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Decoding corporate communications: Functions, goals and skills

Written by by Hibathu Naseer

Published on  March 9, 2023

Reading time  6 minutes

Corporate communications cover many verticals and each of them needs a separate strategy and skill set .

In a world of information overload, corporate communications is your way to expand your reach and build your brand. You need to be able to convey your message clearly and consistently across a variety of stakeholders.

It can be difficult to correlate corporate communication efforts to business impact. This article will help you position the importance of this multifaceted discipline to others. We also included examples from brands to inspire your strategy.

What is corporate communications?

Corporate communications refers to the strategies businesses and organizations use to communicate with various audiences both internally and externally. These audiences commonly include customers, prospects, employees and investors.

An effective communications strategy helps brands deliver on a compelling narrative that captures and deepens customer loyalty.

What is the function of corporate communication?

The functions of corporate communication vary according to the different audiences being targeted and the goals you need to achieve.

In most cases, companies hire specialists for each corporate communication function, such as internal communications, public relations and executive communications. However, there is often an overlap of functions across different teams. For instance, the content creation team may also handle internal communication initiatives.

In this section, we’ll look at the different corporate communication functions based on their goal and include creative examples from real brands.

Internal communications

Internal communication consists of the measures an organization takes to communicate with its workforce to maintain employee relations and streamline their work.

As companies switch to hybrid work models, effective internal communication is essential now more than ever.

There are two main aspects of internal communication: employee engagement and internal marketing. The former is to enrich employee relations, increase their productivity and retain them, while the latter is to build more awareness about the company’s offerings among employees.

Internal marketing is a strategy to help employees make an emotional connection to the products or services the company sells. Techniques such as regular email updates, company-wide newsletters and bulletin boards can be effective.

Some companies, like QAD Inc., host annual sales kickoff events to bring together employees, share best practices, product updates and get everyone re-aligned with company goals. They also give out awards to the top-performing employees and partners.

Press Release | QAD Recognizes Partner Excellence with 2023 Partner Awards https://t.co/J5R7eH6Wzn pic.twitter.com/0OM1uemn8n — QAD (@QAD_Community) March 1, 2023

External communications or public relations

To manage and regulate the public perception of your brand, companies need to execute external communications strategies, also known as public relations (PR).

The main functions of PR are:

  • Manage a company’s identity in terms of vision and mission.
  • Generate awareness on new products and company milestones.
  • Communicate the company’s corporate social responsibility efforts.

PR needs have undergone a massive shift in the past few years, thanks to emerging technologies and changing media landscape. Today’s public relations professionals are fusing traditional skills to work with modern tools and channels to create consistent narratives that reach varied audiences.

Here’s an example of an innovative PR campaign that went viral—Rocketlane announced their Series A funding round with a custom rap song.

We hear you're all loving the song. Here's a version that's Twitter-friendly. Keep the love coming! 🎉 #StoryofRocketlane #SaaS #Funding pic.twitter.com/EnHeKGWoKk — Rocketlane (@RocketlaneHQ) January 19, 2022

Executive communication

Both internal and external channels need to be leveraged for executive communication . Internally, the leadership team engages in direct communication with other teams, while externally, executives’ strong social media presence can serve as a thought leadership platform.

Executive members of an organization typically communicate externally through social media, media appearances and talks at conferences. This aims to promote brand awareness and increase sales. In fact, 32% of consumers say CEO transparency on social would inspire them to purchase from that brand.

Melanie Perkins, CEO of Canva, actively engages with her audience on Twitter by sharing company milestones and also helpful Canva tips.

A beautiful African proverb says it takes a village to raise a child, it certainly does to build a company too. Proud to cross 100 million people designing in Canva and incredibly grateful for our team and global community who brought our wild dream to life. pic.twitter.com/N3M1Rt4RL8 — Melanie Perkins (@MelanieCanva) October 12, 2022

In many companies, there’s a communication gap between the C-suite or leadership team and other employees. A study by Gallup found that only 13% of employees strongly agree that their leadership communicates effectively with the organization. Breaking down silos with communication from leadership can help earn the trust of employees, provide stability in the workplace and a better understanding of the company’s goals.

Brand and marketing communications

Any interaction with customers and target audiences falls under the umbrella of brand and marketing communication.

There’s a wide range of channels to conduct branding and marketing activities including social media , traditional advertising media, emails and review websites. Unlike other functions of corporate communication, marketing and branding can be directly related to the company’s revenue.

Here are the main goals that marketing communications can help you achieve, especially through social media:

  • Increase brand awareness : Create content that emphasizes your brand image and values.
  • Gain leads and sales : Drive traffic to your website from social media and leverage social commerce to help you get more customers.
  • Community building : Nurture long-term growth by engaging with your audience directly.

Delta used brand and marketing communication to launch Faces of Travel, a free 100-image library that represented diverse travelers around the world. The goal of the campaign was to inspire creators to present a more inclusive picture of global travel, supporting increased brand awareness while building community.

Creating expensive ads is not the only way to market your brand. Leverage mediums that reach your target audiences , like social media where you can reach larger audiences, interact with them and measure the impact of your activities.

Allbirds, a vegan footwear brand, attracts conscious shoppers by spreading awareness on how harmful regular sneakers are for the planet via social media:

Allbirds—on a mission to make shoes that are less terrible for the planet. pic.twitter.com/DdeJKTNFtw — Allbirds (@Allbirds) February 21, 2023

Crisis communications

With the prevalence of social media, all businesses are susceptible to controversies that were once reserved for big brands.

Crisis communication is how you respond to an event that potentially hurts your brand’s reputation or ability to do business. This includes product failures, criticisms, employee errors, site outages, broken links and responses to global events.

It’s essential to have a strategy in place so that you can take quick action and bring the crisis under control.

Monitoring social media frequently for a potential crisis can be a tedious task. And there’s a risk that once your team notices the issue, it might have already snowballed. A social media engagement tool like Sprout Social can identify early warning signs of a potential crisis through social listening . You can then quickly take steps to resolve the problem.

A dashboard view of Sprout Social showing the sentiment summary of of a brand with a chart. These helps discover how user sentiment changes over time.

Skills required for corporate communications professionals

Corporate communications has evolved over the years, requiring more diverse skill sets to execute sophisticated omnichannel campaigns. Professionals need to have a deep understanding of the company’s business goals, culture, target audience, industry and the context in which it operates.

Here are some of the skills required:

  • Hard skills : Proficiency in creating and editing written content, understanding company values and drafting guidelines, ability to analyze key performance indicators (KPIs), managing digital communication channels, familiarity with crisis communication strategies and protocols.
  • Soft skills : Relationship-building skills, leading multiple teams, problem-solving and critical thinking, strong verbal communication skills and the ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously.

Develop a communications strategy and roadmap

A strong communication strategy should help you deliver a cohesive brand presence, expand reach across channels and gather audience insights.

This will help you streamline your goals and activities, minimize gaps in communication and bring everyone on the same page.

Your communication strategy should outline four major things:

  • Audience: who you’re communicating to
  • Distribution channels: how you will reach them

A detailed communication plan will act as a course of action and also help you get buy-in from executives.

Make sure that your communications plan is continually optimized. It should be as dynamic as the discipline itself—use data and feedback to make decisions and align your strategy with compelling narratives.

Corporate communications: the megaphone for a company’s voice in this crowded world

An effective corporate communications plan can do more than just build a positive public image—it’s an essential part of business success.

It can be a challenge to manage your brand reputation across multiple channels. With Sprout Social’s sentiment analysis and social listening features, you can keep tabs on brand health and sentiment, as well as get deep audience insights. Giving your team more time to focus on making data-driven decisions and optimizations that will impact business goals.

Ready to level up your corporate communications strategy? We’ve created a customizable corporate communication template to help you develop an actionable plan. This template can help you create a roadmap that positions your brand as an industry leader to the audiences that matter most.

Download your free corporate communications template now to maximize the effectiveness of your internal and external communications.

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Ditch the lofty purpose statements and lengthy slide decks.

For too long, communicating strategy has been an afterthought. Executives have shared long, bombastic documents or withheld critical information and expected people to just “get it.” And it hasn’t worked. Greater external uncertainty, collaboration, employee anxiety, and organizational openness demands a change of approach. The author presents five actions that will improve the clarity and quality of communication, enabling stakeholders to make a more substantive and meaningful contribution to the strategy.

Most people can’t recall the strategy of the organization they work for. Even the executives and managers responsible for strategy struggle, with one study reporting that only 28% of them could list three strategic priorities.

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  • David Lancefield is a  catalyst, strategist, and coach  for leaders. He’s advised more than 40 CEOs and hundreds of executives, was a senior partner at Strategy&, and is a guest lecturer at the London Business School. Find him on LinkedIn (@davidclancefield) or at  davidlancefield.com , where you can sign up for his free “Mastering Big Moments”  workbook .

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Corporate Communication Strategy

Building an Effective Corporate Communication Strategy

Emily Barr September 21, 2020 Alignment & Direction , Board Management , Leaders

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Communication issues in businesses are not an uncommon problem. For US businesses alone, Inadequate communication to and between employees can cost up to $4 billion annually . The cost of poor communication may be high, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t effective strategies you can implement into your corporation to reduce its risk. By beginning each project with a clear understanding of what your Corporate Communication Strategy is, you can integrate effective time management into your businesses processes seamlessly.   

What Is A Corporate Communication Strategy?  

A Corporate Communication Strategy is the framework used by organizations to plan out communication with employees, customers, suppliers, and investors. When leveraged properly, a Corporate Communication Strategy can be the key to better understanding your  company and  enhancing its reputation with the people whose attitudes and actions influence your success the most.   

Building a Corporate Communication Strategy  

When it comes to constructing your own Corporate Communication Strategy, there is no in-depth one-size-fits-all solution. While you can probably find countless quick-fixes on the internet,  creating  an effective strategy is not a simple process. If you want your CCS to best suit your organization, and address and solve the communication issues unique to your business, you will need to invest research and time into the process.  

A Step-by-Step Guide to Developing Your Core Strategy  

Regardless of your industry, there are several aspects that remain universal in core corporate communication strategies. Generally speaking, it comes in three phases: pre-drafting information and research, formulating the strategy, and then examining examples of other communication strategies for further inspiration. This process can be broken down as follows to help you construct your core Corporate Communication Strategy:  

1. Identify and Prioritize Your Executives’ Key Goals

Aim to first understand what each of your business executives sees for the future of the company, and what areas they are truly invested in. In order to collect this information, one of the most useful methods is to conduct individual interviews with as many of your top-level management employees as possible. In the interviews, ask them to clearly outline their top priorities for the upcoming year, and ensure everyone  agrees  on what message they want to put out for the company.  

2. Conduct In-Depth Employee Surveys

Your employee insight doesn’t stop at high-level management. Employees are at the forefront of your  business and  are the both the backbone and driving forces for your  organization . Understanding how your own employees perceive your company and brand is critical to understanding  how others perceive it as well. This is how brand ambassadors come to be – while you construct your Corporate Communication Strategy, you need to ensure their voices are heard. How they respond will help you uncover the best way to go about communicating with your team as a whole. Leverage employee surveys to get them involved in the process and gain valuable feedback and insight into what’s working, and what isn’t.  

3. Research Your Stakeholders’ Input

Stakeholders are one of the most vital parts of your organization, so if you notice that they are communicating something that isn’t confident for the success of your business, you need to adjust your communications strategy to address and fix that perception as quickly as possible. Communicating with stakeholders, shareholders, and investors in a way that is most effective for their own interests in critical for sustaining success and alignment with long-term plans.   

4. Review Your Customers’ Comments

The insight your customers have to offer when it comes to their perception of how your organization is delivering on its promises should not be overlooked. Leverage the countless online, and often free, measurement tools to not only take advantage of social researching methods, but also to learn how to start conversations that will get consumers and potential clients talking about your brand in a positive light.  

4. Include Your Suppliers in Your Research

Suppliers and partners that work closely with your brand can also be great resources for gathering useful information about your strategic corporate communication strategy. Ideally, your suppliers and partners should firmly believe that affiliating themselves with your business is beneficial for their business as well. If this is the case, take note of what it is they say they enjoy most about working with your company. Utilize that feedback not only to add structure to your partner relationships, but also to help strengthen your corporate communication strategy.  

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Best Practices for An Effective Corporate Communication Strategy  

Conducting the needed research and interviewing processes is critical to cultivating a successful and effective Corporate Communication Strategy for your business. By gaining valuable insight into how your employees, executives, suppliers,  and  stakeholders perceive your company, and what it is they prefer when it comes to communication, you will understand what it is your CCS needs to set out to accomplish. Once you have a clear understanding of where you should be aiming, and also how your new strategy will fit into the broader framework of your organization, you need to begin setting up an essential roadmap for its implementation.  

However, before you can begin assessing the key diagnosis and guiding policies for your Corporate Communication Strategy, you first need to understand how it is your company will arrive at those ideal concepts. Consider the following tips while drafting your strategy:  

Look at other corporate communication strategies from successful businesses.

Especially if you are new to the field of communications strategies, taking examples from successful businesses can be extremely beneficial. By looking at communication strategies that have worked extremely well for others, you can get inspired yourself, or even use their strategy as a starting template or jumping off point for your own planning. It is important to keep in mind that communication issues, and hence the strategies put in place to address those issues, will be unique to specific companies. Using a carbon copy of another company’s successful strategy will not necessarily work for your own, and additional research will need to be done to ensure its success for your business.   

Identify your key metrics so you can track the best outcome for your strategy.

Your Corporate Communication Strategy will need to be analyzed for success throughout its use, so it is important to first father the basic key metrics that will be able to show you if it is working the way it should. In addition, statistics gathered from your corporate communications can also show you if your employees are actually using the communication tools being provided. If they are, you will be able to identify how they are using the tools, meaning you can pick apart your strategy and identify the aspects and areas that may need more strategic attention.   

Set intuitive and realistic goals and timelines.

By setting goals for your company that make sense for your objectives and are also realistic in scope and expectation, you will be able to properly estimate the level of difficulty and projected time investment that will be required to integrate and establish your new Corporate Communication Strategy. With a clear picture of what will be required, you can plot out more efficient and worthwhile steps towards updating your strategy, leaning on the metrics you have gathered to identify the areas that will make the quickest impact through strategic change.  

Keep in mind that any and all timelines set should be effective. A good way to accomplish this is to ask yourself questions that allow you to identify the information or data that is too excessive or unnecessary for business. Some examples of questions are:

  • What do I want our Corporate Communication Strategy to do for business?  
  • Which areas are working efficiently and why, and what areas need immediate improvement?  
  • How quickly do I want to be able to reach my business goals for the company?  
  • Which communication tools, platforms, and existing strategies are available, given the organization’s size, needs, and goals for what employees should be accomplishing?  

Regardless of your answers to these questions, they should aim to provide clarity into what your Corporate Communication Strategy is setting out to accomplish for your business.   

Use collaboration tools.

Juggling several projects within a team can become complicated way too quickly. Often, organizations find strictly email communications between a large amount of team members to be ineffective in  project completion. This is why it can be extremely beneficial to introduce collaboration tools that are useful and effective for project and team management.  SpriggHR’s   SpriggBoard  is a great example of a streamlined collaboration tool you can implement into your strategy.  While primarily utilized by Boards,  it centralizes and manages all team tasks in one location, safely and securely organizing documents that need to be circulated throughout the team. Meeting agendas can be prepared and distributed, and Critical Paths and Action Plans for events can be shared instantly. By integrating real-time communication, it also eliminates the need for repetitive external email communications between your team members, reducing the time lost to sifting through email threads and allowing your team to focus on project development.  

Actively participate in your teams.

While this practice is easier for smaller organizations where all team members know one another personally, larger companies can stand to benefit from this strategy as well. Part of your Corporate Communication Strategy should include your responsibility to communicate effectively with everyone in your company, and the best way to achieve the success rates you are aiming for is to be a part of the team yourself. Employees are much less likely to follow a leader locked away in an ivory tower, and by avoiding your employees and not engaging in rapport with them, your chances of effective communication dwindle rapidly. Aim to understand how your colleagues communicate with  one another and  make attempts to adapt to that preferred style of communication so you can reach them better. It is possible to maintain your authority amongst your employees and still communicate with your company at the same time.   

Align your Corporate Communication Strategy to company goals and metrics.

When approaching your Corporate Communication Strategy, you need to ensure its implementation aligns well with your existing business goals. Target your communications to foundational employees, leveraging target audiences, managers, and key communicators. This will allow you to facilitate more thorough and engaging employee communications within your company. Similarly, implementing metrics and analytics into your corporate communication strategy that align with your organizational foundations is critical to evaluating the success of your strategy altogether. Methods such as employee surveys are useful, and should be included somewhere in your strategy, but your research should not rely only on them.  

Aim for a company culture of communication.

