How can you create a cost-effective and efficient communication plan for Strategic Communications?

First up: Linkedin's definition of 'Strategic Communication' is just plain wrong. A better definition is: "Strategic communication is a specialized field within communication studies that focuses on the deliberate and purposeful use of communication to achieve specific organizational or strategic goals. It goes beyond the broader concept of communication, which encompasses the exchange of information and messages, by emphasizing the strategic planning and execution of communication efforts." So, a PLAN for the execution of said strategic communication is going to have to first consider the organisation's business goal and link and align your communication with that goal or goals.

Linkedin states in the headline that the plan must be 'cost-effective' and efficient. This requires good foundational data on your part. To create a plan that is cost-effective you need to already know which channels are the most efficient to reach your particular target audience and what types of messages they will respond to. That will eliminate much of the guesswork and make your campaign super focused and cost-efficient. Thus, the best way to create an efficient plan is to build on Insights you have already gathered during previous campaigns. Communication involves some trial-and-error whenever you address a new topic or audience. So start collecting data and evaluate and build up those insights that will eventually make you efficient.

At Arondight Advisors, we helped a fintech company reframe their technical message to resonate with institutional investors. We shifted focus from tech-speak to ease of use, security, and ROI. This new messaging was then incorporated into high-impact articles, social media messaging, and CEO interviews. Our strategic messaging overhaul didn't just make noise—it made an impact, culminating in a funding round that exceeded expectations. A well-crafted message can be your strongest asset, and turn curiosity into commitment.

Continuing to address the issue of 'cost-effective and efficient' planning, I really like the methodology pioneered by professor Christopher Storck at Quadriga University. It is a bit difficult to explain without an illustration, but it is a step-by-step process in which you start with the business goal in mind, determine how to support it with communication, and draw up a plan (including resources needed). You then basically go to get buy-in from management and get the resources you need, based on how good / credible they think your plan is! Then you REWORK your entire plan, based on your newly allocated resources. And you do this with maximum efficiency in mind.

If cost-efficiency is a top priority, there are plenty of tools that allow you to get your message out more affordably than traditional media channels, for example. This is where leveraging the voice of an executive or founder can be powerful, and utilizing social channels can also help. I always remind clients not to overlook the power of employee advocacy too. If you have a team of 20 people, and they all share your content or messaging, that would significantly expand your reach.

Formulating a plan can be done with a multitude of tools and templates that are readily available. But many of them only lead up to the execution of the plan and do not focus on measurement and evaluation, which - as I pointed out above - is a mistake. Every evaluation you do increases your credibility next time you are looking to get executive buy-in for your proposed plan. Check out the Integrated Evaluation Framework by AMEC. It is free and is a great tool for both planning and post-activity evaluation of your activities. And it allows you to draw a straight line from plan to execution to the communication outcome and business impact you created. Google it, and good luck!