule of thumb in public relations and marketing is ‘go where your audience is’. Gone are the days when a few dominant platforms dictated and controlled how audiences would receive and consume messages. The audience of today has endless options when it comes to media – traditional or new media, and their variants. Determining your audiences media consumption preferences will ensure that you place your message on the correct platform hence boosting the effectiveness of your communication. Let’s say for instance you are trying to increase the visibility of a fitness center in your local area, then placing an Ad on a local health and fitness magazine will be effective in raising awareness of the new fitness center.

 

Calculated Timing

Timing is everything when it comes to strategic communication. All your planning, analysis, and creative effort may go down the drain if you don’t communicate at the right time. For instance, a campaign by a tours and travel company to market a new destination in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic may not fly. The timing is imprudent. Organizations therefore need to conscious of the context and the audience(s) priorities at any moment in time before dispatching communications.

Target Audience

Organizations ought to single out which audience(s) are important to achieve their message’s goal. Communication is considered effective when the message is received by the intended audience and the desirable output achieved. For instance, audiences for internal communication would include employees, shareholders, managers, and the board of directors. Audiences for external communication messages may include customers, suppliers, influencers, and the media. Segment your audience accordingly; could be demographically, physiographically or geographically. This exercise helps narrow your approach in targeting a specific category of people who are interested in your message.

 

Desired Impact

What impact do you want to create? This is a question you need to answer during the planning stage of your messaging. Clearly define what a successful communication campaign looks like to the organization. It is also at this point that you determine the approach to be used for measuring the success of your campaign. Are you looking to reduce negative media coverage? Are you hoping to increase sales? Are you looking to boost attendance for an upcoming annual conference? Whatever your goal is, be clear on your success measurement metrics to ensure the desired impact has been achieved.

Together, these 5 tenets of strategic communication will go a long way to ensure you create and launch a successful communication campaign.