If you want to improve corporate communications within your business, you first need to set out to create a culture of communication throughout the entirety of your company. This involves committing to transparency a t the Executive level  and  introduce systems and practices that will support continuous and open dialogue between employees and their management teams. Consistent dialogue and conversation can be transformative for your company  culture and  can produce tremendous financial results for business. When a workforce communicates effectively with one another, they produce better output, and improve the company overall.  

In Summary  

Constructing a Corporate Communication Strategy that is right for your business does not have to be an impossible process. While it does require an investment of research, time, and thorough planning,  once you have a complete understanding of where you strategy sits now, you can focus on how to scale your new strategy in the right ways to yield to greatest benefits from your communication efforts.   

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corporate communication strategy definition

Corporate Communications

What is corporate communications.

Corporate communications is how companies share information to internal and external audiences and engage these audiences in a bid to manage brand perception. Corporate communication is made up of three major categories, which are management communication, marketing communication, and company communication.

Using corporate communication, the communications department builds the company image, maintains a positive reputation in the industry, and bridges information gaps between employees and management. The audiences targeted through a corporate communication strategy include customers, prospects, employees, stakeholders, the media, regulatory agencies, and the general public.

Corporate communications helps to maintain company wide contact so that all departments can work together towards a shared mission. When used externally, corporate communication helps the company achieve various purposes, including maintaining its brand identity, directing brand reputation, managing crises, and clarifying any discrepancies perceived about the company’s offerings or activities.

It typically takes a different form depending on which audience is being addressed. It often consists of written (website, press releases, memos), verbal (interviews, videos, press conferences), and visual (photographs, infographics, illustrations) communication. Building a corporate communication strategy helps companies drive growth, scale, and stay competitive, and its success hinges on building a strong brand identity.

To do this, internal and external communication capabilities need to be aligned. Let’s start by defining each.

What is internal communications?

Internal communication focuses on messages and information sharing within a company. It includes communication from executives to employees, among teams as well as inter-departmental messages and company wide communication.

Examples of internal communications include newsletters , team meetings, knowledge management tools, company memos, training sessions, company brochures, employee handbooks, and more. The human resources team may lead internal communication or work with other departments to ensure that information sharing is easy and efficient.

employee newsletter corporate communications

What is external communications?

External communication focuses on the company’s branding and messaging to audiences like the media and the public. External communication has now extended beyond press coverage to social media. It covers all forms of communication that promote the company’s messaging.

Multiple departments, like marketing, HR, and communications work together to manage external communications. Examples of this form of communication include press releases, press conferences, advertising, digital marketing, and so on. External communication keeps customers, prospects, the media, and the general public informed and engaged while maintaining the company’s image, unique identity, and brand perception.

Goals of corporate communications

The goals of corporate communications are spread across internal and external communication teams. While internal teams work to synergize communication within the company, external communication teams are concerned about messaging disseminated to audiences outside the company.

The primary goal of corporate communications is to ensure that communication materials transmit the company’s brand in a favorable manner. This goal comes with widespread functions that we will examine below. It also encompasses other objectives that make corporate communications pivotal to a company’s success.

Corporate communication teams work cohesively to build and maintain the company’s reputation through various methods like press releases, interviews, marketing materials, and more. This reputation is also upheld internally through team meetings, company materials like employee handbooks, etc.

The brand perception created internally and externally ought to be uniform, and the corporate communications department is tasked with maintaining this uniformity.

Corporate communications. Sign on the side of a building that says: Your Culture Is Your Brand

Corporate communications are also used to promote a company’s products and services. Corporate communications functions can collide with marketing to ensure that advertising channels are correctly utilized to generate interest in a company’s product.

Similarly, corporate communications play an essential role in stakeholder communication.

It helps sustain investors’ interest in the company in the same way that it enhances employee collaboration. Corporate communications allow a company to respond promptly and appropriately to crises. The goal here is to maintain brand reputation by forestalling anticipated damage or repairing any damage caused already to the company’s public perception.

How does corporate communications work?

There are many ways to use corporate communications in your company. Here are some ways the communication team focuses on building a solid corporate communication program.

Brand awareness (corporate identity)

Building a company’s reputation involves establishing household or workplace identities and capturing the audience’s attention. Branding defines who a company is, what they do, its products, and what that means to the public. It’s the task of corporate communication teams to create favorable messaging around the brand and lead with its reputation, internally and externally. A good name with a polished brand perception is very valuable these days and rarer than one would think.

Brand credibility (corporate reputation)

Brand credibility refers to a company’s trustworthiness in relation to how well its product fulfills promises made to users. Brand credibility is tied to identity, reputation, expertise, and delivery.

A company’s product should meet consumers’ needs exactly as marketing said it would. Achieving this instills trust in its customers, and this builds brand credibility. Corporate communication departments may engage with marketing materials, crisis communication techniques, and other strategies that help maintain brand credibility to ensure mission focus.

Brand talent

Companies are only as successful as the people who work there! Internal communications strategies like training, team meetings, memos, and more can help build brand talent. But these pieces of content and events must be valuable, not just checking a box, or that talent you enticed to join your company will soon become bored and seek other opportunities.

Employee engagement

Internal employee engagement from the top down is vital to any company’s success. Employees are brand ambassadors who lead the way in external communication with potential customers by way of employees’ social reach. Providing employees with the right tools and content to share is vital and can often directly impact a company’s financial growth.

Employee productivity

The more productive your people are, the higher your revenue generated and the lower the cost. This assumes they’re all working from a single source of truth and aren’t confusing consumers, their fellow employees, or themselves with outdated information. Strategic corporate communications teams know where to find employees when they have news ready to message out. They know what insight to share with them and when, and they always have a relevant ‘call to action’ at the ready!

Corporate communications functions

The communications department is tasked with various functions that keep internal and external audiences informed and engaged daily. Department members develop strategies that they distill into tasks to ensure communication is maintained on all company levels.

Usually, members of the corporate communications team would be professionals specializing in one or more of the corporate communication functions. These professionals would then collaborate to ensure the effective implementation of the company’s communication goals, typically in a way that reaches all stakeholders. Understanding the different functions embedded in the corporate communications team will help you develop a solid program.

Customer communications and marketing

The lines between communications and marketing blurred in recent years, with the two departments often working in tandem to enhance customer communication. Through its external communication teams, corporate communications strategy influences marketing strategy. Marketing also impacts internal communications, with both departments working in synergy to achieve common goals. When these teams aren’t talking, issues arrive, as they can communicate very different things to their respective audiences.

While working to enhance customer and other external communication, corporate communication professionals will inform the creation of critical marketing materials for achieving their goals—and if they aren’t, they should be! The content manager of the marketing team should be aligned with corporate communications to create marketing collateral, including emails, newsletters, website copy, fliers, social media content, and more.

Media and public relations

Public relations is an external form of corporate communications. This function is the public-facing facet of communication that helps generate a company’s public opinion. Corporate communication departments are tasked with engaging with the media and communicating with the public. Companies will often utilize press releases, news conferences, product launches, event materials, interviews, and more to generate news coverage.

Crisis communication

Corporate communication departments are also tasked with quelling unanticipated events through appropriate messaging. With each crisis, the communications department creates a matching strategy to restore the public’s confidence in the company and, by doing so, protects its brand’s reputation.

The communications team achieves this through interviews, news conferences, emergency responders, and meeting with regulatory bodies, attorneys, politicians, and other people involved in the unfolding event. What qualifies as a crisis would differ between companies but may include product defects, workplace accidents, chemical spills, market losses, consumer trends and fads, social media perception, litigation, and more.

Internal communication

While being responsible for outward-facing communication, corporate communications are ultimately responsible for all internal messaging. This includes company news, internal blogs/newsletters, emails, memos, employee resources such as training materials and handbooks, employee advocacy events, team meetings, and more. Internal communications focuses on employee engagement and its impact on the workforce.

Internal corporate communications manager

Benefits of corporate communications

Corporate communications is focused on more than just external communication . It also highlights and seeks to enhance communication between a company’s leadership team and its employees.

The main priority of a communication team is building and maintaining the brand and identity of a company. Perception and reputation carry much weight when building relationships with the media, the general public, and other companies. A good company image can impact how a company’s product is perceived, turning customers into brand advocates and increasing market share.

Corporate communication helps navigate crisis management and aids decision-making, helping management to propel the company in the right direction. When corporate communications are on point, it supports company performance internally and externally.

Why corporate communication is important

In a crowded and competitive marketplace, companies need to have a clear identity that helps them reap small and long-term benefits. Customers stay loyal and feel safe when a company has a secure and consistent brand. Investors feel committed to investing in the company as well. And employees remain confident about the capabilities of executives and the direction of the company when they know what is going on—and this is crucial when it comes to retaining top talent.

The role of corporate communications professionals

Corporate communications professionals fulfill many responsibilities, including developing and implementing communication strategies, working with media outlets, and managing the company’s online presence. They ensure that the company’s messaging is uniform and audience-appropriate, and these professionals essentially move the company forward on all fronts.

As a result, they require many skills to perform well in their roles, including writing, presentation, data analytics, critical thinking, and technical skills. Their work is pivotal to the success of any company.

To better understand how a great internal communications program looks, check out Simpplr’s State of the Internal Communications Benchmarking and Report.

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Corporate communication – finding the right corporate communications

Corporate communication – finding the right corporate communications

Companies are in constant contact – with customers, business partners, journalists, or their own employees. No matter who the communication is aimed at: A concrete strategy always makes sense. Using the right tone of voice is essential in order to communicate your corporate identity . A successful corporate communication (CC) strategy helps the company control its impact on others correctly.

What is corporate communication? Definition of corporate communication

Intern: employees, external: customers, external: journalists, external: business partners, corporate design & corporate language: means of corporate communication, corporate communication measures: internal & external examples.

The broad field of corporate communications cannot be precisely defined. In principle, the measures are too diverse and overlap with many other areas of a company, such as marketing. In principle, however, corporate communication encompasses all communication that a company conducts. This can be found both internally, in the way employees are addressed, and externally, if business partners (as in B2B marketing), customers (as in B2C marketing), or media (as in PR) are the addressees.

In the sense of a corporate identity, corporate communication should create a uniform image on all channels . The homogenous communication strategy should, for example, also reflect company culture and specify the type of conversation. The aim of corporate communication is to be able to control the effect as efficiently as possible through a uniform communicative appearance.

If one does not pursue a consistent strategy in all available ways, one either gives away potential or torpedoes their own efforts. To achieve this – especially in larger companies – different departments need to pull together. That’s why changing corporate communication is not a quick task. If you want to strategically adapt your corporate communication and bring it into line, you will have to deal with a longer process .

If you decide to undergo the task, you can create several positive effects at once:

  • Strengthen corporate identity
  • Increase recognition value
  • Improve professionalism
  • Efficient control of external impact
  • Improve work atmosphere

Corporation communication does not necessarily have to be in writing, even if it is most obvious there. Uniform corporate communication also makes sense in direct one-to-one conversations or telephone calls.

Four areas of corporate communication

Corporate communication covers any contract the company has with others. Roughly speaking, the addressees can be divided into four different areas.

Often ignored in a uniform communication strategy, but actually the basis of efforts, is internal communication with employees. This communication is extremely diverse. Through e-mails and letters, forms and reports, circulars, notices, and newsletters, colleagues communicate with each other and management communicates with employees . These measures should also be carried out in the spirit of corporate identity and it should be checked whether all elements correspond to the corporate culture.

By using a corporate communication strategy in internal communication, it is possible to expose the employees to the branding and at the same time communicate the values and norms of the company. In addition, well thought-out communication with employees ensures greater satisfaction and a better working atmosphere.

Besides the employees, the customers are the most important contact persons. If customers are not addressed appropriately, they will not buy anything and contribute to the failure of a company. A good corporate communications strategy appeals to customers in the right way and turns buyers into loyal customers . This is where corporate communication and marketing meet. Everything around the range of advertisements, the organization of newsletters, brochures, coupons and catalogs, and the complete online appearance, fall into this range.

However, not only the marketing department has contact with customers. Support and billing departments also communicate with buyers in one way or another. While the advertising sector in most companies follows a uniform strategy, the other contact points with customers must also be brought into line with corporate communication.

Work with the press – an area of public relations – should also function along the same lines as corporate communication. Particularly in the form of press releases and press conferences, the company can make its corporate identity public through the media . Not just the type of communication, but also the contents are important here. For example, it can make sense to include corporate social responsibility measures in the media. In this way, the external image can be controlled.

Contact with investors, shareholders, and other business partners must be made with great care. A disgruntled investor can cause the demise of a company. Therefore, both the content and form of communication are important . Contact takes place, not just in direct e-mails and conversations, but also through reports and letters to shareholders. Many companies create special brochures for their business partners in order to convey information about the company. If these means of communication are also created in the sense of corporate identity, this makes a very professional impression.

In order to drive a successful communication strategy, corporate communication has various means. If these tools are coordinated and consistently represented, communication can be as efficient as possible. In particular, corporate design, which is generally a pillar of corporate identity and corporate language, play a major role.

In the course of the corporate design, every form of communication of the company has common graphic elements . For example, they agree on a binding font to be used in all documents. Also the company logo is to be accommodated in every written communication situation: in letters and e-mails, for example in the letterhead and/or the e-mail signature . The corporate design is also continued in presentations. For example, the color scheme is usually fixed.

Corporate language can be assigned even more to the area of corporate communication – a special tone of voice, a form of expression that distinguishes the company externally and internally. The language used by a company must follow general rules on the one hand and have an individual (and uniform) character on the other. In addition to correct grammar and spelling, the former also means expressing oneself comprehensibly. This sounds natural at first, but employees in technical professions in particular sometimes find it difficult to formulate facts in a way that is understandable even for laypeople.

The individual characteristics of corporate language are about finding the balance between outstanding features and everyday conventions, to an extent . As a rule, you should stick to a language that is appropriate for your target group: While it may not be a problem, for example, to speak the language of employees and B2C customers, investors may feel uncomfortable with such a casual approach. The most important thing, however, is that corporate culture is also reflected in corporate language. The way in which something is formulated allows the values and norms of the broadcaster to be derived.

In order for all employees to be able to internalize this language, a guide should be drawn up . This can be used to store concrete examples or lists of expressions that should not be used or that should be used as far as possible. Ready-made text modules, which occur again and again in everyday communication, also make it easier for employees to deal with the communication strategy.

There are many ways in which a company can apply its corporate communication strategy in practice. Both internally with employees, as well as externally, the most diverse possibilities can be found to use enterprise communication effectively. The measures do not always have to run off in writing.

Click here for important legal disclaimers.

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How to build a corporate communication strategy: a step-by-step process

By Raf Weverbergh LinkedIn Twitter / Kristien Vermoesen LinkedIn Twitter

Creating a true corporate communication strategy is still a challenge. Even in large companies, we regularly see communication departments without a documented corporate communication strategy.

That is surprising because CEOs invariably say that they expect their chief communications and public affairs officers to be true “strategic” partners.

As explained in a survey among CEOs by Egon Zehnder:

CEOs expect their chief communication officers to bring more than just a high level of specialist expertise to the table – they also expect management and strategic competencies, above all. Almost without exception the CEOs questioned say that they want their CCO to be a kind of sparring partner .

If strategic competencies are so important for CEOs, why don’t their strategic partners have a strategy?

In our work, we see that the problem stems from the corporate communication strategy process – or rather the lack of a good process.

Tell me if this sounds familiar: you are asked to come up with a corporate communication strategy. You make the rounds of several departments and management layers to get their input.

You schedule meetings with top management, HR and some business unit leaders. They all deliver you the shopping list of their “strategic” priorities. Next, they ask you to fit all this information into a strategy, but what they mean is a calendar which neatly includes all their priorities.

By the time you’re finished, you have a full workload for the year, but not a strategy. You created a calendar.

Here’s how you can build a true corporate communication strategy, by making a few smart changes in your process.

What strategy is – and what it isn’t

First, it helps to have a clear vision of what a strategy should do.

According to Richard Rumelt, the author of  ‘Good Strategy, Bad Strategy and why it matters’ , a good strategy “honestly acknowledges the challenges being faced and provides an approach to overcoming them.”

A good strategy, says Rumelt, consists of three parts.

“Where are we today?” (the diagnosis)

It all starts with a cold, hard look at yourself. Where are you today? What goes well? What goes wrong? What opportunities are you missing?

The most important work in this stage is simplifying   the many obstacles and opportunities into a consistent story about where you are.

You don’t want a simple list of challenges. You want a  story  that is easy to understand and at the same time covers the underlying complexities. Creating a strategy is always a storytelling challenge.

Says Rumelt:

A diagnosis (…) defines or explains the nature of the challenge. A good diagnosis  simplifies  the often overwhelming complexity of reality by identifying certain aspects of the situation as critical.

“How can we get to where we want to be?” (approach)

Second, Rumelt advises defining an  approach  to overcome your challenges (and reap the benefits of any opportunities):

an overall approach chosen to cope with or overcome the obstacles identified in the diagnosis.

“What should we do to get there?” (actions)

Finally, a strategy includes the  actions  you will take to address your challenge.

