To communicate means to share, exchange information, knowledge, emotions. In one word: to engage. Thinking of communication as a one-way transfer of news is reductive and misleading. Communicating is not the same as disseminating.
For a business, communicating is one of the most important and delicate activities. Yet, we often see companies that communicate in a sterile, one-way fashion, without trying to involve people. Sometimes, it seems these companies fear open dialogue with the public. The simplest and least risky route, in these cases, is dissemination. This leads to self-referential and ineffective communication.
Instead, a company, from the moment it is born, must develop its own communication methods capable of conveying its unique and distinctive identity to potential clients and partners. To this end, strategies and tools are used that must take into account the market context, trends, and technologies.
[Read: 5 steps to launch a start-up]
Designing the Journey of the Message
- Everything starts with defining the brand identity.
From the analysis of “who we are,” meaning company values and the reference market, very important information emerges regarding the language to use, the content, and the distribution channels. The guiding star that must never be lost is the true meaning of “communicate,” that is, to share, to engage. - Once brand identity is defined, communication activities truly begin: it’s essential to communicate what is done and why it is done. Then, the channels for conveying the message are identified, which can be both analog and digital. They must be studied in an integrated, coherent, and fluid way with an omnichannel communication approach (print, TV, radio, digital advertising, email marketing, social media…).
- The organization of the communication team is crucial. The required skills are varied, and their coordination is a critical success factor. Each platform and channel has its own language and rules. Key roles on a communication team, in addition to someone responsible for strategy and coordination, include:
- SEO specialist: a technical role that optimizes the positioning of digital content on search engines. They identify keywords to use for creating content that attracts traffic to the blog or website.
- Copywriter: develops the editorial plan in line with the SEO specialist’s work and writes content for the website/blog.
- Designer: prepares visual content, graphics, and images in line with the brand identity.
Keyword: Engage
We’ve defined that to communicate means to engage, to share. In communication, we need people who love to experiment, to put themselves out there in service of the community.
So what does it mean to communicate?
- Experiment and dare: no one is a master in the art of communication. Every context has its own rules, which evolve continuously. That’s why it’s necessary to take risks, to remain true to oneself and to try new languages, styles, expressions.
- Innovate: for the reasons above, a communicator is an innovator—someone who doesn’t fear confrontation, who has the courage of their ideas, who knows how to fall and get back up.
- Share: sharing and openness are traits of a communicator. They enjoy serving others, creating value, building an environment of growth and development for their audience.
- Engage: this is the moment when attention and curiosity from your audience are activated. Engagement doesn’t always happen because communication isn’t always effective. Engagement is not measured in likes on a post. Engagement happens when feedback is received—even privately—when there are comments and shares. When the audience identifies with a message, makes it their own, and becomes its ambassador.
In communication, one must avoid the “ostrich danger,” that is, burying one’s head in the sand and neglecting to tell one’s own story. Sooner or later, someone else might say things about us that we wouldn’t want. It’s better to manage communication channels than to leave them in others’ hands.
Do you want to implement an effective communication strategy tailored to your needs? Contact us for a free consultation.
