Becoming An Indispensable Communicator
Fine-tuning Communication Skills to Get Results and Get Noticed
Jul 15, 2009
So it’s the perfect time for savvy corporate messengers to telegraph organizational awareness in crucial yet creative ways.
A survey released in July 2009 by UK-based Melcrum Communications cites that some 47% of internal communicators have seen business and communication strategy shift as a result of the economic downturn. That shift is bound to ripple throughout the entire corporate communications organization as the collective works harder than ever to maintain lock step with the organization.
The key to navigating now is understanding critical corporate goals – especially financial ones – and knowing when and how to leverage the depth of knowledge and resources that corporate communicators necessarily develop across the organization to help meet them. Every plan, project and deliverable offers communicators a chance to think in the most creative ways, beyond coming up with keen new marketing ideas, to work cheaper, faster, and, perhaps, more effectively than before.
Audit Communication Effectiveness
Communication audits are a great way to track the effectiveness, penetration and actual outcomes of strategic outreach. Powered by free, online survey tools like Survey Monkey, an anecdotal audit can target any audience anywhere and provide a solid dump of data to generate ideas on what to keep, what to trash, how effectively the overall communications system is working, and how to evolve communications activities to meet corporate goals.
The bottom line? Used strategically, audit intelligence gives communicators an edge by offering clear and current guidance on how to maximize communications effectiveness and reach out with greater impact.
Focus on Earned Media
Earned media is vital to any company and even more so when advertising budgets get the axe. But don’t crank out that press release just yet. In almost all but the sexiest cases, that’s hardly enough to attract media coverage. Getting media hits can be even more challenging for a company that hasn’t really forged a relationship with the reporters and analysts who follow the business.
Become a student of online newsrooms to understand what does and does not get covered, and use that information to shape a way forward that enhances the company’s likelihood of getting media mentions.
Then, take steps to understand the company’s current media positioning by studying coverage patterns and trends. The most accurate measures come from fee-based media monitoring services like Vocus and Cision, but this list of free online tools will allow for quick, easy monitoring and can be mixed, matched and leveraged to fit specific needs. Use the baseline measures to identify new opportunities that line up with key corporate goals to create an attack plan with purpose and punch.
Effective Communication is Green
Design and launch a company-wide paperless campaign. At first blush, that may seem to be beyond the scope of communications. But think about it: As the official purveyor of information, communications is one of the largest consumers of paper and printing services in most organizations.
One idea is to suggest or augment corporate recycling initiatives to include a push to reduce the number of email messages that each employee prints in a year. If that’s already happening, make an e-launch the star of an upcoming marketing or information initiative. Either way, the company could reduce its paper and printing costs, and the communicator begins to build a rep for being a timely and strategic thinker.
Develop, Hone and Promote a Personal Brand
The Internet has become a stage for anyone with a platform, idea or opinion. Whether through blogging, citizen journalism or frequent “Tweets,” so-called Web 2.0 technologies are a great way to build a following as an expert, critic or grassroots leader in a field of interest or expertise.
Be aware that some companies have policies prohibiting employees (especially communications professionals) from such activities, so check into it before jumping in. More important, be mindful at all times of how an Internet persona aligns with the company’s current culture and with the role corporate communications’ plays within the company. A well-developed personal brand can help enhance corporate political capital and maybe even serve as a springboard for new opportunities.
Patience, though: Establishing an online voice and presence requires time, consistency, integrated messaging and exposure across multiple media platforms. And, just as with the branding of a product or service, a personal brand needs to be nurtured over an extended time and actively promoted to be wholly effective.
Layoffs are part economic bad luck, part natural selection. But by finding ways to bring added value (and lower costs) to their work, communicators can begin to advance themselves as well as their companies in fresher, more impactful ways.
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