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Communication Strategy: Its Purpose and How to Develop One

A communication strategy is a systematic plan that defines how a company interacts with external and internal audiences to achieve its marketing and business goals.

Main types of communications

Internal communications

These define how a business communicates with its employees: from management emails and general meetings to daily chats and corporate newsletters. Their purpose is to create transparency, clearly explain the company's aspirations, and maintain a sense of belonging.

Internal communications create a culture where business goals are clear and decisions are predictable. Employees feel part of the team and better understand the company's direction. This environment fosters trust and initiative, and employees become more willing to share ideas and support the overall strategy.

External communications

This is the brand's voice to the outside world: everything it communicates to customers, partners, the media, and professional communities. Through social media posts, participation in events, interviews, and press releases, a company shares its values ​​and aspirations. External communications help a brand gain recognition and emotional connection with its audience.

Marketing communications

These include advertising, content marketing, email newsletters, special projects, offline activities, and affiliate campaigns. The goal here is to attract attention and convert interest into a result, such as a purchase or registration.

In marketing management, consistency is crucial. When a company adheres to a consistent tone of voice and stays true to its values, every promotion, banner, or newsletter becomes a seamless continuation of media publications or social media posts.

Crisis communications

They help manage complex and emergency situations, such as technical failures, delivery delays, and order errors. Client trust is built on transparency, openness, and willingness to take responsibility. Planning ahead and preparing communication templates allows you to quickly explain what happened, what measures have already been taken, and when the issue will be resolved.

Source: Really Good Emails

Components of a communication strategy

Current situation analysis

Communication strategy development starts with understanding the company's current position. This is accomplished through an audit:

  • market and competitors are studied;

  • target audience and its expectations are explored;

  • internal resources such as team, budgets, technologies, brand presentation, and analytical capabilities are assessed.

The key value of analysis is that it shows which solutions are already producing results and which areas show potential for growth. For example, strengths may include effective content and an active community, while weaknesses may include obsolete channels or outdated approaches.

Communication strategy goals

Goals are necessary for communication to be structured as a managed process. They must be precise and aligned with business objectives. The SMART model helps formulate them. According to this model, each goal should:
  • be clear and unambiguous;

  • be assessed using measurable criteria;

  • be achievable given current resources and conditions;

  • be relevant to the business;

  • have a strictly defined achievement deadline.

Positioning, tone of voice, and visual style

These three elements form the foundation of brand perception. Through them, a company shows what it believes in, what value it offers, and how it stands out from the competition:

  • Positioning sets the core idea that permeates all communications. Effective key messages can be easily rephrased while maintaining the same meaning. For example, "We help businesses operate easier and faster" or "We are always close to our clients and solve their problems without unnecessary bureaucracy".

  • Tone of voice reflects the brand's character, emphasizes the language of communication, and sets the tone for dialogue with current and potential clients. For example, depending on the company and target audience, the tone can be formal, friendly, or expert.

  • Visual style supports the brand's character and positioning through colors, typography, illustrations, and photography.

Their primary purpose within a brand's communication strategy is to create harmony between the voice, message, design, and the overall impression the company leaves behind.

Source: Really Good Emails

Communication channels

They serve as the routes a brand takes to reach its audience. A well-implemented communication strategy creates a cohesive ecosystem from a combination of channels and allocates their priority and resources for maximum effectiveness.

A successful marketing campaign does not require brand presence in every media channel. Coherence plays a more significant role, with each contact reinforcing the next. For example, a blog post can lead to a newsletter subscription, a newsletter can lead to an event invitation, and an event can lead to a community membership.

How to implement the strategy

Team synchronization

Developing a marketing strategy and communication approach requires a collaborative effort. Product, PR, design, sales, and support teams contribute to the brand's overall perception. Strategy unites these areas and becomes a common reference point.

To synchronize different departments, a unified communication space is created: a shared calendar, regular meetings and briefings, agreed-upon topics and templates. Each department sees the complete picture, which creates synergy and reduces duplication and contradictions.

Adaptation to platforms

Each marketing channel offers its own format and specifics that should be considered when creating a communication strategy. While the strategy itself sets the tone and overall direction, the format of information delivery will vary depending on the channel:

  • social media posts emphasize dynamism through short paragraphs, catchy headlines, and visuals;

  • email newsletters can be designed as personalized messages with an emphasis on immediate action;

  • press releases should present information in a restrained and structured manner, with facts and case studies.
A guideline for adaptation serves as a reference for how the same message should be delivered across different platforms. It helps with adapting a marketing campaign to the required formats while maintaining a consistent message and making it relevant to each audience.

Monitoring and updates

Flexibility is a sign of a mature communication system. Systematic analysis and implementation of updates are essential to ensure that your strategy remains relevant and your communications are effective. A monitoring system helps you see how your brand is perceived in real life through:
  • tracking mentions in media and social networks;

  • analyzing tone of voice and engagement;

  • collecting customer and employee feedback.

Regular reports, analytics, or monthly reviews of key indicators highlight areas requiring attention and adjustment. For example, if audience response is below expectations, you may revise the delivery format. Conversely, if interest in a topic grows, you may turn it into an independent campaign.

It is also helpful to establish a rhythm of updates: for example, conducting an audit annually or after major changes (new product launch, entering a foreign market, repositioning). This does not mean that you need to redesign your entire strategy. Sometimes, simply clarifying your goals or adding new formats is enough.

Mistakes to avoid when creating a communication strategy

1. Vague goals

Phrases like "improve the company's image" sound appealing and inspiring but do not provide a clear understanding of what exactly needs to be achieved or how to evaluate the results. Without measurable indicators, it becomes difficult to understand whether the team is moving in the right direction and whether course corrections are needed.

Solution. Instead of abstract descriptions, strive for specifics and tie communication goals to business metrics. For example, instead of "increase brand awareness" it is better to say "increase social media mentions by 25% by the end of the year".

2. Different tones across channels

For example, a website presents information in a formal manner, social media does that more playfully, and newsletters sound dry and detached. This creates a sense of inconsistency; as a result, communications are not perceived as part of a unified narrative.

Solution. Develop a brand guide that outlines the tone of voice, visual standards, and adaptation instructions for different formats. It is also helpful to implement a content approval process across teams to ensure consistency.

3. Ignoring the internal audience

If the company employees do not fully understand what the brand wants to communicate to the target audience, external communications lose their solid foundation and may become less consistent.

Solution. Make internal communications part of your strategy alongside external communications. Conduct workshops, meetings, and training sessions for company employees, share key messages, values, and the brand's communication style.

4. Poor analytics

Analytics are an integral part of any communication strategy. Without accurate and measurable data, it is impossible to understand which channels and tools are effective and which should be optimized or excluded entirely.

Solution. Set up a KPI and reporting system for each area. Even basic metrics such as reach, CTR and NPS may provide insight into which communications truly deliver results.

5. Strategy is not updated over time

A communication strategy reflects market conditions, audience behavior, and content effectiveness at the current moment. However, over time, conditions change, and tools that worked well in the past may lose their effectiveness.

Solution. Conduct audits and regularly update the communication approach. Check the relevance of your goals and analyze whether new pain points have emerged for your audience.

Conclusion

A communication strategy helps a company speak to its audience in a common language, foster teamwork, and create a recognizable brand image. It ensures that all messages are clear and consistent, and every customer interaction is meaningful and coherent.

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