Strategic Communication 101: Tips for Strategic Communications

Strategic communication is the study and practice of using effective communication skills and techniques to achieve a company’s marketing or public relations goals. Strategic corporate communication involves developing marketing and media strategies to reach target audiences with the most compelling message. This includes crafting integrated marketing communications, or messaging with a consistent brand identity across multiple platforms.

Strategic communication aims to create consistent and compelling messaging and multimedia assets that reach key audiences to achieve a specific goal. For example, your company may need a communications strategy to reach your target market to sell more products. Some companies also hire strategic communication professionals to manage internal communications between employees and leaders.

A strategic communication plan helps create cohesion across external digital media initiatives, press outreach and public affairs, and internal communications programs. Follow these tips to create a clear roadmap for your communication activities.

1. 1. State the purpose or goal of your communications. Setting clear communications goals and metrics will guide your messaging and help stakeholders remain aligned. A purpose statement will be useful to refer to during strategic planning and will help unify all communication efforts.
2. 2. Identify your audience. Work with your marketing and communications teams to utilize analytics and research methods to gauge public opinion and identify your target audience. Craft messaging that speaks to your audience or demographic—the more specific you are, the easier it will be to craft communications that reaches and influences them.
3. 3. Decide on your communication channels. Consider your message and audience to determine the communication formats or channels that will be most effective. For example, you might use social media marketing to sell a product or service to a younger audience, but nonprofit organizations might use email or postal mail for fundraising communications to older audiences.
4. 4. Set a timeline for your communication plan. Establish a timeline to ensure your team has enough time to develop effective messaging so you can deliver your communication campaigns on schedule. A good communication strategist will have the decision-making skills to know how much time it will take to develop messaging and when you should deliver a message for the best results.

To enter this field of organizational communications, you need to earn a communications degree. Pursue a bachelor’s degree in communications theory, digital marketing, public relations, political communication, media relations, mass communication, or communications research. You may also consider pursuing higher education courses in strategic communications programs or a master’s degree in business communications.

If you pursue a career path in communication management, your job may involve media management, writing press releases, developing marketing campaigns, writing internal communications, and overseeing crisis communication responses.

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