Before you pop the bubbly and start singing Auld Lang Syne –

• Do you reflect on the closing year?
• Or are you someone who looks forward to the New Year?
• Or do you do a bit of both?

This is the time businesses – small and large – review and plan.

Now is a good time to review and plan your business communication.

Orchestrating Communication

Developing a business communication strategy lays the groundwork for evaluation.

If you did not have one for this year, create strategy for next year.

Here is a 10-step outline for creating your communication strategy.

1. Create your vision statement – where do you want to end up with your business?
2. Identify your customer – who will be the target for your communication?
3. Define your objectives – do you want to create leads? educate? announce a new product or service?
4. Establish your budget – this step is one many small businesses skip – it is essential for the next step.
5. Select your communication vehicles – what combination is the most effective for objectives and budget? e.g., social media, white papers, case studies, industry articles
6. Assign roles and responsibilities – who does the writing? who manages the process?
7. Develop your message strategy – what problem are you trying to solve for customers? how are you different? what is your call to action?
8. Develop a timeline – what is the frequency for communication? any new product/service rollout?
9. Establish benchmarks – what are the specific measurements for success? e.g., Leads, visibility/awareness of your business, sales, customer satisfaction
10. Create a contingency process – what happens if a communication strategy is not working? How do you troubleshoot?

Out With the Old – Maybe

If you have a communication plan in place for this year – congratulations.

Now you have a tool for evaluating this year’s business communication.

• What worked?
• What didn’t?
• Was it the message?
• Was it the execution?
• Was it the method of communication?

Throwing out the communication method may not be the answer.

Blog Bust

For example, perhaps you just started a business blog. You feel it failed miserably.

• You have very few subscribers
• No one ever comments
• It did not generate any new leads
• It was a major drain on resources

Blog Problem Buster

Before abandoning the idea of a business blog, are there steps you could take that improve results?

• Are you maximizing the marketing of your blog? e.g., through social media
• Do you have the right content?
• Are you engaging readers? e.g. asking for comments, creating polls
• Should you outsource writing? blog management?

Each marketing vehicle needs its own strategy.

Ring in the New

Now is also an ideal time to think of new strategy.

• Are you in touch with how your customers communicate?
• Would your hard-earned dollars and time be better spent with new strategy?
• Is it more effective to focus on one signature communication?

An example of a signature communication is a well-written and marketed white paper.

A white paper that goes viral has a long shelf life.

Pop the Bubbly

A New Year brings hope.

• We ring out the old
• We ring in the new
• We sing Auld Lang Syne

Take the time and examine your business communication.

And make this your best year – yet.

What communication strategies worked for you?

Photo credit: stockschng: Image ID 931771

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