You want to be thoughtful, purposeful, and proactive about your communications, right? Your communications messaging should embody your brand promise and map back to your strategic business goals. A strong communications plan consists of creating strategies to meet clear goals, defining your key messages, and identifying the correct platforms for that messaging to reach your target audience.
A few months ago, a winemaker was giving me a tour of her warehouse. I mentioned that I was taking a Winery Operations class at the Northwest Wine Academy and had my eyes opened to the multitude of business, environmental, and administrative responsibilities faced by a winery owner.
You would be surprised, she told me, how many winemakers don’t have a business plan. They say they have it all up here, she said, tapping her head and rolling her eyes.
You wouldn’t be surprised to hear then, I replied, how many businesses don’t have a communications plan.
Oh, she said, shrugging her shoulders. I have Twitter.
Twitter is not a plan. It’s a great platform and it might be exactly the one you should use, but your social strategy should be a subset of a comprehensive communications plan.
Every organization is different, but there is a basic framework from where to start. My goal is to help you create a plan that not only meets your business goals, but also works for you and your team. Communications should be flexible and responsive (not reactive!) to your needs.