From this simple description of strategy, we immediately see the difference with the “calendar” approach described above. It’s fine to ask for input from different departments, but the risk is that they will scatter the attention of the corporate communication department instead of focusing on it.

A scattershot approach to challenges is the biggest enemy of strategy, says Rumelt:

Most complex organizations spread rather than concentrate resources, acting to placate and pay off internal and external interests. (…) Thus, we are surprised when a complex organization, such as Apple or the U.S. Army, actually focuses its actions. Not because of secrecy, but because  good strategy itself is unexpected . (…)

And then he adds this gem:

Strategy is at least as much about what an organization does not do as it is about what it does.

The place of corporate communication strategy

It also helps to have a clear grasp of where corporate communication strategy ranks in the order of things. Business literature distinguishes different types of business strategies:

corporate communication strategy definition

  • Enterprise strategy: defines what the organization wants to be on a societal level – what do we want to achieve for stakeholders? It’s the most aspirational level of the strategy, also known as Simon Sinek’s “why” or the purpose
  • Corporate strategy: defines in what disciplines and segments we want to compete – where do we want to play? (A mostly financial level, dealing with acquisitions, divestments,…)
  • Business strategy: what kind of business units do we have and how do they compete in the marketplace (a level that is mostly about marketing)
  • Functional strategy: how can the business functions help realise the enterprise, corporate and business strategies? This is the level where HR, corporate communication, finance, legal,… come into play
  • Operational strategy: how will we do all of the above? This is the level of planning and execution

The answer to our question is that corporate communication strategy should make it possible to achieve enterprise, corporate and business strategies.

At the same time, the role of corporate communication is to give input to the enterprise, corporate and business levels about what is going on in the outside world and how that affects the organization.

If the corporate communication department can achieve those things – if it can help support the enterprise and business strategy through communication and it can offer insights to refine those strategies – then it will be well on its way to becoming the “sparring partner” that the CEO is looking for.

Corporate communication strategy: a theoretical framework

Now the question is, how can we build such a corporate communication strategy that plugs into and supports the larger business strategy?

Joep Cornelissen offers a good framework, building on  Mary Jo Hatch  and  Majken Schultz’s  model for corporate brands.

a framework for corporate communication strategy: hatch-schultz

Summarized, this is how Hatch and Schultz see the corporate communication strategy:

Everything starts with the  vision , as formulated by the board and the C-level of the organization. It’s the purpose (the why) but also the how and the what of the strategy.

Unfortunately, this vision in itself will never define your corporate brand.

Because there are always “gaps” between what you want to achieve (your vision), how your team interprets and executes it (the  culture ) and how your stakeholders experience it (your  image ).

Example : Imagine a large bank.

The CEO and board might agree that they want to shift the bank’s strategy towards sustainability. But your local branch manager might still sell you funds that score very poorly on ESG metrics – and tell you that he doesn’t believe in “those woke funds from HQ”. What you experience is

  • a  vision-culture  gap (the branch manager not believing in “woke funds”, and the vision established by the top management),
  • a  culture-image  gap (the bank’s customer experiences confusion because there is a gap between what the employees of the bank deliver and what the bank states in its vision on sustainability)
  • an  image-vision  gap (the customer and external stakeholders no longer trust the bank to deliver on sustainability promises)

Hatch-Schultz is a great mental model for understanding what a strategy needs to address.

But it’s not a process to build the corporate communication strategy. Which is why we need a more practical approach.

A corporate communication strategy process in seven steps

1. preparing the corporate communication strategy: input and research.

It’s not the role of the corporate communication department to single-handedly decide on the corporate communication strategy. You will co-create the strategy with C-level, board-level, and possibly other internal stakeholders (business unit directors).

Before you can do this, you need to help them by doing some research.

First of all, check with your management whether the vision of the organization is still up to date.

We use “vision” in the largest possible sense, including the “why” (purpose), the “what” (positioning, corporate strategy) and the “how” (values, culture, identity).

If small nuances have changed, update the vision immediately. If you need a big overhaul of the purpose, then this might become part of your strategy for the next year.

Next, check the existing culture and image.

Useful tools to understand where your corporate brand includes:

  • Reputation tracker
  • Media clippings (eg: a media reputation index)
  • Brand tracker
  • Issues & Stakeholder mapping
  • Crises that the organization went through recently
  • Social media interactions and reviews
  • Regulatory reports
  • Complaints, litigation
  • Employee Surveys on engagement, culture, …

The output of this first phase is a document or a presentation. It allows your colleagues to have all the relevant information on the current situation at the company – the good, the bad and the ugly. This is necessary before you can go to the next part of the corporate communication strategy process: the workshop.

Ask your colleagues to read the document, or take them through the presentation. This way, the decision-makers have the same information as they go into the workshop.

2. Workshop

In this workshop, members of management (Chief Executive Officer, Chief Human Resources Officer and other relevant members of management) work with members of the corporate communication team to give input on the strategy.

We found that the best way to organize this workshop is to use the ‘strategic communication frame’ as developed by Betteke van Ruler and Frank Körver .

corporate communication strategy definition

The communication frame is a variation on the ‘Business Model Canvas’.

The left side half of the canvas describes  where  you are & want to go:

  • Where you are today (“internal situation”, “external situation”)
  • What you want to achieve (“vision” split up into “vision” and “ambition”)

The right-hand side of the canvas focuses on  how  you will get where you want to be:

  • Who can help you
  • Resources and budget you need
  • What your colleagues can expect from you (“accountability”)
  • What steps, actions and tactics you will use to get there (“approach”)

In most workshops, we make an additional distinction between what the company wants to achieve and what the communication department wants to (or can) achieve.

Stuff that is too far outside the purview of communication or marketing has no place in the frame.

Use common sense to avoid a frame that becomes too crowded or detailed. Remember, a strategy is a “simplified story” of the complexity of the real world. During the workshop, you can already aggregate some things on a higher level, or cluster them. This will help you write your memo in the next step of the process.

Tips for filling in the canvas:

  • You can use an online whiteboard like Plectica or Miro to fill it in, or you can use post-its on a wall (or both)
  • Make sure you have a dedicated note-taker (or even two), whose job it is to make  exhaustive  notes including quotes (you will regret lost information when writing the memo)
  • Don’t worry too much about the right-hand side of the frame yet (resources, KPIs, approach) – that will come later. Focus mostly on where you are today, what feels important and where you want to go.

The workshop will result in two documents:

  • A rough, filled-in version of the strategic communication frame
  • A  strategic memo  based on the notes

3. The strategic memo: the basis for the corporate communication strategy

The memo is the basis for your strategy. It is the most important document that you will create in this process.

It follows the structure of the communication frame, but it is  much, much more detailed  than the post-its on the wall or the short sentences that you have on your online whiteboard.

What’s important about this document:

The memo is not a “meeting notes” document. The structure is  not chronological  but follows the framework. If you put some things in the wrong frame box during the workshop, put them in the correct chapter now.

It’s  detailed . Imagine a new CEO starting in a few months. You want a single, comprehensive memo of about 6 to 10 pages that brings them fully up to speed on every aspect that is relevant to the communication strategy. If they read the memo, they should understand why your strategy is what it is and what the underlying business challenges are that your communication programme is helping to solve.

The inputs can range from regulatory issues to employee engagement issues, to strategic initiatives on new products, to investment and divestment plans that will impact the brand.

The memo should already  label  issues and opportunities in communication or marketing terms.

So input like this:

CEO: We’re seeing huge pressure on pricing from Chinese manufacturers. They just copy our stuff at lower quality and flood the market. That makes it harder for us to raise our prices to match inflation. We just can’t raise our prices, we don’t have enough demand. You know, we’ve had those recalls, clients just don’t accept it when we raise prices – and we don’t get a lot of interesting RFPs right now.

Becomes something like:

Pricing power : price pressure caused by overseas competition erodes margins.
Brand attributes : quality issues and recalls have tarnished the brand.
Awareness and brand preference : we don’t get invited to interesting RFPs.

Remember that we said to take detailed notes? Without extremely detailed notes, you will not be able to write a comprehensive memo.

To keep your readers focused, don’t hesitate to use  juicy quotes.  Painful areas, compelling visions, recognisable stories or insightful interventions about the real issues will make your strategic document a lively snapshot of where you are with your organisation.

Put these inputs in  descending order  of importance for every part of the frame. In the above example, brand awareness must probably be tackled before the brand attributes, so put it first in your memo. What good is having the right brand attributes if no one knows you?

After you complete the memo, have it validated by all the participants of the workshop.

4. The communication strategy frame

Now that you have the validated memo, everyone inside your company agrees on what is going on in the world and the company, where you want to go and how you will tackle your challenges. Now you can go back to the frame.

You can now update the frame based on your memo:

  • Correct any mistakes that you made, eg: if you put input in the wrong box, move it to the correct box
  • Put the inputs in the correct order – the most important things come first
  • Write down for yourself which key issues/ patterns you start seeing and label them. Fi: “awareness”, “attributes”,… Mostly 3/4 of big issues emerge.

That will look a little like this:

corporate communication strategy definition

As you can see, we haven’t bothered too much with KPIs, resources and budget yet. That’s for the next phase.

Now, use colour coding to connect inputs. If you labeled your issues correctly, patterns will become immediately clear.

Like in the example below, we highlight everything connected to “awareness” (do people know we exist). We added the 3 key issues and labelled them (bottom of the slide).

corporate communication strategy definition

In the next one, we highlighted everything related to “brand attributes” (do people who know us, know us for the right reasons):

corporate communication strategy definition

5. The corporate communication strategy goals

At this point, strategic priorities should become crystal clear. In the above example the priorities are:

  • “People don’t know us” (awareness)
  • “People know us for the wrong reasons” (brand attributes)
  • “Employees and recruits lack emotional connection to the company” (sentiment)
  • “Customers do not prefer us as a supplier” (preference, brand equity)

You should now be in a position to say where you will focus your efforts, and these efforts will be connected to the business strategy.

  • Increase awareness
  • Emphasise the right brand attributes
  • Improve the sentiment around the brand towards internal and external stakeholders

In a sense, by now the hard work is done. You know what you want to achieve, and it’s closely connected to where the company wants to go.

This is where the communication department takes over to dive into the strategic approach: what will you do, how much of it you can do, how will you do it and how will you measure it.

The next steps in the process are where your creativity and knowledge will make a difference for the company.

6. Corporate communication strategy: the “five hows” of KPI setting

This brings us to the next phase: setting those KPIs (in the frame: “accountability”)

For instance, if you aim to “increase awareness”

  • do you even know where brand awareness is today?
  • using which tactics ( PR ? advertising?)
  • using which channels? (LinkedIn, TikTok?)
  • how much output is needed?
  • what will that cost?
  • who will support you in your efforts?
  • do you have a baseline metric to compare? do you need one?

You might have heard of the “5 whys” that are used to find the root cause of a problem. In the case of KPIs, replace this with “ 5 hows “:

  • By reaching more people
  • By communicating more
  • Increasing the number of communication campaigns
  • Increasing the number of channels
  • By measuring them for things like reach
  • Through dashboards, surveys, brand trackers

You will not have one KPI, but a pyramid of KPIs and metrics that should all help to achieve your goal :

corporate communication strategy definition

As a rule of thumb, make sure you define KPIs on at least three levels:

  • Output : what will we implement? which actions will we take?
  • Outcomes : what should be the effect of these actions? How will the audience respond? Think of things like reach, media clippings,…
  • Impact : what will be the impact on the organisational or business KPIs (eg awareness)

You get the idea. You will probably not manage to stuff all these detailed KPIs into the communication frame. That’s not a problem. The framework has served its purpose. The nitty gritty details of KPIs don’t need to be in it.

7. The communication plan

Finally, now that you have your KPIs, you need to put all of your planned output into a communication plan. This is a high-level plan for the campaigns and actions that you will run in the next year (or 2 years if you prefer).

That will look a bit like this:

corporate communication strategy definition

Read more on how to create a communication plan 

Now, you can bundle the strategic communication frame, the more detailed KPIs and the communication plan into one presentation and get sign-off on it from your management.

If you enjoyed this guide for corporate communication strategy…

If you enjoyed this blog post, please consider  sharing  it with your network or  linking  back to it. Thank you in advance!

Sources & further reading on corporate communication strategy:

  • Egon Zehnder, “Communication from the CEO’s perspective – an underestimated challenge?”
  • Richard Rumelt, “Good Strategy, Bad Strategy and Why it Matters”
  • Joep Cornelissen, “Corporate Communication: A Guide to Theory and Practice”, 5th Edition
  • Mary Jo Hatch and Majken Schultz, “Are the Strategic Stars Aligned for Your Corporate Brand?”, Harvard Business Review, 2001/02
  • Benita Steyn, (2000) “Model for developing corporate communication strategy”, Communicare, 19(2)
  • Benita Steyn, (2004) “From strategy to corporate communication strategy: A conceptualisation”, Journal of Communication Management, Vol. 8 Issue: 2, pp.168-183
  • Betteke Van Ruler, Frank Körver, “The Communication Strategy Handbook: Toolkit for Creating a Winning Strategy”, Peter Lang, 2019, 174 pages

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What is Corporate Communications? Functions, Careers, and Skills

What is Corporate Communications? Functions, Careers, and Skills

Industry Advice Communications & Digital Media

It is difficult to overstate the critical importance of effective communication for most businesses and organizations. 

It is through effective communication that customers learn about a company’s products or services and what makes brands unique compared to their competitors. It’s how management and employees coordinate their activities to ensure that the entire organization is marching toward the same strategic goals. It’s also how executives inform investors, the media, and the general public about important organizational developments. 

In short, communication underlies many of the most significant activities that most businesses must complete. 

Communication is so important that most organizations will eventually reach a point at which they realize they need to invest in building a corporate communications team responsible for these various activities. 

Below, we explore the definition of the term “corporate communications,” identify the roles and functions of the communication department, and examine the top careers, skills, and trends impacting the communications industry. 

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What is Corporate Communications?

Corporate communications refers to the way in which businesses and organizations communicate with internal and external various audiences. These audiences commonly include:

  • Customers and potential customers
  • Key stakeholders (such as the C-Suite and investors)
  • The media and general public
  • Government agencies and other third-party regulators

Corporate communications can take many forms depending on the audience that is being addressed. Ultimately, an organization’s communication strategy will typically consist of written word (internal and external reports, advertisements, website copy, promotional materials, email, memos, press releases), spoken word (meetings, press conferences, interviews, video), and non-spoken communication (photographs, illustrations, infographics, general branding).

The Functions of a Communications Department

In most organizations, the communications department is responsible for overseeing a wide range of communications activities. One of the simplest ways of understanding these different activities is to group them according to the role that they play within an organization, as below.

1. Media and Public Relations

This refers to the way in which a company or organization communicates with the general public, including the media, by:

  • Organizing news conferences, product launches, and interviews, and creating materials (banners, flyers, etc.) for such events
  • Writing and distributing press releases to the media to garner coverage
  • Monitoring the news for mentions of the organization, its product, and key employees such as stakeholders and members of management
  • Devising a plan to address unfavorable press coverage or misinformation 

2. Customer Communications and Marketing

Though most businesses still differentiate between their marketing and communication departments, the lines between the two have begun to blur in recent years. Corporate communication strategy often impacts marketing strategy, and vice versa, which has increased cooperation and collaboration between the two functions. 

It is not uncommon, therefore,  for members of the communication department to help generate various marketing materials and general customer communications, including:

  • Marketing emails
  • Newsletters
  • Website copy
  • Social media strategy  

3. Crisis Communication

Crisis communication refers to the specific messaging that a company (or individual) portrays in the face of a crisis or unanticipated event which has the potential to damage their reputation or existence. In the event of such a crisis, it is the responsibility of the communications department to create a strategy to address it (often done with the aid of outside experts) which may include:

  • Organizing interviews and news briefings for company representatives to discuss the issue at hand
  • Advising company representatives on what to say and how to say it when speaking with members of the media
  • Communicating with attorneys, government regulators, emergency responders, and politicians as necessary
  • Generally protecting the organization’s reputation and ability to do business

Exactly what constitutes a “crisis” will depend on the type of organization but may include anything from workplace accidents and violence to business struggles to product defects, chemical spills, litigation, and more.

4. Internal Communications

In addition to being responsible for communicating the organization’s message with external audiences, most communications teams will play at least some role in internal communications, including:

  • Drafting emails and memos announcing company news and initiatives
  • Compiling employee resources (such as information about employee benefits)
  • Creating printed materials, such as employee handbooks or flyers
  • Facilitating group brainstorming sessions and training sessions amongst employees
  • Managing internal blogs, newsletters, or other publications

Internal communication is often done at the direction of or in partnership with the  human resources management  team. 

Corporate Communications Careers

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in the media and communications industries is expected to grow at a rate of about six percent from 2016 to 2026—about as fast as growth for all occupations. This growth translates into an additional 43,200 positions, driven predominantly by organizations’ needs to create and disseminate information through ever-increasing communication channels.

