If you’re trying to navigate through the choppy waters of strategic communications planning, you won’t find many resources to help you with the process. I’ve written a few strategic communications plans – mostly for enterprise level organizations – and hope this helps a few new hires who have to create one.
Your Strategic Communications Plan begins with an Executive Summary. Why you are writing it? (To communicate effectively.) Who’s it for? (Audiences.) Key themes for internal and external communications. Delegation of responsibility. Message standards. Frequency of communications. A communications matrix. Communications standards and guidelines.
The next sections in the plan:
Purpose (i.e. not a tactical plan).
Assumptions (all team members participate in the comms process; training is not included; commitment to two-way info, etc).
Goals and Objectives. The most obvious goal: to provide a framework for consistent messaging within your organization.
This could be supported by the following objectives: ensure understanding and use of the communications framework; ensure clear and consistent communication to recipients; educate organization on results, value and contribution; support achievement of the key elements of your business plan; and solicit feedback.
You should probably outline how the goals and objectives can be achieved: designing, writing and distributing up-to-date information in support of your department; maintaining a standard departmental brand identity for all presentations and stakeholder communications; creating consistent announcements of new programs, projects, campaigns; collaborating with other business units within your organization by providing relevant information that impacts the organization at large; participating in special events that promote your department or organization; maintaining relevant information in all communication channels; maintaining procedures for executing short-term, mid-term and ad hoc tactical communication plans; providing an annual update on overall accomplishments as part of the Vice President and/or Executive Vice President roadshows, etc.
Audiences. Internal would be leadership teams, steering committees, strategic partnerships, contractors, sales, marketing, etc.
Audience guidelines. Each communication should fit the technical level of the intended audience. General guidelines for communicating with the groups identified in this plan are as follows: establish a clear, consistent, and easily recognizable message; state any necessary action at the beginning of each message; direct the message to the audience; include business unit segment name, contact information, closing statement and once developed, provide a link to the organization’s website; Educate the audience about your department’s value when appropriate; use all appropriate and available communication channels; ensure timely and meaningful communication; avoid information “overload; repeat messages through various channels; create demand by encouraging team members to pull for information; give information that the audience wants and needs, not just what is required; manage expectations; avoid too many names in distribution list to ensure a personalized communication (e.g. use the BCC field for large lists); Solicit, listen to, and respond to feedback from stakeholders
Delegation of Responsibility – you can include a RACI chart (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed). Stick with titles of stakeholders instead of names, in case there are changes in the organization. You can do it in Excel and copy and paste special as a jpeg image within your plan.
Frequency – you can include a chart of relevant tactical communication vehicles (e-newsletters, campaign e-mails, website updates, etc) and the corresponding timelines (i.e. monthly, quarterly, etc).
Communications standards. So, obviously, a focused communication aims to clarify a few points rather than cover an unlimited range of issues. Focus on the following questions to help determine what to include in your message:
1. What is the purpose?
2. Who is the audience?
3. When does it need to be distributed?
4. What is the most direct way to convey the message?
5. What action is required on the part of the reader?
6. Does the message link back to departmental and organizational strategic imperatives?
7. What are the key themes?
8. Who on the team is doing what to reinforce the value that your department provides?
9. Be succinct with key asks and link to value of department
Subsections of Communications Standards include Style (formatting/fonts) Graphic identity (if you regularly use PPT templates with imagery for your department, for example).
Messages. Include a ditty on how effective messages are short, clearly written and presented in a consistent manner regardless of the media used. Mention that your organization maintains communication and editorial standards that exemplify these traits and are as acronym free as possible. (If that’s the case.)
In addition to specific content, mention how messages increase awareness of services and support, and strengthen the departmental identity and its value within the overall organization. For each communication, a key theme should be represented such as:
- Give information that the audience wants and needs, not just what is required
- Manage expectations
- Maintain continual alignment to the departmental strategy and ensure that every message contains a reference to your strategic business drivers
- Deliver measurable campaigns & programs that drive demand creation and loyalty, etc.
You can also include a subsection of Key Messages.
Communication channels such as:
- E-newsletters
- Events (roadshows, offsite meetings)
- Bulletins
- Slide decks
- Email
- Focus groups
- Workshops
- Videoconferences
- Roadshows
- Lunch & Learns
- Voicemail
- VP Communications (e.g. a Business Update)
- Meetings (e.g. face to face (F2F), stakeholder updates)
- Feedback
Subsections for the Communications Channels section can be Portal and/or Communication events (in which you can include a URL for the events calendar. Email and voicemail (most organizations have a brand policy on fonts for emails and signatures) as well as Offsite meetings and Team announcements. Outline appropriate content for Team Announcements, such as success stories, achievements and contributions of departmental team members, employee issues raised in internal engagement surveys, organizational and people changes, training courses available, resources, new project and program opportunities and team dynamics – new hires, departures, babies, etc.
A section on Feedback is essential (what the mechanisms are and why you need it).
A Communications matrix serves as a guide to the “who,” “what,” and “when” of communications. Individual teams will use the matrix to identify and deliver to a specific audience, channels and delivery timetable. So, internal or external audience, communications channel and frequency are the headers for the chart.
There should be a section on Program and project communications and where to find a template on the LAN.
Finally, the Conclusion covers how the plan serves as an overall framework.
Happy planning!
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