Exclusive: How to Create The *Ultimate* Strategic Communications Plan

A Strategic Communications Plan is such a powerful thing!

This is a written document that outlines how we communicate our organization's objectives with our stakeholders.

Strong communication plans play a KEY role in executing our objectives successfully - Yet, so many organizations either:

? Haven't attempted to create one at all

? Don't have an informed Strategic Communications Planning process

? Haven't been able to create cohesive messaging

? Haven't been able to arrive at a consensus to finalize a plan

Today, I'd like to help you get started on this vital process. Let's first explore...

How Do You Define Your Audience and Stakeholder Groups?

Here are my key highlights:

? Think about the scope of implementation.

? Segment your audience into appropriate groups that need to be involved (employees, stakeholders, vendors, and customers).

? How you segment your audience relies on the outcome you hope to achieve; For instance, people who may influence the outcomes, people whose behavior may need to change, people who may be for or against the change, and people who may benefit indirectly by it.

? In essence, think about targeting key players that align with your priority communication goals.

How Do You Create a Robust Communications Plan?

Here's a reliable 3-step framework to get you started.

? IDENTIFY the case for change - This is your Why. It is generally understood to be your key message and purpose. For example, your 'Why' could be implementing the plan to generate engagement from key stakeholders.

? DEFINE the situation - You need to perform a Situational Analysis to provide context to your plan. It entails gathering internal and external information to shed light on your Communications Strategy. A Situational Analysis provides more context on the reason you are implementing a plan, how many people will be impacted, what business units, functions or geographies are included, and why it's so important to the business.

? HIGHLIGHT the business need - Define the true business need. Why do you need to communicate what you're intending to communicate? How does that relate to your organizational goals? And most importantly, how will you measure your progress towards those goals?

This is a great foundation to start with!

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