Whether you’re developing an internal, intra-organizational marketing communication strategy or an external one for clients, suppliers or stakeholders, it’s important to keep the intended audience in mind throughout all stages of strategic development. A successful marketing communication strategy ensures that messages are communicated clearly and distributed thoroughly to their intended audience. In addition, consistency is critical to developing a successful marketing communication strategy, in terms of consistent branding and non-contradictory messages.
When developing an external marketing communications strategy, each stage should be approached and examined from the point of view of the intended audience. For example, if you’re preparing a company update to be distributed to shareholders, the tone of the update should be both professional as well as inclusive. These measures will ensure that in addition to the information itself, the shareholders will receive the implicit message that the company in which they’ve invested is functioning professionally. Similarly, if a company update is intended for clients or suppliers, it should also reflect a professional tone in order to project a professional image of the company. However, the inclusive tone reserved for shareholder communication would be inappropriate for clients and suppliers.
Clarity and proper distribution are also integral components to a successful marketing communication strategy. For example, if an organization is distributing new workplace policies to its staff, measures should be established to ensure that each employee has received and understands the policies. In this case, the strategy may be as simple as implementing intra-office envelopes that are passed around and signed by each employee. Clarity and proper distribution are also critical to communicating with external audiences, such as clients. For example, if a company needs to communicate to its clients that it will be increasing rates, it has to develop a strategy that ensures all clients receive and understand the message prior to implementing the rate increase.
Another important quality of an effective marketing communication strategy is consistency. This means that none of the memos, media releases, emails, or other communications from an organization contradict one another in their content. Not only is this kind of consistency important in ensuring that the messages are understood, but also in fostering the company’s image as a professional, cohesive organization. Branding is another important part of consistency in a marketing communication strategy, as outdated logos, slogans, and other branding mechanisms can make an organization appear unprofessional and prevent it from being recognized.