Most individuals who work in corporate communications will choose to specialize in a particular area—for example, public relations, media relations, or general communications. The area of specialization can impact a communications professional’s salary, but similar positions are often comparable and are based upon an individual’s level of experience:

  • Entry-Level: Communications Specialist ( $50,789 ), Media Relations Specialist ( $50,517 ), Public Relations Specialist ( $46,950 )
  • Mid-Level: Communications Manager ( $63,622 ), Media Relations Manager ( $59,543 ), Public Relations Manager ( $65,227 )
  • Senior-Level: Director of Communications ( $77,828 ), Director of Media Relations ( $84,299 ), Public Relations Director ( $85,168 ), Chief Communications Officer ( $ 126,885 )

Required Skills for Corporate Communications Professionals

Pursuing a career in corporate communications requires a specialized skill set, regardless of the area on which you ultimately choose to concentrate. Some of the most important skills include:

1. Writing skills

As a member of the communications department, you will likely spend the majority of your day writing copy in various formats, from emails and memos, to blog posts and articles, to website copy, social media posts, printed collateral, and more. To be effective in the role, you will need to hone your writing skills so that you can communicate clearly to diverse audiences across many formats.

2. Presentation and public speaking skills

Presentation skills have become more important in recent years. In fact, according to once survey of corporate recruiters, it’s in the top five skills that companies look for when filling positions. Communications professionals are regularly expected to interface with the public and members of the media, as well as fellow employees and internal stakeholders. The ability to clearly and confidently present your ideas and information, whether in person or through the aid of technology (such as a video or webinar) is expected in many roles.

3. Communicating with data

Organizations now collect more data than at any point in history, all of which is critical in informing important strategic decisions. As data has proliferated, employees across disciplines are finding that they must interact with this data in new ways. Modern communications professionals must be adept at interpreting data from a variety of sources, communicating with that data , and using it to tell compelling stories .

4. Research and critical thinking

Depending on your exact role within an organization and the types of communication that you are expected to create, you may find yourself spending a lot of time searching for resources that can inform your content. The ability to conduct research and—more importantly—evaluate your resources critically, is an essential part of many communications roles.

5. Technical skills

Technological advancements are shaping the field of communications as much as any other industry. The International Association of Business Communications states that the five most important technology trends impacting corporate communications are chatbots, blockchain, virtual reality, extremely-personalized experiences, and artificial personal assistants. Many (if not all) of these technologies are being driven by developments in machine learning and artificial intelligence, which threaten to automate many roles. Developing your technical skills can help you remain competitive in this new reality.

Starting a Career in Corporate Communications

Those looking to break into many entry-level communications positions at most companies can typically do so by earning a bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, or a related field. However, in order to qualify for more competitive managerial and senior-level positions, candidates must be capable of demonstrating a certain level of skill and expertise beyond what an undergraduate degree typically signifies. 

Earning an advanced degree, such as a Master of Science in Corporate and Organizational Communication , can help you obtain this level of skill to advance into senior-level positions.  

At Northeastern, the MS in Corporate Communication is designed specifically for professionals looking to fast-track their professional careers. Challenging academics are taught by professors with real-world experience and paired with many experiential learning opportunities (such as co-ops and capstone projects) to prepare students to address the complex communication challenges faced by modern corporations. Six unique concentrations allow students to learn deeply about the area of communications most closely-aligned with their career aspirations, including:

  • Human resources management
  • Public and media relations
  • Project management
  • Social media
  • Cross-cultural communication   

Want to learn more about advancing your career in communications? Download our free guide on the Skills that Every Communicator Needs in the Digital Era . 

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In This Article Expand or collapse the "in this article" section Strategic Communication

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Strategic Communication by Kjerstin Thorson LAST REVIEWED: 25 July 2018 LAST MODIFIED: 30 September 2013 DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780199756841-0007

Strategic communication is an umbrella term to describe the activities of disciplines including public relations, management communication, and advertising. However, strategic communication is also increasingly recognized as a developing subfield within communication. As such, it explores the capacity of all organizations—not only corporations, but also not-for-profit organizations (including advocacy and activist groups) and government—for engaging in purposeful communication. The strength of the approach is its emphasis on strategy rather than on specific tactics as well as its focus on communications understood holistically. This approach is particularly valuable given the increasing difficulty faced by organizations in differentiating among communication activities (and results) appropriately “owned” by various functional groups. Further, the increasing complexity of a global, digital society has challenged the capacity for organizations to engage in long-term strategic planning. From both scholarly and practitioner standpoints, key questions explore the extent to which professional communicators within organizations are a part of strategy formulations, the degree to which, if any, communications are aligned with organizational strategy, the effectiveness of communication strategies and campaigns, and the role of organizations and stakeholders in society. Research in strategic communication draws on diverse disciplines, including organizational communication, management, military history, mass communication, public relations, advertising, and marketing. Hallahan, et al. 2007 (see Defining Strategic Communication ) notes that “although the term strategic communication has been used in the academic literature for many years, scholars are only now in the process of coherently exploring this in terms of a unified body of knowledge” (p. 4). Works chosen for inclusion in this review are, therefore, drawn from various disciplines, with particular attention to those that attempt to synthesize or explicate links across disciplines.

Strategic communication is a term used to denote the higher-level concerns behind communicative efforts by organizations to advance organizational mission. It is, therefore, inherently multidisciplinary as work in this area draws on literature from a wide array of other subfields, including public relations, marketing, advertising, and management. This section includes works that attempt to explicate the concept of strategic communication for scholars or practitioners. Hallahan, et al. 2007 provides a definition of strategic communication and argues in favor of expanding use of the term to encompass more participatory communication practices, while Argenti, et al. 2005 focuses on explaining to interested practitioners the framework of strategic communication employed by the contributors. Steyn 2003 focuses on strategy within corporate communication in urging that stronger links be built between the “what” and the “how” of content being communicated to stakeholders. Zerfass and Huck 2007 argues in favor of extending the range of strategic communication to include processes of innovation and leadership.

Argenti, P. A., R. A. Howell, and K. A. Beck. 2005. The strategic communication imperative. MIT Sloan Management Review 46.3: 83–89.

This piece is directed at the practice of strategic communication. The authors offer best practices for managers based on interviews with CEOs and top practitioners as well as definitions of communication functions. The framework employed serves as a great introduction for undergraduate courses.

Hallahan, K., D. Holtzhausen, B. van Ruler, D. Vercic, and K. Sriramesh. 2007. Defining strategic communication. International Journal of Strategic Communication 1:3–35.

DOI: 10.1080/15531180701285244

Defines strategic communication as “the purposeful use of communication by an organization to fulfill its mission.” Identifies key concepts, including audience analysis, goal setting, and message strategy. The term strategic has been most often used in the context of management and decision-making power. The authors propose expanding its use to encompass “participatory communication practices” in which power relations are less one-sided.

Steyn, B. 2003. From strategy to corporate communication strategy: A conceptualization. Journal of Communication Management 8.2: 168–183.

DOI: 10.1108/13632540410807637

Argues for communicators to provide input to, but not take part in, corporate strategy formulation. Corporate communication strategy should be linked to corporate strategy. Suggests a route to develop corporate communication strategy—“what” should be communicated—and demonstrates how that strategy inspires strategic planning processes—“how” to communicate.

Zerfass, A., and S. Huck. 2007. Innovation, communication, and leadership: New developments in strategic communication. International Journal of Strategic Communication 1.2: 107–122.

DOI: 10.1080/15531180701298908

This article pushes the boundaries of strategic communication by theorizing innovation communication and the role of leadership communication.

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What is Communication Strategy? – Types, Elements & Benefits

Effective communication among employees and with the customers is of utmost importance for an organization. Here are some statistics that reflect the importance of internal and external communication.

  • Firstly, more than 80% of Americans believe that employee communication is key in developing trust in their employers.
  • From a customer’s perspective, 68% of customers are more likely to buy from a business that offers convenient communications.

So the question is, is there a set of rules that can help us determine what effective communication is for a particular organization?

There is, and it is called “communication strategy.” Even though it differs from business to business, it provides guiding principles on communication and streamlines interactions.

In this article, we will define communication strategy and discuss its types, elements, and benefits for an organization.

Let us begin.

Table of Contents

What is a Communication Strategy?

A Communication strategy is an all-encompassing roadmap for business and marketing communications. It guides communications across all formats, mediums, and audiences; and aligns them with core values, purpose, and desired outcomes.

Communication strategy guides internal and external communication, such as among employees or relaying a message to the target audience. Communication strategies streamline communications and are fundamental to an organization’s marketing and business strategy.

Here is an example to better illustrate the practical application of communication strategy.

Example of Communication Strategy

Consider an advertising agency all set to run an advertising campaign for a client. The agency’s job is to identify the target audience, their preferences, problems, habits, and needs. Keeping these things under consideration, the agency has devised a plan to shift the audience from their current state to desired outcomes.

The agency will now develop a communication strategy that will dictate when and where to reach their audience and how to communicate their client’s message effectively. This communication will convince the audience to take a particular action.

Whether through social media ads, newspaper ads, or billboards , this communication strategy will guide the ad agency about things to do and not to do to achieve the client’s objectives.

Types of Communication Strategies

There are three main types of communication strategies, which are as follows.

Verbal Communication Strategy

Verbal communication strategy includes all types of oral or written communication such as phone calls, emails, ad copy, fax, chat, video calls, and face-to-face meetings. Every communication involving written or spoken word, internally or externally, is guided by a verbal communication.

Non-verbal Communication Strategy

A non-verbal communication strategy guides everything that has to do with mannerisms and expressions. It includes facial expressions, body language, tone and voice pitch, etc.

For example , the same brand might use different mannerisms or body language when advertising their products in two culturally distinct countries. Being careless about non-verbal communication can land a business in hot waters.

Visual Communication Strategy

Visual communication strategy guides all sorts of communications that are visual in nature. Examples include whiteboard animations, video ads, graphics, logos, pictures, GIFs, infographics, presentations, etc. Of course, visual communication might also include elements of verbal or non-verbal communication.

Now, let’s have a look at the elements of a successful communication strategy.

Elements of a Successful Communication Strategy

Defining your target audience.

Identifying, understanding, and clearly defining your ideal audience is the first step toward creating a successful communication strategy. To do that, you need to answer questions like:

  • Why are you targeting this particular audience?
  • What are their preferences, aspirations, and fears?
  • What are their problems, and how can your products or services solve those problems?
  • What are their demographics (age, gender, profession, language, and ethnicity)?
  • What formats and platforms do they use most extensively?

When you devise a communication strategy after knowing your audience, you increase your chances of success. According to this research , 80% of marketers say personalized content performs better than generic content.

Aligning Context with Your Communications

Context helps you determine your audience’s frame of reference while they engage with you. It also enables you to analyze where they stand in the funnel. In simple words, context means communicating with the right audience, with the right message, at the right time.

A successful communication strategy explains the context so those in charge of communication can squeeze maximum benefits out of their efforts. For example, Tesla talked to consumers about fossil fuels and what it’d be like to live without them. This helped them collect data and design electric cars that are now selling more than Mercedes-Benz .

Determining Intended Outcome(s)

A communication strategy without intended outcomes is like shooting an arrow in the dark. Whether it is communication’s goal to persuade, relay information, convert leads, or increase engagement, without a clear intended outcome, it is impossible to determine the progress. An intended outcome also helps determine the best course of action.

Relaying Key Message(s)

Every communication strategy has a list of key messages centered around its brand and core values. These key messages are woven in every form of communication with the audience so that the messaging stays consistent with the brand.

For example, Nike’s key messaging revolves around moving and taking action( Just Do It ), while Apple’s key messaging helps it stand out because of its sophisticated design and user experience( Think Different ). However, key messaging is not synonymous with a brand’s tagline. The tagline is just an example of key messaging in action.

When you include key messages in your communication strategy, it inspires confidence and trust in your audience. It helps them identify your brand from a mile away and builds loyalty .

Choosing the Appropriate Medium

An effective communication strategy also guides on the appropriate medium for engaging your audience. For example, if your target audience is high-level executives in the tech industry, focusing your marketing communication efforts on LinkedIn instead of Instagram would make more sense.

However, choosing the appropriate medium is much more than choosing the right social media platform. It also involves determining:

  • Communication formats your target audience prefers (email, one-to-one meetings, phone calls, video ads, podcasts, etc.),
  • Whether they prefer verbal or visual communication.
  • Where they usually hang out on the internet.

All of these aspects come under the guiding light of communication strategy. Choosing the appropriate medium increases the effectiveness of your communication and puts you one step closer to your desired outcomes.

Choosing Preferred Messenger(s)

A comprehensive communication strategy also determines its messengers depending on the preferences of the audience and the nature of the business.

For example, it might make sense to hire an influencer for a fashion brand while a top manager or a CEO will be better suited to explain the benefits of a SaaS product to potential buyers. Preferred messengers can be divided into three broad categories.

  • Role and Authority: This type of messenger inspires confidence in their audience because of their influential role and authority in a particular organization or industry. (CEOs, Managers, Investors, etc.)
  • Expertise and Experience: This type of messenger inspires trust in the audience because of their experience in that particular industry. (Entrepreneurs, Activists, Industry Leaders, etc.)
  • Relationship with the Audience: This type of messenger is well-known among the audience, which makes the audience listen to what he has to say. (Influencers, Celebrities, Artists, etc.)

Alright, let’s move to the benefits of a communication strategy for an organization.

Benefits of a Communication Strategy for an Organization

Improves consistency.

Communication strategies help an organization maintain consistency across all communication channels. But why is maintaining consistency important? Consistency in external communications helps build trust among your audience. Moreover, you will likely increase revenue by 33% if you have brand consistency.

On the other hand, consistency in internal communications helps employees avoid miscommunication and misunderstanding. When used to consistent communication protocols, they’re less likely to be overwhelmed or become anxious.

Brings Clarity

A communication strategy is a well-defined blueprint that brings clarity to internal and external communications.

It outlines the protocols about how an organization should communicate, eliminating the need for guesswork or ad-hoc decision-making.

Clarity also helps determine the nature of messages and the expected outcomes. With clear communication goals in mind, employees find it easier to communicate with clients and coworkers.

Guides Marketing Communication

A comprehensive communication strategy helps streamline your marketing communications .

When faced with a hiccup or dealing with a new client, an employee can simply refer to this strategy for guidance on how to communicate while keeping the key messaging and desired outcomes in mind. This reduces speculation in marketing communication and yields calculable results on a campaign’s performance.

Final Words

In simple words, all marketing campaigns are based on communication strategies. A thorough communication strategy is the only way to organize, streamline, and regulate internal and external communications. Without it, employees become less productive, and business takes a hit.

Depending on your industry, how would you go about devising a communication strategy for your business? Let us know in the comments!

About The Author

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shaharYar Ahmad Ranjhaa

The Strategy Story

Communication Strategies: Explained with Types & Examples

corporate communication strategy definition

A communication strategy is a plan that outlines how an organization or individual will communicate with its target audience. It includes a set of goals and objectives, key messages, communication channels, tactics, and metrics to measure the success of the communication efforts.

A communication strategy is designed to help an organization achieve its communication goals, whether to inform, educate, persuade, or engage its target audience. It can be used for various purposes, such as promoting a new product or service, building brand awareness, managing a crisis, or influencing public opinion.

Effective communication strategies are tailored to the specific needs and preferences of the target audience and take into account the broader social, cultural, and political context in which they operate. They also rely on various communication channels, such as social media, email, traditional media, events, and advertising, to reach the intended audience.

How to design a communication strategy

Designing a communication strategy involves several steps that should be followed to ensure the strategy is effective and meets the organization’s objectives. Here are the general steps you can follow:

  • Define your objectives: Start by defining the objectives of your communication strategy. Determine what you want to achieve with the communication strategy. Objectives can include increasing brand awareness, customer engagement, or sales.
  • Identify your target audience: Identify the audience you want to reach with your communication strategy. Consider their demographics, interests, behaviors, and communication preferences.
  • Develop key messages: Develop key messages that will resonate with your target audience. These messages should be clear, concise, and memorable.
  • Determine communication channels: Determine the communication channels you will use to reach your target audience. These include social media, email marketing, website content, print materials, and other channels.
  • Create a content plan: Develop a content plan outlining the content types you will create for each communication channel. Consider the format, tone, and style of each piece of content.
  • Establish a timeline: Develop a timeline for the execution of your communication strategy. This timeline should include key milestones and deadlines.
  • Evaluate and adjust: Evaluate the effectiveness of your communication strategy regularly and adjust as needed. Consider feedback from your target audience and analyze the impact of your communication efforts on your objectives.

Barnlund’s transactional model of communication with Example

Remember, an effective communication strategy is tailored to the needs and preferences of your target audience. Following these steps, you can develop a communication strategy that effectively communicates your message and achieves your objectives.

By the way, to communicate our strategy effectively within the team, we all need a robust collaboration platform. Miro is the leading visual collaboration platform. Build anything together on Miro. It’s free and as easy to use as a whiteboard , but endlessly more powerful. Do use the Miro platform for strong communication within your team.

