How to Build a Communication Plan That Actually Works

Lots of organizations put together communication plans, but how many of them actually get the job done? Too often, these plans end up gathering dust on a shelf, only pulled out when things hit the fan. A communication plan that truly works is like a living guide that shapes what you say, strengthens your connections, and helps you reach your big goals. It’s not just about talking; it’s about saying the right things, to the right people, at the right time, and in the right way.

First off, to build a communication plan that isn’t just a paperweight, you need to really nail down what you’re trying to achieve. What’s the point of your communication efforts? Are you launching a new product, getting your name out there, dealing with a potential crisis, or connecting with your employees? Fuzzy goals like “communicate better” aren’t going to cut it. Instead, aim for goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and have a deadline. For example, instead of “get more people to know our brand,” a better goal would be “increase positive mentions of our brand on social media by 20% in the next three months.”

Once you’re crystal clear on your goals, the next thing is to really get to know who you’re talking to. Who are these people you want to reach? What do they care about? What are their problems? Where do they get their information? Not understanding your audience is like talking to a wall. Think about when Google first tried to market Google Glass. The technology was cool, but their communication didn’t really address people’s worries about privacy and looking a bit strange wearing them. Because they didn’t connect with what their potential users were thinking, it didn’t really take off. A good communication plan would have put understanding those concerns first and then shaped the message accordingly.

With clear goals and a good handle on your audience, you can then figure out your key messages. These are the main ideas you want to keep repeating across everything you say. Your messages should be clear, short, interesting, and match your goals and what your audience cares about. Look at Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign. Their main idea, celebrating natural beauty and challenging those old-fashioned beauty standards, really hit home with their audience and did a lot for their brand and for starting a positive conversation. A strong communication plan makes sure these core messages pop up in all your communication activities.

The next important piece is choosing the right channels. Where are you most likely to actually reach the people you want to talk to? Is it on social media, in traditional news, through email, in company newsletters, at events, or a mix of these? Picking the wrong channel can make even the best message fall flat. The rise and then kind of leveling off of Clubhouse as a main way to communicate shows this. It was a big deal at first, but its audio only thing and the fact that not everyone could get in limited how useful it was for many brands in the long run. A solid communication plan carefully weighs the pros and cons of different channels and picks the ones that best fit your audience and what you’re trying to do.

A communication plan that works also has a clear timeline and who’s doing what. Who’s in charge of creating each message, who’s sending it out, and when does it need to happen? This makes sure everyone knows their job and things get done on time. Think about launching a new product. A well-planned communication effort would have a schedule with specific tasks, deadlines, and who’s responsible for everything from writing the press release to scheduling social media posts and setting up interviews. If you don’t have clear timelines and who’s doing what, things can get messy and you can miss opportunities.

Importantly, a good communication plan includes how you’re going to measure success. How will you know if you’re making progress towards your goals? What numbers will you look at to see if things are working? Checking your communication efforts regularly helps you see what’s hitting the mark and what’s not, so you can make changes as you go. Think about a social media campaign. Looking at things like how many people are interacting with your posts, how many people you’re reaching, how many clicks you’re getting on your website, and what people are saying about you gives you a good idea of how well it’s working and what you might need to tweak. Not measuring is like driving without a map; you won’t know if you’re going the right way.

Finally, a communication plan that really works is flexible and can change. The world of communication is always moving, and unexpected things can happen. Your plan should be something you can adjust if you need to respond to new situations. The communication strategies companies used during the COVID 19 pandemic are a great example of how important it is to be able to adapt. Plans had to be changed quickly to address new worries, use different ways to communicate, and share information that was changing all the time.

Building a communication plan that actually works is more than just listing things you’re going to do. It takes clear goals, really knowing your audience, strong messages, picking the right ways to communicate, knowing who’s responsible for what, figuring out how you’ll measure success, and being ready to adapt. By focusing on these key things, organizations can create a powerful tool that actually helps them achieve their goals, instead of just having a plan that sits on a shelf.