How do you choose the right channels and platforms for your brand communication plan?

1 Know your audience

The first step is to understand who your audience is, what they want, and how they behave. You can use tools like surveys, interviews, personas, and customer journey maps to gather insights about your audience segments. You should also analyze your competitors and industry trends to identify gaps and opportunities in the market. Knowing your audience will help you tailor your brand communication plan to their preferences, pain points, and motivations.

2 Define your objectives

The next step is to define what you want to achieve with your brand communication plan. You should have clear and measurable objectives that align with your overall brand strategy and vision. For example, do you want to increase awareness, generate leads, build loyalty, or drive sales? Depending on your objectives, you can choose different channels and platforms that suit your purpose and budget. You should also set key performance indicators (KPIs) to track and evaluate your results.

3 Choose your channels

The third step is to choose the channels that will help you reach your audience and objectives. Channels are the broad categories of communication media that you can use, such as social media, email, website, blog, podcast, video, etc. You should consider the strengths and weaknesses of each channel, as well as the resources and skills required to use them effectively. You should also prioritize the channels that your audience prefers and trusts, and that match your brand voice and tone.

4 Choose your platforms

The fourth step is to choose the platforms that will help you optimize your channel performance and engagement. Platforms are the specific tools or applications that you can use within each channel, such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Mailchimp, WordPress, etc. You should consider the features and functionalities of each platform, as well as the costs and benefits of using them. You should also research the best practices and trends for each platform, and how they fit your brand identity and style.

5 Create your content

The fifth step is to create your content that will deliver your brand message and value proposition to your audience. Content is the substance and form of your communication, such as text, images, audio, video, etc. You should create content that is relevant, useful, engaging, and consistent across all channels and platforms. You should also use content formats that suit your audience's preferences and behaviors, and that enhance your brand personality and differentiation.

6 Test and optimize

The final step is to test and optimize your brand communication plan based on the feedback and data you collect from your audience and platforms. You should monitor and measure your KPIs and metrics, such as reach, impressions, clicks, conversions, retention, etc. You should also solicit and respond to comments, reviews, questions, and suggestions from your audience. You should use the insights and learnings from your tests and optimization to improve your brand communication plan and achieve your objectives.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?