Examples of communication strategy

Here are some examples of communication strategies:

  • Clear and concise messaging: A communication strategy should focus on creating messages that are easy to understand and convey the intended meaning. This means using simple language, avoiding jargon, and being direct.
  • Targeted communication: A communication strategy should consider the audience and tailor the messages accordingly. For example, if the target audience is teenagers, the communication strategy should use language and visuals that appeal to that age group.
  • Multi-channel communication: A communication strategy should consider multiple channels to reach the audience. This could include social media, email, phone calls, in-person meetings, etc.
  • Consistent branding: A communication strategy should use consistent branding across all channels to create a cohesive and recognizable brand identity. This could include using the same logo, colors, and messaging across all communication channels.
  • Listening and responding: A communication strategy should include a process for listening to feedback and responding to questions or concerns. This could involve monitoring social media channels or creating a customer service team to respond to inquiries.
  • Measuring success: A communication strategy should include measuring the messaging and channels’ success. This could consist of tracking social media engagement rates, customer satisfaction scores, or sales figures.

Internal Communication Strategy & Plan| Examples| Best practices

Types of communication strategies

Several types of communication strategies can be used depending on the specific situation and purpose of communication. Here are some types:

  • Verbal communication includes face-to-face conversations, phone calls, and video conferencing. Verbal communication is an effective way to convey complex ideas and emotions and establish a personal connection.
  • Written Communication: This includes emails, letters, reports, memos, and other written forms of communication. Written communication allows for precise and detailed communication and can serve as a permanent record of the communication.
  • Nonverbal Communication: This includes body language, facial expressions, gestures, and tone of voice. Nonverbal communication can convey emotions, attitudes, and intentions without using words.
  • Visual Communication: This includes graphs, charts, diagrams, photographs, videos, and other visual aids. Visual communication can simplify complex ideas and data and make communication more engaging.
  • Persuasive Communication: This is used to influence others to take a specific action or adopt a particular viewpoint. Persuasive communication can be achieved through various techniques such as storytelling, emotional appeals, and logical arguments.
  • Crisis Communication: This is used to address and manage communication during a crisis, such as a natural disaster, product recall, or data breach. Crisis communication requires timely and accurate information, empathy, and transparency.
  • Interpersonal Communication: This refers to communication between individuals and is often used in social or professional contexts. Interpersonal communication can include active listening, feedback, and negotiation skills.

Integrated Marketing Communication Strategy  

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Corporate Communications Plan: The Roadmap for Success

corporate communication strategy definition

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Successful companies are strategic with the way they communicate. In fact, developing a corporate communications plan can be one of the most important ways to build a stronger brand.

Trust is created by the ways that businesses share authentically about themselves and how they respond to difficult situations.

Communications teams benefit from putting a lot of effort into the way they craft messaging and tell stories about their brand. And those that are most equipped to handle challenges and adapt to change are the ones that have plans in place.  

A 2019 study showed that 96% of people think the businesses they deal with could improve when it comes to communication and project management. So clearly this is something more businesses need to address!

Let’s explore what successful corporate communications plans include and have in common, and how they can benefit your organization.

What is a Corporate Communications Plan?

A corporate communications plan is the framework for how a business shares messages internally and externally. You can think of it as the roadmap for how a company communicates with their stakeholders, employees, customers, the media, and regulators. 

Part of the plan includes what information to share, who the target audience is, how frequently to provide updates, and what channels are the best to relay these messages.

Having a plan in place shapes how a company will handle communications during times of crisis, change, and launches of campaigns and new products.

What Are the Types of Corporate Communications?

The two main types of corporate communications are:

Internal Communications: How a business shares information with its employees, leadership teams, managers, and board members. 

The interactions can be formal modes of communications such as all-hands meetings to discuss strategic initiatives and performance, updates about organizational changes, company newsletters , and internal memos about policy changes. 

Or they can also include more informal communication like using messaging apps to collaborate, welcoming new hires, celebrating work anniversaries, or sharing details on winning new business.

External Communications: Any information shared outside of the organization. 

Whether it is a formal press release or branded content on social media, these communications build the company’s public image and impact the perception of a brand and its products or services. 

Marketing, content, and advertising created by the company to promote it are included as external communication methods. 

Press releases and financial reporting are another way that companies share messaging about the organization with the outside world.  

Why is Having a Corporate Communications Plan Important?

Corporate communications plans lead to sharing clearer and better messages with your target audience. 

Whether that audience includes your own employees or potential customers, you want to be heard in the right place and at the right time. Setting up a framework to achieve that is essential. 

Sometimes you might be thrown a curveball, and a communications plan will help your business be prepared for any unexpected changes or crises that come your way. 

Surprisingly, a JOTW Communications Survey showed that 59% of communicators say they have a communications strategy drafted, but only 45% admit to having a documented crisis communications plan.

Having a plan in place will also allow for speedier recovery to any public relations issues. For example, responding to negative feedback and being open about mistakes can build trust with your brand and get you back on the right track in the eyes of customers and potential clients.

Communicating effectively and transparently shows that your brand values engagement by taking a proactive approach to be included in conversations about your brand or industry. 

A corporate communications plan for internal communications will also help define and build a transparent company culture. This can improve employee engagement by keeping team members included in conversations about where the company is heading and what it values.

If there are sudden changes on a team, you’ll be better able to communicate the changes in a way that makes employees feel comfortable and cared for if you have a plan for how to share that information first for those immediately affected and then across the company.

What Should A Corporate Communications Plan Include?

It takes time and consideration to develop an effective corporate communications plan. You’ll want to include details for the objectives, approach, and tracking measures for the goals of your messaging.

In simple terms, you’ll want to include the who, what, when, where, why, and how.

Here are the elements your corporate communications plan needs:

  • Target Audiences – these are the groups of stakeholders that will be receiving the messages. They could be employees, customers, media members, investors, leadership teams, and managers. Age, location, job level, interests, and lifestyle are all helpful to know about the receivers of your messaging.
  • Objectives – most communications are created with a call to action or a desired outcome in mind — these are your ultimate objectives or goals. They should be tied to your overall organizational goals to drive business outcomes.
  • Message content – what you want to say and what you are trying to help your readers understand. Tone and personality are important to formulate in your message to get your reader’s attention.
  • Distribution strategy – the channels and venues that your communications will be delivered on are an important aspect of the communications plan. Paid, earned, owned, and shared media channels have different benefits for reaching audiences.
  • Frequency – how often you will be sharing or updating content to reach your target audience. This will depend on your team’s budget and resources, as well as an understanding of your target audience and being mindful of attention fatigue. 
  • Measures of evaluation – how you’ll know if your communications were successful. These should be highly attached to your objectives and goals so that you can track progress and understand areas for improvement.  

How to Create a Corporate Communications Plan

You can follow these steps to design a corporate communications plan that is thorough and takes into account the many facets that go into a successful communications strategy.

1. Establish goals

Pick 3-5 measurable goals for your communication plan. They could be connected to brand awareness like increasing website traffic or generated a certain number of new leads.

Or they could be related to employee engagement, such as increasing the employee satisfaction score on your next survey or increasing the number of shares of branded content.

2. Set a clear process

Knowing the steps involved to launch a communications campaign and having teams on board with the process will ensure that your plan is scalable.

Document the steps involved from content creation to distribution to collecting feedback and share those with any teams that are included in the action.

You should also define clear roles for who will be involved in creating the communications and which stakeholders need to be involved for approving messages and compliance.

3. Identify and segment targets

Take time to think through who your target audience will be and how they may be different. Knowing your audiences can help you tailor your content and tone to appeal to audiences.

Use customer analysis and social listening to determine your audience’s preferred social channels and the best forms of content to encourage visibility of your content.

The way your company shares information with employees will likely be different than how it presents to the board or investors so it’s important to segment your audiences.

4. Develop key messages

Craft the copy and creative materials needed to effectively communicate your messaging. Think about what you are trying to articulate and how it could be conveyed in the clearest and understandable way for your target audience.

The content-type should also be considered — should the message be shared in a meeting or email or video? How can the audience react and ask questions about the announcement? These are all questions to consider when creating the content for both internal and external communications.

5. Choose a channel strategy

You’ll need to determine the channels and frequency of your communications to meet your goals. 

For example, if your communication strategy is for internal communications you’ll evaluate whether an email or meeting is the best way to share the news. 

Do teams prefer shorter, weekly updates or to get more information at the end of the month? Get feedback from your audiences to determine what makes the most sense for your communication cadence.

6. Measure objectives and progress

Before you start implementing your plan, think through how you can measure success for your communications with metrics like reach, open rates, and engagement.

That way you will be set up to continuously improve your content strategy and messaging. 

Collect feedback from employees or customers on how to improve your messaging and enact these changes so that you are don’t run the risk of turning off or disengaging your audience.   

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What are the Main Channels for Corporate Communications?

Companies have many software platforms and tools to choose from that can help streamline communications. You’ll want to use a mix of communication channels to achieve different goals.

For external communications, social networks, media publications, and videoconferencing are some of the most effective ways to reach potential customers and grow brand awareness. 

All of the content that you publish on your website reflects the values and goals of your brand and can be a powerful way to make connections by providing valuable resources to potential buyers.

For internal project communication, email and messaging apps are the easiest ways for people to collaborate at an organization. They make it easy to share files and resources, get input from colleagues, and track project status updates. 

Internal blogs, company newsletters, and intranets are some examples of methods that companies have used to keep employees informed and connected.

For building company culture and employee engagement, internal enterprise social networking platforms provide a more flexible and easy to use way to share company content. 

Employee advocacy for corporate communications

Employee advocacy platforms like EveryoneSocial make it easy to link to external social networks, bridging the gap between internal company conversations and sharing them externally to strengthen brand engagement.

Press releases are important tools for sharing announcements and launching new products. And those efforts can be amplified when you have employees that want to share that content to their own networks, as well.

Beyond externally distributing communication messages, EveryoneSocial has unique features that keep your people engaged, connected, and informed — no matter where they are working. 

For example, some features for communications include: 

  • Internal newsletters
  • Push notifications
  • Mobile apps
  • Real-time messaging
  • Follow company employees
  • Tag employees on important info
  • Read-only content

EveryoneSocial platform sample post showing corporate communications.

Want to learn more about how Everyone Social can be used to improve your corporate communication plan? Schedule your demo with us and we’ll share how some of our enterprise customers are communicating better by enabling their workforce with EveryoneSocial!

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What is corporate communication? Definition, goals & examples

What is corporate communication, definition, goals & examples.

What is corporate communication and what measures do companies need to take? Everything about definition and goals + examples.

In this article:

Corporate communication definition

Which goals need to be achieved, business communication as a part of corporate behavior, corporate communication examples, rules of business communication, business communication checklist, consider and overcome linguistic hurdles, corporate social responsibility: an important message for businesses, our final advice, the most important in a nutshell.

  • Corporate communication considers both, internal and external communication
  • A goal oriented corporate communication improves working climate and the interaction between staff
  • Good communication structures will have a positive impact on your business image and promises competition advantages

Corporate communication as a key element to a working business

Efficiency and sales will always be a company’s number one priority. There is nothing wrong with that because only economically strong businesses will survive on a highly competitive market. But it’s about under which circumstances this goal will be achieved. In the past decades most businesses have recognized that employee satisfaction does not only depend on salary but rather on other factors. One of them is corporate communication.

corporate communication strategy definition

In this article we will talk about corporate communication and how businesses can use it to their advantage. Moreover we will dive deeper into the importance of individual approaches and social responsibility.

The term corporate communication sums up all measures to improve the communication within a company. This concerns not only the communication between a company and its staff (internal) but also the interaction between a business and customers, partners or suppliers (external) .

Corporate communication follows the goal to create consistent dialogue structures between a company and its stakeholders . But there are other reasons which speak in favor of improving communication structures of a business.

A good corporate communication improves working climate and strengthens the trust between a business and its staff. That in turn has a positive effect on productivity . Encouraging the internal dialogue also comes with the advantage that there will be less conflicts and that businesses can react better to the wishes of their staff . That results in a healthy business culture with open dialogue structures and strengthened trust between employer and employee.

In external business communication it’s primarily about such factors which will make a business stand out against its competitors. We are talking about corporate identity . Many don’t associate corporate identity with open dialogues or information exchange but rather with nice looking logos and convincing messages. That is a way to communicate too – corporate communication doesn’t necessarily mean to seek out dialogues because visual elements and messages will also improve business communication.

Therefore, the goal is not only to communicate transparently and openly but also to use the advantages of visual elements.

At its core, corporate communication pursues the following goals:

  • Improving corporate identity
  • More transparency for employees
  • Ensuring employee satisfaction
  • Establish a good working climate
  • Reaching business goals
  • Secure competitive advantages
  • Improving business culture as a whole
  • Expanding customer loyalty and customer acquisition as well as improving customer experience
  • Strengthen the business image
  • Cultivating business relationships

Corporate behavior is a part of corporate identity and describes the behavior of a business towards its stakeholders. The focus of corporate behavior is on the achievement of goals and whether companies act in the way they communicate to the outside world.

Corporate behavior is seen as a separate area of corporate identity but it also has an impact on reaching goals and therefore on a business’ behavior as well.

One example: Through good communication structures businesses will increase productivity of their employees because open dialogues and information exchange build trust as well as satisfaction. This will ensure reaching goals in the long term.

In general, communication always has a positive impact on corporate business. Possible disadvantages only occur when an information flood limits scope of action and paves the way to micromanagement .

To develop your sense for practical application of corporate communication, we will take a closer look at some examples. Hereby it’s especially important to differentiate between internal and external business communication.

Corporate communication examples internal:

  • Employee interviews
  • Feedback talks
  • Regular trainings to promote knowledge
  • Transparency in information exchange (e. g. through digital signage )
  • Communicating wishes through open dialogues
  • Defining goals clearly and communicating reached goals openly (e. g. through monitoring )

Communication is key. So approach your employees openly and ask for their feedback. Monthly employee interviews help to recognize wishes and to expose possible conflicts . Corporate communication also means to create a good working climate by avoiding conflicts within your team.

Every business ideally seeks out dialogues with its employees to respond specifically to wishes and needs. It’s harder to execute this approach for information exchange regarding events or internal changes. A centralized and automated communication structure will help you hereby. Information terminals for example provide a centralized approach to inform employees about news with little effort. Monthly employee meetings will improve and automate corporate communication as well.

At an external level you need to differentiate between marketing and PR. Companies can increase their positive image through newspaper articles and press releases. Marketing methods on the other hand will help to strengthen the corporate identity and to force customer acquisition.

Corporate communication examples external: 

  • Press releases
  • Social media channels
  • Digital advertising
  • Use cases for more transparency
  • Posters and flyers
  • Content marketing
  • Reports for business partners and stockholders

Don’t underestimate the effect of sponsoring and press releases. These supposedly old-fashioned PR methods have a strong impact on a business’ image. While they don’t build brand awareness as specifically as maintaining social media channels for example, they do position your company more strongly, especially on a regional level.

Many businesses primarily focus on external communication because they will win new customers and business partners with it. The key factors for more sales. But without satisfied and educated employees, productivity will decrease and your company will have disadvantages in competition. Therefore, you should improve corporate communication as a whole . To improve internal communication structures, you can establish rules which equally apply to all employees. Obligatory rules will ensure a better together within the team and help to reach goals.

With the following rules of business communication, you will improve existing structures:

  • Openly talk about conflicts
  • Informing employees about changes
  • Monthly employee meetings (to talk about collective challenges)
  • Obligatory trainings for all business departments
  • Showing appreciation towards your employees

There are two things to consider when executing these rules. On the one hand you should make sure that these rules will become part of the business values. Every team member needs to know about these rules and recognize that they follow a purpose. On the other hand you shouldn’t ignore financial and timely aspects. You better ensure to have enough resources to establish regular employee meetings or employee interviews.

  • Involve all employees into the process
  • Talk about the current situation and challenges with your team
  • Define clear goals and which tasks need to be done
  • Consider budget and human resources
  • Establish fix days and times for employee interviews, trainings and feedback talks
  • Approach the worries of your employees and convince them with good arguments
  • Consider your customers and your business partners
  • Determine channels to communicate business internal messages
  • Don’t give empty promises but rather set realistic measures
  • Talk regularly about the approached measures and if all employees are okay with it
  • Repeat all the steps and optimize them where it’s necessary

Corporate communication is aimed at different groups of persons but exactly this aspect is often ignored by many businesses. Law changes in data security need to be communicated differently to human resource employees than to a data protection officer. It’s also pointless to use information terminals as the only source of communication when many employees work at home or in the field service.

Linguistic barriers hinder goal oriented approaches . Ask yourself the following questions to eliminate possible hurdles in internal corporate communication:

  • Do all employees have access to information?
  • Are there linguistic barriers because of different nationalities?
  • Do we use too much professional language?
  • Is our communication directed towards the perspective of our employees?
  • Do we grow faster than we can improve our communication structures?

