What Is A Strategic Communications Plan?
Without a strategic communications plan your company can quickly become frazzled during a communications emergency or seem disjointed in day-to-day messaging. Creating a strategic communications plan provides the framework your company needs to communicate successfully with employees, stakeholders, customers, the media, and the public at large. You may already have the basic framework of a strategic communications plan in place at your company without even knowing it. However, in order for your strategic communications plan to be successful, it should be fleshed out in writing. Here are a few questions you will want to ask yourself before creating a strategic communications plan :
- What is the Strategic Communications Plan Currently in Place at Your Company?
You likely won’t have to start from scratch in creating a strategic communications plan because in all likelihood, you already have many of the elements in place. For example, who responds to inquiries from the public? Who signs off on statements made to the media? How do you communicate company updates both internally and externally? The answer to basic questions like these can be used by a strategic communications firm in drafting a concrete and clear communications plan.
2. What Are the Positives and Negatives of Your Current Communications Strategy?
If you are looking to create a strategic communications plan, it’s probably because you recognize there is room for growth in the current communications strategy you use. When working with a strategic communications firm, be clear about what the current pitfalls are of your current communications strategy, with specific examples. This can help to make sure any issues are addressed clearly in your strategic communications plans to avoid the same problems coming up again. Conversely, it’s just as important to bring up what is working well so those elements can be maintained in your updated or new strategic communications plan.
3. Is Your Company Ready to Commit to a Strategic Communications Plan?
A strategic communications plan is only as strong as your willingness to implement it. By following a strategic communications plan before a PR emergency, your company will be prepared in the event a communication crisis ever does occur. However, if your strategic communications plan is filed away in a drawer, never to be seen again after it was drafted, it will likely be as useless as if you never had one.
So how do you keep your strategic communications plan relevant and out of a dusty file cabinet? 406 Strategic Communications includes day-to-day communications strategies in the strategic communications plans they create. These strategies mirror processes to be used in crisis communication scenarios.
For example, whether the media reaches out to an employee in a crisis situation or just with general questions about normal day-to-day operations, the process for handling communications should be similar. Statements will be vetted through the same channels and the person/team in charge of responding to all media requests should be the same. This reduces confusion amongst employees and the media in a crisis situation for who to direct questions to. Continuity within a strategic communications plan keeps messaging on track in both crisis and day-to-day communications.
4. Do You Have Any Additional Questions About What A Strategic Communications Plan Is?
If you have additional questions about creating a strategic communications plan for your corporation, 406 Strategic Communications offers free consultations where you can get the answers you need to your strategic communications plan questions. Additionally, if you are ready to get started on your strategic communications plan, you can use the time in your free consultation with 406 Strategic Communications to discuss the specifics of your strategic communications plan needs and goals. Schedule your free consultation here.