What to remember
A communication plan is a roadmap to guide all internal and external communication initiatives, to manage crisis communication or even for a specific marketing campaign. It represents An indispensable tool which allows not only to structure the messages, but also to determine the objectives, the target audiences, the channels to be used, as well as the distribution schedule. Careful planning ensures coherence and effectiveness in the implementation of communication actions. Businesses and organizations of all sizes and in all sectors must implement targeted and thoughtful communication to engage their audience and achieve their goals.
What is a communication plan?
A communication plan is a strategic document that accurately describes all communication activities that will be implemented to achieve the company's goals. It includes various items such as goals, key messages, target audiences, communication channels, and timelines, allowing the organization to coordinate its efforts in a coherent and measurable manner. It is designed to adapt to the specific needs of the business while taking into account available resources and potential constraints.
What's in a communication plan: the fundamental elements
The communication plan should contain certain elements to structure and organize a company's communication efforts:
- The goals: You need to identify and pose on paper the clear and measurable goals you are aiming for, such as increasing awareness, changing perceptions, or influencing behaviors.
- Targets: It is also important to note the audiences that the communication plan seeks to reach. They can be customers, partners, employees or future candidates, or other stakeholders.
- The key message: Your communication plan presents the idea you want to convey to different audiences.
- Communication channels : You must list in your communication plan the means and platforms used to spread your message, such as social networks, emails, websites...
- The implementation schedule: A detailed communication schedule indicates when each communication activity will take place, allowing for effective management of time and resources.
- The budget: Your communication plan also provides an estimate of the costs associated with its implementation, including content production, media purchases, and other expenses.
Why create a communication plan?
Creating a communication plan is a crucial step. A well-constructed plan ensures that each communication action serves a specific purpose and is part of a global vision. It ensures that messages are well designed and delivered at the right time to the right audiences, maximizing their impact.
By clearly articulating the elements necessary to achieve communication goals, the plan allows the appropriate allocation of human, financial and temporal resources. With clear and quantifiable goals, it becomes easier to measure the effectiveness of communication initiatives and to make adjustments if necessary.
The 10 steps to create a communication plan
Step 1: Analyze the current situation
Before getting started, it is essential to understand the current situation of the organization, its competitors, and the market. This context analysis makes it possible to identify opportunities and threats.
Let's imagine the launch of a new product line for a technology company. The first step could include market analysis in order to understand demand.
Step 2: Define goals
Communication goals should align with the overall goals of the organization. They must be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-Defined).
In our example related to the launch of a new product line, clear and sales-related communication goals would be set. The communication campaign should make it possible to announce the launch of new items on the market, strengthen the brand image and attract potential customers.
Step 3: Identify the target audience
It's essential to know exactly what audience segments you want to reach. This involves extensive research to fully understand their needs, expectations, and behaviors.
For our example, the target audience could be young tech-savvy professionals or even students.
Step 4: Develop key messages
Messages should be clear, relevant, and aligned with the organization's values. They need to be able to capture the attention of the target audience and convey essential information in a memorable way.
The key messages, for our example, would highlight the innovation and daily effectiveness of the range.
Step 5: Select communication channels
Choosing the right communication channels is crucial to maximizing the reach and impact of messages. Whether it's social media, websites, digital signage, or events, each channel needs to be evaluated for its potential effectiveness.
For a launch of a technology product line, communication channels could include social media, influential tech blog posts, and a digital signage campaign in shopping centers.
Digital signage is a particularly effective way to communicate. You can thus broadcast different types of content formats on dynamic screens placed in strategic locations. They broadcast continuously and in real time The visual messages that naturally attract the eye. Thanks to a solution like Cenareo, coupled with a player, you can broadcast different content on several screens by connecting them.
Step 6: Develop a communication schedule
A detailed calendar makes it possible to plan communication actions over a given period of time, by aligning campaigns with strategic objectives and by ensuring strategic distribution.
For the launch of a new line of products, a calendar extending over 3 months would be established in order to create enthusiasm around this announcement.
Step 7: Set the budget
Evaluate available financial resources to determine what can be achieved. This includes the production of content, the purchase of advertising space, and distribution costs.
The budget for a product launch would be divided between content creation, advertising and promotional events.
Step 8: Prepare content
The content should be engaging and adapted to each communication channel. It should meet and resonate with the needs of the target audience while staying true to key messages.
For the launch of a new line of technological products, various types of content can be created in order to generate interest and engage the various target audiences. This could include sending personalized newsletters, blog posts detailing technological innovations and the problems solved by these innovations, and product demonstration videos, for example.
In order to reduce the costs of producing content, you can internalize some of it. If you don't have the resources in-house, you can approach a solution like Cenareo Video that allows easily create videos from predefined formats and provides accurate turning guides. The tool also offers the possibility of automatic assembly of the video and gives access to several audience statistics to track the performance of the videos once broadcast.
Step 9: Implement the plan
This phase consists in deploying the planned actions while coordinating the stakeholders to ensure the smooth running of communication actions.
Step 10: Evaluate and Adjust
After implementation, it is essential to measure the effectiveness of actions based on criteria defined in advance. This assessment makes it possible to make adjustments and optimize future campaigns.
All you have to do is assess, post-launch, and quantify the impact of your communications in terms of reputation and sales.
