Article published by Home Business Magazine
Communication
is a key element of marketing in any type of business organization. From small
or large businesses, profit or not-for-
profit,
in all segments; it is an essential part of business planning.
Organizing
objectives and how to accomplish them allows business leaders and their teams
to stick to the plan, resulting in
strategy
continuity.
Make
sure your communications plan is clear and straight to the point, including the
following items.
1.
Communications Objectives
Use
this section to nurture general actions that will deliver your positioning, and
the information needs of your audience.
List a
minimum
of two but no more than four or five key objectives for the period. Be
specific, and try to make your goals measurable.
Some
examples are:
•“Effectively
reach key targeted audience.”
•“Cultivate
a long-term relationship with targeted audience to gain credibility.”
•“Position
the business as a niche leader.”
2.
Audience Profile
Define
your targeted audience and be as specific as possible. Learn where your audience is located,
and how they live, their
standards
and beliefs, what, how and when they use your product or similar, what they
like or dislike. Is there a
primary and
secondary
audience? List them in order of
importance, and identify who and what influences that audience. Focus on the
audience-related
data that is important to your organization. Understanding consumer behavior is critical in order to
successfully
build
your strategies and action plan.
3.
Key Messages
Think
about the concept you want associated with your brand. These messages will deliver your
objectives, positioning your
brand
through all media and points of contact with customers, such as brochures,
advertising, website, call center, locations,
press
releases, etc.
Here
are some examples:
•“We
deliver customized services.”
•“We
provide the fastest service in its niche.”
•“Professional
development courses at reasonable costs.”
4.
Main Communication Channels
Identify
the most important and credible channels for your audience, the ones that are
popular and would best deliver your
message. Take into consideration your objectives
and budget. You want to maximize your dollars and exposure, reaching out to
your
current and potential customers at the right timing, and with
significance. Make sure the
channels you choose are in line
with
your objectives, and that they reach a very targeted audience. Don’t waste money delivering your
message to unqualified
customers.
5.
Key Strategies and Programs
Strategy
is how resources are distributed and utilized to achieve your key
objectives. Tactics are important
to make the
strategies
action-oriented. List no more than
5 top strategies, and underneath each one, align programs in support. Keep them
organized
with time schedules.
For
example:
Strategy
1: Utilize Press Releases to increase visibility to corporate organizations.
Programs:
•Develop
monthly publicity actions on appealing topics to maximize the exposure of the
services or products you offer. The
information
should be released by approaching journalists and/or issuing press releases to
trade publications. Press releases
are
normally
issued a minimum of 2 months prior to the program/event.
•Combine
the schedule of topics with marketing activities.
6.
Budget
Prepare
a detailed budget chart, breaking it down by activities. Prepare year-over-year comparisons to
evaluate results and
calculate
ROI.
7.
Evaluation Plan
In
addition to the numeric targets, it is important to establish parameters to
measure the effectiveness of your activities.
Establish
standards of performance to use as a benchmark, which will allow you to take
corrective action, adjusting your strategies
along
the year.
Examples:
•Increase
in volume of contacts and inquiries after key communications.
•PR
exposure and ROI by type of publication.
8.
Attachments
Attach
a calendar of activities and the timeline.
©
Lima Lerch Consulting 2006-2008. All Rights Reserved.
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
Renata
B.L.Lerch is a recognized authority on strategic marketing. She is the founder
and managing director of Lima Lerch
Consulting,
and has worked with strategic marketing for over 17 years. Before starting Lima
Lerch Consulting, she managed
marketing
and business development in large multinationals, covering the US, European and
Latin American markets.
Lima
Lerch Consulting (www.limalerchconsulting.com) provides leading marketing
consulting services to companies in the US and
Latin
America.
Contact
us at customerservice@limalerchconsulting.com, or logon to
limalerchconsulting.com.
Renata’s
direct e-mail address is renata@limalerchconsulting.com
