Get Full Value From Your Communication Plan

A marketing or public relations initiative is only as successful as its communication plan. A good plan shows that you are a strategic thinker who knows what your organization needs, and that you possess the ability to marshal and direct communication resources to meet those needs.

Communication programs must be precisely targeted. Establishing a firm understanding of your audience's core values and media preferences is essential for hitting the communication bulls-eye. In addition, you'll want to limit delivery of your messages to the critical few, or else you'll diffuse the impact and confuse your audience.

Determining the right audience and key messages is a crucial element of a communication plan, but it is only one component. Your communication plan should also take into account the reality within your organization. By increasing internal understanding and acceptance of the plan, you build momentum that will help you and your program succeed.

Prescription for a plan — part I
The following elements are vital to the success of your communication program:

• Situation. What's going on that's led to this communication initiative? You could be entering a new market, defending a traditional one, supporting or opposing legislation, rolling out a product, introducing a new program for employees, or doing a hundred other things. Regardless of the catalyst, ground your plan by explaining what's taking place in your enterprise, and why it matters.

• Research and evidence. Your plan must be rooted in facts, ideally gained through research. How many widgets are you selling? What's your market share and trend in the target segment? What do opinion surveys say your target audiences are thinking? With a clear understanding of such performance indicators, you'll have a solid basis on which to set measurable program goals that are meaningful to the organization and serve to track your progress.

• Organizational goals. Your communication plan should clearly describe what the enterprise wants to accomplish or change, in terms you can measure.

• Communication objectives. Communication can't make people buy a particular product or vote for a specific candidate. But it can give them information that raises their readiness to act in the way you want. Thus, the communication plan should set forth how you intend to change their minds in a manner that will help accomplish organizational goals.

Prescription for a plan — part II
The next phase in crafting your communication plan includes these three facets:

• Communication strategy. What's the concept or approach at the heart of your communication program? New ideas are great, but old standbys can be effective as well. Just make sure you're clear about the strategic foundation your plan is built on.

• Tactics. What steps will you take to implement your plan, and in what time frame will implementation occur? This is the ideal point to provide a detailed explanation of how you'll put your communication plan into action.

• Implementation plan and schedule. Finally, when you've nailed down every detail, be sure to establish who's responsible for what and when each item is due. Assigning responsibility and setting a time line are essential to making the communication plan a viable management and control document. Of course, circumstances can change, but with your plan and schedule in hand you'll better appreciate the potential impact of the changes and respond most effectively.

Benchmarks of a solid plan
Keep in mind that a good plan is not just about communication, it is communication, a vital tool for motivating and directing the resources you need for success. It must build leadership support and clarify the roles of key supporting players. It should explain why communication matters and how it will benefit the organization. It must identify the audiences whose minds you want to change and the messages you want to deliver. It has to lay out your strategy and define how you will measure success. And, at the tactical level, a communication plan must tell team members what to do and when to do it.

Measurement: key to credibility
You've put a lot of work into developing and implementing a communication plan. But how can you prove your program has succeeded? The answer: Measure it. A good program begins by measuring key indicators such as audience awareness and media content, and ends by measuring those factors again to show what difference the program made. (How does your share of voice in the media compare with competitors? Is the media carrying your messages, and are audiences hearing and accepting those messages?)

Time and funding for measurement are not always easy to obtain, but nothing shows a communicator's professionalism more clearly than measurable results. You wouldn't run a company without financial reports. It's equally unwise to implement a communication plan without measuring its results.

About BurrellesLuce
BurrellesLuce helps communication professionals maximize their media relations results through a full range of planning, monitoring and measurement services. Besides delivering content, the company's online platform, called BurrellesLuce 2.0, enables clients to target and connect with journalists and bloggers, monitor the media for coverage, and measure and understand the impact of their outreach efforts. Founded in 1888 and headquartered in Livingston, New Jersey, BurrellesLuce has offices throughout the United States.