In external communication it’s especially important to consider the principles of marketing . A basic differentiation between B2B and B2C clients is a good start but a deeper selection will help more in the long term.

Ready for take off?

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In 2023, external communication means more than just good PR and marketing. Businesses show more social responsibility, be it through better compliance, approaches to expand environmentally friendly working processes or more accessibility .

There are laws as a guideline to execute these measures. But there are other objective measures which support the execution too. One of them ist the principles of corporate social responsibility (CSR) .

In the core, CSR describes the voluntary contribution of a business to a sustainable development of the economy. This includes climate protection, measures against corruption or an ethical justifiable business culture. Some guidelines of specific countries (e. g. Germany) force bigger businesses to create reports about their CSR approaches but for other companies the contribution is voluntary.

CSR sends an important message to businesses: Social consciousness and responsibility become more relevant. When thinking of corporate communication, don’t only consider promising messages or convincing marketing but social aspects as well.

Take care of executing corporate communication in a holistic approach . Many businesses strongly focus on external communication because marketing promises more sales and a stronger public image. Thereby employee satisfaction and internal conflict mastering have a massive impact on the success of a business as well.

Before you execute measures for a better corporate communication, deal with the question if your team equally builds structures for both internal and external communication to approach a holistic process- and structure optimization. In order to promote corporate communication, your company should also push the development of digital competence in order to create more efficient structures and also keep communication channels shorter.

Conclusion: The human being is in the foreground

Businesses face the challenge that a standardized approach through corporate communication is barely possible. Because of the already mentioned linguistic hurdles, businesses can only partly automize their communication processes.

Therefore, it’s better for businesses to follow the goal to establish automated processes which consider individual customer wishes or desires of employees. It’s also important to overcome linguistic hurdles.

Finally, we will answer commonly asked questions about corporate communication.

What is the difference between corporate communication and marketing communication?

Marketing communication concerns commericialization of a product or a service. Corporate communication on the other hand also considers the appearance of a brand and the image of a business. 

Why is corporate communication important?

Corporate communication does not only focus on the advantages of a product or a service but will ensure the communication of the business image. At an internal level, businesses ensure higher employee satisfaction and increased productivity. 

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Corporate Communication: Definition, Types and Benefits

June 9, 2023 | By Hitesh Bhasin | Filed Under: Management

Have you ever wondered what corporate communication is? Corporate communications refers to communication is an often-misunderstood phrase that is used in the workplace. The main goal of corporate communication is to keep employees informed and updated at all times. The only way this can happen is if the appropriate channels of communication are set in place. This article defines the various types of corporate communication, its scope and importance in the workplace, as well as the reasons why employees need to be updated at all times.

Table of Contents

What is Corporate Communication?

Corporate communication empowers businesses and organizations to communicate with internal stakeholders and external audiences like employees, customers, potential customers , media, the general public, stakeholders, government agencies, 3rd party regulators, etc.

Different variations of corporate communications depend upon the audiences it is addressing. From public relations and media relations to press releases , news conferences, HRM, Corporate Communications revolve around-

  • Written words- (Promotional materials, reports, website copy, advertisements, memos, email, social media, press releases, etc.)
  • Spoken words (Videos, press conferences, social media videos, meetings, interviews, etc.)
  • Non-spoken communication (Photographs, infographics, illustrations, general branding , etc.)

Corporate communications manage and channelize all internal and external communications for ensuring favourable perceptions amongst different external stakeholders of an organization for transmitting credibility, engagement, coherence, ethics , information, message, etc.

By using corporate communication, an organization can explain its mission , vision , and values. It revolves around the management , marketing and corporate communications functions as well as organizational communication-

  • Via management communication, external and internal audiences interact
  • Via marketing communication , lead generation, conversions, sales, and ROI occur
  • Via organizational communication , general public affairs, public relations, corporate advertising , investor relations, employee communication, and environmental communications channelize

Responsibilities of Corporate Communication

Communication is merely the transfer of sentences or information between two different communities or people. Moreover, the need for successful communication is quite important for a business firm.

The company needs to establish a stable connection with its consumers in the long run. Apart from this, the corporate communication strategy is one of the major parts of the whole communication system. It refers to the situation where a corporate business keeps in touch with its consumers.

There should be a uniform identity of the business in different areas across the market .

Any abruptness can destroy the main motive of corporate communication. It further signifies the boldness of the company that attracts more customers to use their products.

Some even consider corporate communication plays a key role in the success or failure of the brand . Further, it is based on several factors that can influence the outcome.

  • Channelizing corporate branding for promoting the profile of the “company or organization behind the brand”
  • Minimizing discrepancies in between the brand features and desired identity of an organization or company
  • Delegating tasks in communication and formulating procedures for making decisions regarding the relevant communications
  • Channelizing internal and external support for different corporate objectives
  • Coordinating with international business firms

Types of Corporate Communication

As mentioned earlier, corporate communication stands over the pillars of numerous factors. Also, service employees do come under the same condition along with the users. These can be with both the external and internal factors connected to the company.

1. External Communication

There is no doubt that external factors are essential for corporate communication, but every business is established out there. Customers or the audiences of a company are included in this section. They reflect the actual image of the brand in the community and defines the number of sales. Even the company has significant control over handling these factors. Some of the examples of the same are-

1.1. Advertisement Levels

It is quite obvious that advertising will have a huge impact on corporate communication levels. Companies spend thousands of dollars to have a bright and attractive slogan and brand logo .

1.2. Media Influence & Public Relations

There is no doubt in the fact that the press and media will act as a spokesperson in the communication. It is quite understandable that anything that is included in the press coverage will directly reach your consumers.

2. Internal Communication

On the other hand, internal factors are related to various procedures running within the company walls. A company that is internally strong and firm will stand by the various ups and downs of the market. For a better understanding, some of the examples are,

2.1. Group Discussion

A discussion among the group of workers will strengthen overall team unity. The employees should be close to each other, both professionally and emotionally. Otherwise, they won’t be able to bear the pressure of the company’s target .

2.2. Daily Reports

Reports should be regular to keep a check on the progress of the business’s overall advancement. Several messages from the department can become a source of motivation for the workers.

Here is a video by Marketing91 on Corporate Communication.

Working of Corporate Communication

It is quite common to observe corporate communication in various sectors of the community. The new generation has started accepting it as a critical thinking significant addition to the success of their business.

As we move forward, corporate communication can lead the future of business and its image in the market. For that, it is quite necessary to understand the working of a corporate and communication strategy and campaign.

This will give you an overview of how the team of experts makes your vision for internal communications a reality. Two key factors upon which corporate communications depend upon are

1. The commitment of Employees

First, the dedication level of the employees and manager should be at the peak. Unification of the internal members is necessary for corporate communication and every task within the institute.

To make this easy, employees are also referred to as the ambassadors of their respective firms. If you provide all the necessary tools for them, they will take your company to new heights.

2. Reputation

It is often said that “Until you show, it won’t sell” and this proverb certainly depicts corporate communication scenarios. Building an effective reputation for the name of your brand is essential.

The customers tend to trust companies that have stronger brand credibility in the market. Ensure that any obstruction on your way should not be left untreated.

Benefits of Corporate Communications

Corporate communication is under the control of a specific communications department developed in the majority of the companies.

The department’s main aim is to propose some measures that can eventually lead to a better connection with the consumers. We will now discuss some benefits of the same –

1. Avoid Miscommunication

It is proved from several surveys that the lack of communication between the employees and managers is not productive. The managers must avoid any statements that can misguide the employees. Any potential mistake from their side can be dangerous for the name of the whole brand. Corporate and communication department also focuses on this aspect of the company and makes sure everything is running smoothly.

2. Better Services

As it also includes all the internal and external stakeholders and factors like customers, their needs should be the company’s priority. The employee should be worthy enough to solve all the issues and satisfy the customer about their product or service. If the customer feels suspicious about it, you will never be able to generate a strong connection.

3. Transparency

Successful corporate communication will enhance the overall transparency of the firm. For instance, if the employee is certain about the company’s culture and goal, he will certainly give his best. The same stands true for the customers as well. A company with good transparency policies will turn out to attract more customers.

4. Brand Awareness

At a time when millennials do not like to be sold via ads, corporate communication is one of the most effective ways to educate them for making informed purchasing decisions. This way, it improves public relations, media relations as well as internal communication and external communication that ultimately optimizes brand awareness .

5. Boosting Employee Engagement

The success of corporate communications department in any business is directly proportional to employee engagement . – And companies that enjoy high engagement rates are exceptional with their internal communication strategy . Corporate communications are integral to optimized engagement in any organization.

6. Sparking Innovation

Innovation is crucial for sustaining in the market and growing exponentially. Corporate communication channelizes the culture of innovation in companies. From inter-departmental collaboration to knowledge sharing to the media and public relations, corporate communication channelizes innovation.

7. Improving Employee Productivity

Internal communication is considered the most important factor in understanding and fulfilling employee expectations. This way, it develops a knowledge culture in communication departments of the organization. It also develops problem-solving culture, and ultimately boosts productivity .

8. Attracting Top Talent

Effective corporate communications strategy and communication is pivotal in attracting the best talents for any organization. Media relations, brand ambassadors , showcasing company culture , referrals from engaged employees, etc are some of the corporate communication strategies that attract top talents.

Starting a Career in Corporate Communications Professionals

Corporate communications is a field that requires a lot of different skills , but if you’re looking for a career with technical skills that allows you to work with people in interesting ways, this may be the right choice for you.

The first thing to consider about corporate communications is that it’s not just about writing—it’s about making sure your business gets the message out. You might write press releases, but you’ll also be responsible for writing internal memos and other documents. And while you’ll probably spend most of your day writing and editing, there are plenty of other things that fall under the umbrella of corporate communications: social media management, graphic design, event planning , customer communications, and more.

As an aspiring corporate communicator, you have some options when it comes to education . There are many programs available both online and at traditional institutions; however, if you want to go into this field full-time (rather than as a hobby), consider going all-in on your own education by earning a bachelor’s degree in English or journalism as well as an MBA or master’s degree in communication studies.

In the end, we can conclude our discussion by stating that corporate communication is never a bad deal for business firms. Moreover, the current scene of crisis communication in the market makes it even more important to be implemented.

Almost every company is gaining popularity, and no one wants to lack behind. Even the customers feel secure with the company that can cover them for long runs. On the other hand, investing firms will get involved with the company more often. The overall strength of the business will improve, and everyone would want to connect to the firm.

What is your corporate communication definition? How significant do you consider it in employee communications, news conferences, human resources, and information sharing?

Liked this post? Check out the complete series on Communication

Related posts:

  • Corporate Planning Definition – Strategy, Importance, Objectives and Elements
  • Asynchronous Communication: Examples & Benefits
  • Importance of Communication and its Benefits in a Workplace
  • Business Communication: Categories, Process and Benefits
  • Organizational Learning: Definition, Types and Benefits
  • Horizontal Communication – Definition, Meaning, Types, Features
  • Public Communication – Definition, Importance and Types
  • Vertical Communication – Definition, Types, Advantages and Disadvantages
  • Communication Media: Definition, Types and Examples
  • Communication Channels: Definition, Types and Role

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Communication Strategies Definition | Types of Communication Strategies

Effective communication strategies are vital to your success in the workplace and in life. If you don’t know how to talk with others, you may find yourself failing to reach your goals at work or home, not just professionally but personally as well.

So what makes effective communication? How can you improve your skills? What should be your communication strategy? What are the types of communication strategies ? We are going to cover all this in the article. Keep reading!

Everybody wants to build a successful communication strategy, but it’s not as easy as we think so. As we know that communication is the exchange of information between two parties i.e. sender and receiver. So for communication, one has to worry about effective ways of communication.

At the start, communication was limited to writings and meetings. But modern technology has changed the whole concept. People need to make efforts on understanding how they share information. Here communication strategies start working.

Definition: Communication strategy is the scheme of planning how to share information. Communication strategy is the choice of the most useful objectives of communication, and recognition of a particular brand and its strategy in terms of attitude.

Communication Strategies

A strategy need to be interlinked with the basis of the organization and has to be taken into account very seriously. Employees of the organization are supposed to be committed to the organization’s strategy completely.

An organization can’t compete well with the world outside if it lacks a proper strategy that informs about what it aims to do.

Before we move to the types of communication strategies , let us first understand what communication is exactly and why is it so important?

What is the role of communication?

Communication is so much more than a simple verbal or written exchange of ideas and information. Communication plays a critical role in learning, building relationships, and establishing trust —all of which are essential to both personal and professional development.

  • You must be able to listen effectively to understand others
  • You must be able to speak up when necessary
  • Taking responsibility for your thoughts and actions
  • You must know how to present your ideas persuasively.

Communications strategies will help you develop these skills by thinking through communication scenarios that might arise at work and developing plans to deal with them.

It will also help clarify what kinds of goals you want to achieve in any kind of communications-related situation, whether it’s a phone call with your manager or pitching an idea at a company meeting.

And even if you never need it directly as part of your job, knowing how to effectively communicate with people will help immensely no matter what career path you choose!

In your communications strategy, start by analyzing what kinds of communication you’ll encounter at work. It could be interviews, meetings, email exchanges with clients, team discussions, or brainstorming sessions—any kind of interaction that is essential to your role.

What is effective communication?

Effective Communication

Effective communication is about connection. The goal of effective communication is to understand and be understood, whether you are trying to reach a supervisor, manager, business partner, or customer.

Effective communicators know that listening can lead to better understanding in any situation. They listen and think about what their communication partner is saying so they can respond appropriately.

In addition, effective communicators don’t just give out information—they also seek it out from others.

Effective communication is also a two-way street. It’s not just about you—it’s about what others need to hear from you and how they interpret your messages. When you think about all of these different factors, effective communication becomes much more challenging, but with practice, it can be done effectively in many situations.

Effective communication is challenging, but it is also important to work on regularly because, in business, it’s all about relationships.

If you can improve your communication with others, not only will you feel more confident doing so—you will also build better relationships and ultimately be able to accomplish more. Think about how much easier it is to work together when both parties are communicating effectively.

What is Communication Strategy?

Communication Strategy is a critical element of business, particularly in complex and/or large organizations. Strategic Communication plans, or Communication Strategies, define how an organization will communicate internally and externally (internally with other businesses and staff, externally with customers).

Moreover, it provides a map to help organizations navigate their various communications channels including:

  • Face-to-face communication
  • Social media
  • Electronic communications such as email and intranets
  • Press releases
  • Public relations work
  • Direct marketing activities and even products themselves.

Since a well-defined and strategically implemented communication plan can ensure your messages to customers are well-received, it’s an important factor in business success.

If you look at organizations that have successfully communicated their values and strengths to customers, you will see them employing strong communication strategies.

A good example of a business that has benefited from strong communication strategies is Southwest Airlines. Not only has it been consistently profitable, but it’s also ranked as one of America’s most loved brands by several reputable sources including Zagat and JD Power.

To create such a reputation, Southwest created its culture to communicate values that make customers feel good about flying with them.

Importance of Communication Strategy

Importance of Communication Strategy

Communication is one of your most important assets as a leader. It defines how well you run your business and how happy and productive your employees are.

Communication Strategies can help increase focus, motivation, productivity, and attention to detail in all areas of leadership.

A good Communication Strategy keeps everyone on track with what needs to be done and creates a flow of information within a company that not only helps managers effectively manage their teams but also provides regular checkpoints for personal reflection.

It gives managers a chance to review performance goals regularly and address any issues that may be occurring.

Effective communication keeps employees engaged and excited about their work as well as provides them with opportunities to enhance their skills so they are better equipped to handle challenges that come up during their day-to-day jobs.

In this case, the employee engagement communication strategy works better.

Communication is essential to your success as a leader and an employee. The way you communicate with yourself, your employees, and other people within your organization can affect everyone’s performance as well as company morale.

If you’re having trouble communicating your goals and objectives to your employees, it can often make people feel like they don’t have a clear vision of what their jobs are.

It can also cause people to lose motivation and interest in their work. It may even end up affecting productivity if employees aren’t seeing results from their efforts and don’t feel invested in what they’re doing.

Effective Communication Strategies will help employees understand what their role is in the company. It also helps managers understand how they can support and motivate their teams.

If a company has its employees across the globe, then the company must work on remote team communication strategies as well to get more of its team. In other words, your IT communication strategy must be strong.

If you have an established communication process , it makes it easier to spot problem areas and gives everyone a chance to adapt and make necessary changes that might improve performance over time.

While Communication Strategies don’t have to be complicated, it does take time and effort to develop.

But by creating an effective strategy, you can help your employees feel valued and motivated about their work as well as improve performance.

In addition, if you’re able to set clear expectations from day one, new employees will have an easier time getting up to speed. This will save you time on training and allow new hires to reach full productivity more quickly.

Communication is a skill that anybody can learn and hone with practice. If you feel that your current strategies aren’t effective, you may want to try a new approach.

While it may not always be easy to change old habits, you might find that your new strategies lead to better results at work as well as happier employees.

However, it is the responsibility of the company to provide proper strategic communications training to its employees.

Communication strategies are very frequent as every organization has its method to illustrate its goals to the public. Without developing any strategy the company will not be able to approach as much audience as it desires.

If the company is spending time evaluating its messages, it would be the best approach to develop an effective communication strategy.

This will be an assurance that the time spent in developing the strategy is not wasted and has helped to convey a message to the public.

While developing a strategy the company should consider two key elements: branding and the internet. Branding is very important in developing an idea about the organization.

It is the selection of an image that is recognized by the people, which brand belongs to which company. The Internet is helpful in terms of the web. The modern world is busy exploring and surfing the internet. If the company designs its web, this will help target the audience. They can target more audiences in this way with ease.

Factors of Communication Strategy

Following are the factors of communication strategies:

  • Elements Needed
  • Important Self-checks

A brief explanation of each factor is below.

1. Elements needed

First of all, the organization has to set an aim to know what they are willing to do for the public. For example, there is a company that aims to work for the betterment of families to create a successful community.

For a prosperous organization, the first step is to set its goals and attach the people to a catchy motto.

Every organization sets a brief motto, but it covers its aim completely that what the organization aims to do. The objective of the organization covers its rules and policies and the cause of its existence. It is beneficial for employees too as they come to know why they are working so hard for the organization.

A successful strategy arises from the inside of the organization if the employees follow the mission that the organization has set.

2. Goals and Self-checks

These two factors are interlinked and completely rely on each other. The goals set by the organization are actually the ideas of the organization that it has put forth, it should be checked constantly.

Before taking a start the organization has to understand its audience whom they are trying to approach, as it will cause a great loss if the organization reaches the wrong audience.

The organization has to evaluate the demographical conditions of the audience to approach the maximum audience. To approach every single person may not be supported by the economical condition of the organization; therefore the organization has to plan a strategy to approach the maximum audience.

In the case of nonprofit companies, it is very important to know how the company has to utilize its resources because these companies are not financially very strong. To take a start every company needs to be financially strong. They must plan a strategy about how to achieve their goals in limited sources in terms of finance.

But the company communication plan must be clear to all of its employees and they must develop an internal communications channel strategy.

Every organization has to set goals to give a direction. While setting goals, keep in mind that these goals must be clear. Reports should be compiled where the time strain of goals to be achieved should be mentioned.

Every employee should have this report so that he will try to complete his project within the set time. Secondly, the organization must design a calendar where different events of the organization should be mentioned. This will help to communicate effectively and know the activities held in the organization.

At last, for the evaluation of the communication strategies, it is important to ask questions regarding the plans. Are the goals that were set achieved? If no then more hard work is to be done. If yes then the company must plan some techniques for the improvement of performance.

Strategies are not so easy to create; it is something that needs improvement over time. It can’t be designed perfectly but it has chances for improvement and change with the world’s day-to-day changes.

What are the four methods of communication?

The four methods of communication are verbal, nonverbal, written, and visual. Make sure to practice all of these methods to excel in your career. While some of them may be a little outdated, they can help you get your point across while making a positive impression.

If you communicate well with others at work, it will benefit you in many ways. You may even find that those skills help with communicating on a personal level as well!

Let us deeply learn about the methods of communication below.

1. Written Communication

Written Communication

Written Communication

Written communication is a type of non-verbal communication and can be used as an extension of verbal communication to provide more details or specifics.

For example, you might use written communication in a formal letter to explain something more fully than you could during a phone call.

Written communication is most commonly used in business settings, but it’s also common in everyday life, particularly when one person can’t meet face-to-face with another.

While email is generally seen as an effective and convenient form of communication, it can be misinterpreted. This makes written communication a useful tool when you need to communicate important information to others clearly and accurately.

As always, take time to plan out your written communication before actually putting it in writing. Avoid using sarcasm or slang so that your meaning won’t be lost on others.

When appropriate, use bullet points and numbered lists to make your meaning clearer and avoid making multiple-sentence paragraphs so your readers don’t lose track of what you’re saying.

Written Communication Examples 

Some examples of written communication are:

  • Websites/Blogs
  • Press / News Releases
  • Job Descriptions

2. Verbal Communication

Verbal Communication

Verbal Communication is one of those intangible factors that are hard to define, but easy to recognize. In a nutshell, Verbal Communication is your ability to communicate clearly and effectively with people in a face-to-face setting.

It’s not just about being able to spout off big words or impressive phrases—it’s about using your voice as an effective tool to convey information and ideas.

Effective verbal communication is key to any relationship, whether personal or professional. The better you are at communicating, in terms of delivering your message clearly and making others feel comfortable and appreciated, generally results in a positive response.

But communication isn’t just about knowing how to deliver a point—it’s also knowing how to receive one effectively.

As much as you should be focused on getting your message across in an effective way, you should also learn to listen when others speak so that they know they have been heard.

A key aspect of verbal communication is listening, which should be done as actively as possible. Pay attention to body language, tone, and pace in addition to what the other person is saying.

Good listeners consider what others are saying carefully and can provide feedback that helps them improve their message or point of view.

In some cases, you may want to ask a few questions before replying or sharing your thoughts on a topic.

Verbal Communication Examples

Some examples of verbal communication are:

  • Face to face conversation
  • Video/Audio Calls
  • Speaking to mass

3. Non-Verbal Communication

Non-Verbal Communication

Non-verbal communication strategies involve sending and receiving messages without words through body language, facial expressions, or tone of voice.

For example, you can use touch to show affection or to show dominance in a work setting, or you can use your appearance to convey authority or professionalism. All of these elements play a role in how others perceive you, so it’s important to develop an awareness of non-verbal communication and become aware of how others perceive you as well.

When you’re communicating with others, remember that certain gestures and tones of voice may be lost in translation online. Since you can’t rely on facial expressions and body language to convey your thoughts, make sure you pay close attention to how you communicate.

Non-Verbal Communication Examples

Some non-verbal communication examples are:

  • Face Expressions
  • Tone of Voice
  • Eye Contact
  • Physical Appearance
  • Physical Touch
  • Gestures and Movements

4. Visual Communication

Visual Communication

Visual communication is any form of communication that uses an image to deliver a message. Businesses often use it as a means of marketing products or services, because it is one of the best communication strategies for business.

In fact, many businesses have found success with focusing more on visual communication than on traditional forms of advertising like print and television.

Visual content is especially effective on social media channels where images are at an advantage over text-based content such as Facebook posts and Tweets.

The use of visual communication has numerous benefits. The most basic is that it makes your message more memorable. People are likely to remember an image-based ad than a text-based one, which means they’ll remember what you’re selling and are much more likely to follow through with a purchase.

It’s also possible to bypass language barriers if you have images rather than words in your ad or marketing campaign. Visual communication strategies can get around language barriers, making it possible to reach international audiences.

And, if you’re trying to target younger generations with an advertising campaign, images might be better able to resonate with younger demographics than text-based content will be able to do because younger generations prefer visuals over older ones do.

With all of these benefits, it’s easy to see why many businesses are turning toward visual communication as a means of marketing their products and services.

When creating visual content, you have plenty of options. Photos are often a good choice because they can help demonstrate what your product is or how it works, but infographics can also be an effective way to visualize data in a fun and engaging way.

The key to creating visual content is just to make sure that your message is clear and appealing to consumers .

Visual Communication Examples

Some examples of visual communication are:

  • Screen Recordings
  • Infographics
  • Data Visualization through charts

Barriers to Communication

You can talk to anyone you want, but sometimes the other person can misunderstand your words. Barriers to communication include poor writing and listening skills, the physical distance between people, a lack of eye contact, or the absence of nonverbal cues.

Another reason for miscommunication is people have different points of view. This happens often when a conversation involves more than two people. When everyone in a group has a different idea about what constitutes effective communication, it’s hard to agree on anything!

Be sure to take time at least once a week to connect with people. It doesn’t have to be anything formal, like having a weekly meeting; it can be as simple as grabbing lunch with coworkers or neighbors on occasion.

The more often you communicate, and in different ways, the easier it will be to find consensus and work together towards common goals.

Some communication barriers are below:

  • Not taking time to listen.
  • Using too many words.
  • Assuming that your point of view is normal and others’ point of view is abnormal. This misconception causes most conflict in communication.
  • Ignoring nonverbal communication cues (body language). It’s crucial to take notice of them because they can be much more important than what people say in terms of understanding their true meaning.
  • Not getting back to someone as soon as you should have.
  • Misunderstanding an issue and not acknowledging it when someone brings it up.
  • Making assumptions about what people want you to do based on what they say.
  • Assuming that your communication style is superior to everyone else’s, so there is no need to adapt to other styles or seek common ground with others.
  • Not apologizing when it’s necessary. This shows respect for others and their beliefs by respecting yourself enough to admit when you were wrong or made a mistake.

And this is how to overcome barriers of communication?

  • Before expressing your thoughts, be clear in your mind about what you are going to say and what effects it would bring.
  • Keep in mind the other person may not be able to understand your idea. So, try to express your idea from their perspective.
  • Pay close attention to the other person’s non-verbal signals to see whether they have the interest to listen to you.
  • Your ideas or thoughts must also be beneficial for the person who is listening to you.
  • Don’t get distracted while communicating.
  • When the other person is talking, stay quiet and listen carefully without interpreting them.

Types of Communication Barriers

There are three basic types of communication barriers: physical, personal/language and emotional .

Let us learn about them one by one.

1. Physical Barriers

Physical Barriers

The physical barriers of communication are the obstacles that keep people from understanding each other. There are three main physical barriers: distance, obstructions, and distractions .

In fact, sometimes the first and most difficult challenge in any form of communication is overcoming these obstacles to make contact with the person or group you’re trying to reach.

Just as distance, obstructions, and distractions can prevent communication strategies from happening successfully, they can also prevent people from having a positive experience when they do communicate.

How many times have you been frustrated by a chatty coworker who won’t stop talking about his or her weekend?

And how about those days when you simply have too much to do and wish that everyone would just leave you alone! The physical barriers of communication are real—and we all deal with them daily.

2. Language Barriers

Language Barriers

Language barriers are still a major problem in today’s world. Many people may have difficulty being understood due to language barriers, but there are a few communication strategies that can help you understand one another, even when you don’t speak the same language.

The main way to overcome these communication problems is to simplify your speech as much as possible , always remembering that you may not be understood by the person on the other end of the line.

As a rule of thumb, never assume that someone understands you if you’re using language that may be difficult to comprehend. Also, remember that it’s important to avoid slang or colloquialisms to ensure your message is received clearly.

When speaking with people from other countries, asking them to speak slowly can also make a huge difference.

Be aware of other possible communication barriers, as well. The person you’re speaking with may be in a noisy environment, or they could be hearing impaired.

In these cases, you’ll need to adapt your own communication strategies. For example, consider communicating in writing if face-to-face communication is not an option.

There are also mobile apps that can help you overcome language barriers.

3. Emotional Barriers

Emotional Barriers

Communication can be a challenge with some clients due to emotional barriers, or internalized fears and insecurities.

You may need to identify what is causing the internal conflict so you can then address it. Sometimes a client just needs to know they are not alone.

Communication takes practice and persistence to get better at it, but if you learn how to approach your client with compassion, respect and kindness the conversation will flow easier.

Barriers to Listening

There are a lot of barriers to listening, many of which stem from our own internal struggles. Most people listen and take their cues from body language. If you sit with your arms crossed while they’re talking, it looks as if you’re not interested in what they have to say—and guess what?

They won’t be interested in listening to you either. Unfortunately, most of us don’t realize that we send signals like these until someone points them out.

Some of the listening barriers include:

  • Not paying attention. This sounds obvious, but a surprising number of people really aren’t listening to what you have to say. As a person who likes being heard, that can be very frustrating; as a good communicator. However, it should drive you to refine your message to make it as easy as possible for others to hear. Don’t expect people who are fiddling with their phones or interrupting you in midsentence to care about what you have to say.
  • Forgetting names and faces. There’s no better way to alienate someone than by forgetting his name right after he tells it to you—and once again, it only takes a few seconds for something like that to happen.
  • Interrupting . If there are two things people hate more than being talked over, they’re being interrupted while they’re talking or having their point taken away before they even have a chance to make it. Needless to say, both of these actions will make anyone shut down instantly; on top of that, if what you have to say is important enough for them not to interrupt you, then it should be important enough for them not to cut you off either.
  • Failing to provide details . It can be hard to remember everything someone has said, but if you do forget, it’s best to ask him for specifics rather than giving your own take on his story (especially when your take is wrong). The more specific and detailed your questions are, as well as any answers you give in return, the better chance everyone has of getting something out of your conversation.
  • Letting personal problems bleed into business conversations . Your personal life and your work life are very different, and it’s important to keep them that way; if you let them overlap, you’ll end up acting unprofessionally at best and alienating your colleagues at worst.
  • Failing to ask questions or show interest in what other people have to say.

Barriers to Accurate Perception

Communication involves perception, and sometimes we do not perceive accurately. Perception means taking in information through our five senses, but also our sixth sense.

Biasness, prejudice, mistakes, misperceptions, confusion, selective attention, or lack of attention to one’s surroundings affect the perception.

Our selective attention can hinder us from accurately perceiving another person’s communication. Selective attention is a process in which we use focus to give importance to something over something else.

This can lead to misperceptions and misinterpretations in our communication. The other person might say one thing, but we may hear something else entirely.

It is important to understand that a barrier to accurate perception is not always the other person’s fault. It is up to us as individuals to filter out our biases and prejudices, so we can accurately perceive what another person is saying, especially when it comes to effective communication.

In addition to biases and prejudices, we often see situations or issues that are not really there. This is called seeing a false reality.

For example, if you have low self-esteem, you might believe that others do not like you. If you have poor listening skills, you might think that other people are saying something different than what they actually said.

Sometimes we choose to hear only what we want to hear and disregard all else.

Here are some of the accurate perception barriers below:

  • Self-Bias: Self-bias is when we think more highly of ourselves than other people do. This is what may be going on when you hear a boss say that he or she has high standards and everyone else thinks they are too tough. In other words, their standards are only too high because they think they can do everything better than anyone else. Other people might view them as being inflexible, but in reality, it might be just self-bias. If your self-esteem is low, you might see yourself as inferior to others or feel that others have higher expectations than they really do. To overcome self-bias, you need to take another person’s perspective into account rather than formulating your own opinion based solely on personal experiences. For example, if someone does not like you it may be because of reasons unrelated to you. Or if someone loves and adores you, it does not mean that they know all there is about you.
  • Others’ Bias: Another type of bias is others’ bias. This happens when you assume that other people feel, think or act in a certain way. A good way to overcome others’ biases is to take some time and get to know them personally; then you will see whether or not they are like what you had assumed. For example, let us say that someone at work keeps bothering you with personal questions and appears overly friendly toward you in an uncomfortable way. Perhaps it is because they think that you are interested in a relationship outside of work. You can try to overcome others’ biases by speaking to them about their behavior so that they might realize what they are doing and stop bothering you in such a manner.
  • Self-Blindness: Another common barrier to accurate perception is self-blindness or self-deception. Self-blindness occurs when we fail to see our own limitations as well as our true strengths and weaknesses. When your self-confidence, such as low self-esteem, makes you think that you can do anything no matter what anyone else says, then it may lead to believing that your capabilities are greater than they really are. Another type of self-blindness is pretending that something does not exist because it is easier than admitting that there might be a problem. For example, if someone has been picking on you at work multiple times, instead of confronting them and complaining about their behavior, maybe you pretend like nothing is wrong and continue avoiding them. If something like that keeps going on for years with little change, eventually it will create more problems for you in your career path.
  • Self-Perception: In contrast to self-blindness, self-perception is a good form of accurate perception. Self-perception is when you think that you are better than others in some aspect. People may have great achievements in life and they could even get awards, but they still might feel like they are not good enough if they do not have more achievements or if others have much more achievement than them.
  • Others’ Perception: As opposed to self-perception, when you think that you are better than others in some aspect. Sometimes people might think they are more capable than they really are and when their work proves otherwise, they feel as if it is not good enough because it does not reflect how they perceive themselves. This also could be seen as a type of self-bias where people think more highly of themselves than other people do.

Strategies for Accurate Perception

Accurate perception is essential to proper communication. It involves a fair amount of self-awareness, and to maintain that, you’ll need to know who you are and what your strengths and weaknesses are.

Learn more about yourself, both personally and professionally, so that you can effectively communicate with others.

Make sure you understand where your opponent is coming from—their motivations and expectations—before approaching any business-related conflict.

Never send an email when angry or upset; do not speak unless you have something kind to say; if appropriate, acknowledge your opponent’s perspective and explain why yours is different/correct; never cut off communication entirely (even if it feels easier); acknowledge when something doesn’t go as planned, then ask how to fix it rather than pointing fingers.

Some of the Strategies for Accurate Perception are below:

  • Understand your strengths and weaknesses.
  • Analyze your goal, who is involved, and what you need to do to achieve that goal.
  • Anticipate situations where communication will be poor and take steps to help resolve those issues.
  • Look at situations from others’ perspectives.
  • Find common ground in disagreements with coworkers and customers/clients.
  • Take responsibility for any role you played in a situation that caused communication problems.
  • Use I statements, rather than blaming others, to get your message across.
  • Be open to different styles of communication (for example, non-verbal or humor).
  • Look at situations from your listener’s perspective; do not assume they will know what you mean based on your past interactions or relationships with them.
  • Watch non-verbal signals as a way to gauge how people are feeling (examples include body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice).
  • Keep an open mind when others disagree with you (do not immediately dismiss their thoughts/opinions).
  • Accept criticism without taking it personally.
  • Be concise in your communication; avoid rambling or beating around the bush.
  • Avoid using terms that are offensive to others (for example, do not use words such as lame).
  • Do not tell anyone how they should think, feel, etc.
  • Listen more than you speak so that you can better understand others’ perspectives and how they feel about issues and topics of conversation.

Types of Communication Strategies

Types of Communication Strategies

Following are different types of communication strategies. In a corporate world, these strategies will help you to communicate with your clients and colleagues.

Being aware of different ways we can influence others using language is important in your professional career. Here are the most common types of communication strategies.

1. Visual Communication Strategy

The power of visual communication to connect and inspire people is undeniable. Humans are wired to process images in a matter of milliseconds—comparatively, it takes us seven times longer to process written language.

So if you want your message to be remembered, use visuals. The human brain processes image 60,000 times faster than text . Consider using slides, videos, or infographics as part of your communication strategy when presenting key points or data.

Effective visual communication also encourages participation and opens opportunities for dialogue between audiences and speakers.

Visuals have become an integral part of strong communication strategies, with text slides moving over to more creative visual communications.

According to Brightcove, visual storytelling engages and holds attention much better than text. As such, visuals deliver a message through pictures and illustrations to clearly explain concepts or present information powerfully.

Some of the Visual Communication Strategies are below:

  • Using graphics in PowerPoint presentations and other presentation software is a visual communication strategy.
  • Visual storytelling on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
  • Infographics —for marketing, sharing, and collaborating ideas, visually representing data and information.
  • Captivating logos —visuals embedded within your logo tell a story about your brand. A good logo should not only be memorable but also present company values.
  • Slideshows of customer projects, products, or services are easy ways to share with clients what you do to set yourself apart from competitors in your field.
  • Whiteboard Videos —these create a visual association between your brand and content marketing strategy that targets customers at all stages of their buying process.
  • Videos on Facebook Live—live videos are great because they engage audiences emotionally and allow them to actively participate in real-time.
  • Promotional emails with embedded media like images, graphics, infographics, or animations will always get more attention than an email without these visuals embedded into it.
  • Creativity-based video advertising campaigns are not just fun to watch but very successful and effective in getting customers to notice your brand or company.
  • Content marketing —visual communication within your articles. It’s best to add plenty of photographs that illustrate ideas and techniques being discussed in content marketing campaigns—all of which should be relevant to your business niche and target market/customers interested in seeing relevant new content about a specific subject matter. Also consider including before-and-after photos (of projects), charts, graphs, and other visual elements that enhance the customer experience when reading about new products/services on blogs, websites, or social media platforms.

2. Verbal Communication Strategy

Verbal communication is one of those life skills that doesn’t go away, regardless of whether you have just gotten into college or have been working in a job for years. It’s one of the basic communication strategies.

Whether you are speaking with your team members or meeting with clients, effective verbal communication can make all the difference between a good day and a great day.

Here are some simple tips to remember when speaking with others. The key to effective communication really boils down to three things: listening, reflecting, and applying .

Listening means being truly present while someone else speaks; reflect on what they say without immediately reacting; apply what they say by considering how it applies in your situation.

Some of the Verbal Communication Strategies are:

  • Never forget to introduce yourself and always follow it up with a smile. Most people have had an experience of walking into a room full of people they don’t know, only to leave with no memory of meeting anyone. A great introduction solves that issue and allows you to build rapport right away.
  • Be mindful of your body language . Studies have shown that 93% of our communication is non-verbal , which means what you do (and don’t do) can speak volumes more than what you say. Keep your shoulders back and never cross your arms across your chest; studies show these are signs of defensiveness. Keep things positive by keeping a neutral facial expression; it will make you appear friendly instead of upset or condescending.
  • Actively listen – there’s one major difference between good communicators and bad ones: good communicators listen when others are speaking while bad communicators think about their next statement while someone else is talking to them! When another person is talking to you, simply repeat back what they just said so that you understand where they are coming from. This helps keep both parties on topic and prevents miscommunication later on.
  • Make it personal. Studies have shown that we like people who share things in common with us; whether it’s politics, sports teams, or hobbies, sharing something establishes trust much faster than saying I agree with everything you just said over coffee every day after work.
  • Practice makes perfect. To be a great communicator you need to practice both speaking and listening regularly, so try attending a meeting of Toastmasters International if your office doesn’t already have one. The goal is to learn new skills so make sure to go with an open mind!

3. Non-Verbal Communication Strategy

We may not always be conscious of it, but our non-verbal communication is constantly sending out messages to others in a variety of different ways.

If you’re interested in improving your ability to connect with others and enhance your brand, consider implementing some non-verbal communication strategies.

A large part of our communication is done through body language, so try and be mindful about how you position yourself when speaking to others or giving presentations. It could mean all the difference between a positive impression and one that leaves people feeling less than impressed.

Following are some tips on ways to refine your own non-verbal communication:

  • Try moving into an open posture (ie; spreading out your arms) as opposed to folded (ie; crossing of arms). Studies have shown that people who use open postures are perceived as more confident, authoritative, approachable, and likable.
  • Be aware of facial expressions—and make sure they reflect what you want them to convey. In other words, don’t frown if you don’t want people thinking you’re unhappy! Practice maintaining steady eye contact when engaging in conversation. Most experts say that anywhere from 5 to 15 seconds is ideal—but avoid holding eye contact too long as it can seem overbearing and intimidating.

Some of the Non-Verbal Communication Strategies are below:

  • Maintain a firm handshake, but don’t apply too much pressure.
  • Say Thank You as much as possible, both verbally and in written form. People appreciate it and it keeps your company top of mind.
  • Use humor to diffuse difficult situations and create goodwill with others. Laughing together strengthens connections!
  • Treat everyone you meet with equal respect, regardless of their rank or title; focus on adding value to their day, instead of asking them to provide value to yours. When other people see you putting in effort on their behalf, they are more inclined to give you positive consideration in return. Everyone loves a giver!
  • Avoid jumping quickly into work mode and forgetting about your host and/or others at your event.
  • Do ask questions that solicit open-ended responses from others (if you really want to know what’s going on). Most effective: How…?, What…?, and Why…?
  • Don’t be afraid to say I don’t know, it shows humility and builds trust with others.
  • Don’t apologize needlessly—most apologies can be avoided by double-checking before acting (ie; did I screw up?) The rest can usually be handled by simply fixing the situation—instead of just saying sorry!
  • Do tell people what you think and feel respected.
  • Be a good listener, actively show your interest, and don’t interrupt others while they are speaking.
  • Make every effort to avoid unnecessarily wasting people’s time—be on time and provide accurate information to others when communicating with them. Doing so conveys that you respect their time, which makes you more trustworthy to them.

Most Common Communication Mistakes

Unfortunately, most people make more mistakes than they can count in their communication habits. To give you a head start, however, here are some of the most common—and dangerous—communication errors made by employees. These mistakes can prevent effective communication strategies to execute properly.

Some of the most common Communication Mistakes are:

  • Working Harder, Not Smarter: When you’re upset with a colleague or a project isn’t moving along as fast as you want it to, there’s a good chance that you choose to work longer hours and push harder—and sometimes that can be effective. However, if your goal is to maintain an excellent reputation and communicate effectively, doing more of what isn’t working doesn’t make sense. You need to learn how to get better results by adjusting how you speak and how you listen.
  • Assuming Everything You Say Is Taken at Face Value: Unfortunately, words are often taken out of context when they’re spoken in a non-private space like an office; overhearing certain conversations (or even whispering just loud enough for others around you to hear), it’s easy for listeners to misconstrue what was actually said. That’s why business communication requires some key tools: listening skills and face-to-face honesty about your intentions and expectations—both before you speak up and after.
  • Believing That Everyone is on Your Side: In reality, people have their own lives to manage and colleagues have their own interests at heart—that means that people aren’t always going to be as invested in your professional goals as you are. Of course, that doesn’t mean that they want to see you fail; however, it does mean that sometimes what seems like an objective fact might not really feel true.
  • Trusting Strangers or Coworkers Too Much: Most of us hate being lied to—and if we don’t know a person well enough to understand how likely they are to break a promise or mislead someone else, then it makes sense to proceed with caution. But even people who you think you can trust can betray your faith; that’s why one of the business communication essentials is building and maintaining healthy relationships with colleagues and other associates.
  • Assuming That Everyone Thinks Like You Do: It might seem logical to assume that everyone likes working in teams as much as you do, but that isn’t always true. Unfortunately, people are different; that means your communication skills need to be flexible enough to speak up and discuss problems without offending someone else or shutting them down completely.

Some of These Mistakes are more harmful than others—some even have legal consequences—but all of them will hurt your business relationships if you don’t watch out for them.

The following tips can help you avoid your communication mistakes.

  • Don’t let your personal feelings get in the way of being professional.
  • Before sending an email, making a call, or speaking with your boss/colleagues – stop and think about what you really want to say and how it will be received.
  • When working as part of a team, be sure to maintain good relationships with others on your team.
  • Always respect those around you.
  • Use business-appropriate language, regardless of your relationship with others.
  • Think about why you’re communicating what you are and how it will be received before sending a message or making a call or attending a meeting.
  • It might not be a bad idea to ask someone else to proofread your message before sending it!
  • If you don’t understand something, don’t hesitate. Ask about it.
  • Make sure that you and others on your team are aware of each other’s expectations;
  • Always let someone know if you have an issue or problem with something or if there is anything that needs fixing or adjusting;

Effective Communication Strategies In the Workplace

Communication Strategies In the Workplace

As communication is so important in today’s workplace and a lot of people do not know how to communicate properly.

Therefore, it is essential to learn effective communication strategies that can help you succeed in your career. Below are some effective communication strategies you should use to enhance your communications and thrive in your career.

  • Use language that is not offensive or argumentative.
  • Be respectful to others in your workplace.
  • Don’t leave a conversation with an unresolved disagreement.
  • Learn from your mistakes and try to fix them next time.
  • Realize communication styles are different among cultures.
  • Don’t interrupt or dismiss someone else’s viewpoint, even if you disagree with it.
  • Avoid using sarcasm in your communication, as people might not understand your true meaning.
  • Don’t assume that others see things as you do.
  • Don’t use a time-consuming medium when a brief one will suffice.
  • Have objectives in mind before you start your communication.
  • Give clear directions and share information with others so that they can better assist you.
  • Be an active listener in a conversation, even if you don’t agree with someone.
  • Be as honest as possible, but be tactful and do not overshare private or confidential information unnecessarily.
  • Show respect to people and their time by being on time when scheduled to meet someone.
  • Maintain good eye contact while speaking, as well as when listening to others.
  • Don’t interrupt when another person is speaking.
  • Use body language that indicates that you are engaged with what is being said.
  • Don’t take on too much at once and become overwhelmed by your tasks.
  • Learn how to say no so you don’t overcommit or become resentful.
  • Learn how to resolve conflict constructively.
  • Learn how to negotiate.

Communication Pitfalls

We all are guilty of certain pitfalls when communicating. Some of these include: Assumptions, Inaccurate, Lacking Detail, Not Engaging and Defensive, or Closed Minded Communication .

To have better communication you will need to learn how to avoid these pitfalls. There is no magic bullet that solves these issues but there are methods such as active listening and writing down what needs to be communicated, who is involved, and most importantly what needs to happen next.

One thing is for sure though; effective communications build relationships, partnerships, and cooperation that lead a team towards success. Poor communication in business can lead to loss of money or customers, strained or broken relationships at work, lawsuits, and even a destroyed reputation.

Communication is one of the most important skills anyone can have especially in business. When speaking with other people you will be able to show them who you are by learning how to ask great questions and not make assumptions as well as being more flexible by listening to what other people are saying so you don’t get defensive about something you haven’t heard yet.

Some of the communication pitfalls are:

  • Assumptions : When you assume something that you are communicating, you may end up putting yourself in a bad situation.
  • Inaccurate : To have better communication with others it is important to write down everything that has been discussed so you will not make any mistakes in your communication.
  • Lacking Detail : A lack of detail can create a problem when trying to understand someone or what they are saying.
  • Not Engaging: If you want to be more productive at work you must engage with your co-workers and clients by listening and being engaged with them so that you will not miss something important in communication.
  • Defensive or Closed Minded: You will find out if you are defensive or closed-minded because if you are, others will be able to tell right away by how you respond when speaking with them.

Communication Pitfalls Solutions

  • Make sure that what you communicate to someone is what they want to hear and not an assumption about it.
  • When communicating make sure that it is in detail so everyone involved can understand what needs to happen next for a project or idea to work properly.
  • Make sure you have engaged with someone before you try and communicate something important with them.
  • Be open-minded when listening to others and allow them to speak freely without interrupting, which will show them that you are interested in what they have to say as well as show your respect towards them.
  • If you find yourself getting defensive or closed-minded about something then it is time to stop and think about why that might be happening before trying to communicate again.

Now with all of these communication pitfalls in mind, it is important for any leader or business owner to understand how important good communication can be at work, with clients, or even outside of work.

Communicating effectively is vital to your success as a professional. In a competitive world, you need to stand out and be heard.

By avoiding common communication mistakes, you can deliver better results while making more money and winning more clients. Follow the strategies discussed in this article above and you’ll see improvement immediately.

Communication isn’t just a tool to win over new customers or new clients; it’s also essential in building and maintaining your current relationships, whether personal or professional. When you communicate well, your co-workers, boss, family members, and friends respect you more.

In fact, if you improve how you communicate with these important people in your life, you can drastically reduce conflict while increasing happiness overall. I hope this article post on communication strategies will help you in the longer run.

1) How can I improve my communication skills?

Communication is such a valuable skill that everyone should learn. Here are some tips to improve your communication:

  • Listen: This may sound simple, but people don’t often hear what others have to say or wait until they feel like talking.
  • Take time: before you respond to give people a chance to finish and make sure you understand their ideas and opinions.
  • Don’t be defensive or aggressive:  Rather be open-minded and listen carefully and quietly when someone is talking to you.

2) What’s an example of poor communication?

A prime example of poor communication is how many people communicate via email. Email can be impersonal and often lack any emotion or context. If something isn’t understood, it can be difficult to have a productive conversation about it over email.

When you write in emails, make sure to use simple language so that your meaning is clear and try to add in as much detail as possible so that your message is easily understood when read out of context.

3) Is it better to communicate face-to-face or via technology?

Face-to-face communication is generally more effective than communicating over technology. It’s easier to pick up on visual cues, tone of voice, and body language when you are communicating in person rather than over a screen.

However, technology allows you to reach more people at once and can be an easy way to have conversations when face-to-face communication isn’t possible.

4) What’s a way to make communication more effective?

It’s important to be considerate of others’ time. If you need to communicate with someone, consider whether it can wait until a better time than when they are working or if it’s worth interrupting them. You should also use clear and concise language, making sure your message is understood.

Make an effort to ask questions so that you understand what another person has said, and don’t assume anything – instead, clarify any points that aren’t clear. Of course, be careful not to talk too much! No one likes a big chatterbox who talks over people and doesn’t let them get a word in edgewise!

5) What do body language cues say about communication?

Body language is an important part of effective communication. If you want to be understood and get your point across, pay attention to non-verbal cues when you’re communicating with others. Make sure that your facial expressions are in alignment with what you’re saying, and stand or sit up straight so that you look confident. Even little things like eye contact can make a big difference in your ability to be understood.

6) Can technology cause problems in communication?

Communication over social media, text messaging, and emails can sometimes be misinterpreted. Technology is quick and convenient, but it isn’t a very personal way to communicate. If you use it to communicate with others, make sure that your tone of voice is clear so that your meaning doesn’t get lost. It’s also important to pay attention to body language and other non-verbal cues if you’re communicating via technology.

7) What’s a good way to communicate with others when you can’t be face-to-face?

Technology makes it easy to keep in touch with others, but don’t rely on it as your main method of communication. Phone calls and video chats are good ways to make sure that what you want to say is understood. Consider using a phone call or video chat even if you just need someone to vent about something.

Author at Business Study Notes

Hello everyone! This is Richard Daniels, a full-time passionate researcher & blogger. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Economics. He loves to write about economics, e-commerce, and business-related topics for students to assist them in their studies. That's the sole purpose of Business Study Notes . Love my efforts? Don't forget to share this blog.

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