These are the communications strategy decisions your company should be taking this year
1. A time for introspection
What do people think of me? Do I even have a proper communications strategy?
Managing a business or an organization is an arduous task. Every day with its crammed agendas, never-ending appointments and meetings, and hectic, unexpected events and inconveniences. But what you may not be able to see from where you currently stand is that ultimately, even chaos is a kind of routine. A routine that creates that tunnel vision you’re operating through. That’s why an intentional pause from your everyday hustle to help you take a deep hard look at the way you’ve been working — is something you really owe yourself and your team.
Such a reassessment could be relevant in the case that you (and your entire organization perhaps) are operating in inertia. From the shelf stacker to the CEO, you’re all blindly following an outdated work-plan. A great way for you to assess the situation is to figure out what people think of you. If the general public, your counterparts in the field or journalists see you as a worn out organization with no edge to it — unfortunately that’s probably correct, no matter how hardworking and exhausted you all are.
And by the way, it's also measurable: How many articles or news pieces about your company were published, and how often? When was the last time your CEO was interviewed by press? When was the last time someone from lower management appeared in a "40 under 40" spotlight article?
We know what you’re thinking. "I'm not into all of that nonsense. At our company, we simply work. We don't talk”. That’s great and all, but that’s just an explanation, not a justification. Truth is, those matters are of great importance. And yes, it sucks, because you really pour your heart into your work, so why should it matter whether you get press coverage or not?
But actually, asking yourself that narrowed-down question of "what do people think of me?" — is very important. Why is it so important? Because sadly in our Tinderesque world, an investor will often decide to "swipe right or left" on your company based on what the word in town is. So if you’re counterproductive, you might want to know about it before you start digging the ditch. So, find out what people think and start carving out your new place on the map.
2. Tell yourself your story
If the previous section was intended to make you stop what you’re doing and take a moment to listen to some unpleasant things people say about you — this is the next step on your journey.
So, what’s it all about? Actually the same thing, but just the opposite.
This time, you’re in control. This time, you’re not surprised to hear others’ assessment of you, but you’re also the one who gets to narrate the story that others will be telling about you. What is the organization’s history? What was the pivotal moment that deemed your company innovative in its field? When did your organization change course from designing a specific product to an entirely different one? How and why did it happen? And last but not least, what characterizes your company today? What is that small, juicy detail that will be mentioned when brought up in coffee breaks in other workplaces?
As far as corporate gossip goes, a company is always "the company that…" So what is your "……es"? Top-notch working conditions? An unusual or creative process of decision making? A highly desired product that no one else has? The answers to all of these questions are pieces of your story that you’re going to put together. Only now, you control the process of creating the narrative and you determine the first impression when your company’s name will be uttered.
When your story is attractive, concise, and leaves a lasting impression — make sure your employees hear it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and then get them to spread the word. That will determine how much media attention your company gets. And even though it’s a bonding moment for your team to tell their story — don’t hesitate to get advice from others with professional expertise (ahem, ahem).
3. Start taking your digital presence seriously
If you’re currently maintaining, or have decided to start maintaining your digital platforms, don't just do it because “everyone is doing it”.
Digital platforms are not like golden cufflinks. They’re not some status symbol that you wave around without really knowing what it's good for. A Facebook page with 300 likes that last uploaded a post in 2017, is more likely to create a PR fiasco than to give you any attention. But seriously, it’s entirely legit to consider the option that digital activity is perhaps not your company’s cup of tea altogether, and that it simply doesn’t suit the nature of your organization.
But: if you’ve decided that you’re going through with it — go all the way. Do it right.
Think about what you want to achieve with your digital presence: Who is the target audience, and what is the appropriate playing field? Are you looking to attract potential employees? If that’s the case, LinkedIn is the platform for that. Have you decided (based on the strategy and the narrative-story you formulated) that you want your company to be the cool kids on the block who only post crazy attention-grabbing videos? Then get on Tiktok. Is your organization conservative, thoughtful, and sincere? In that case, maybe all you need is a good Wikipedia entry. Did you reach the conclusion that influencers will be the best candidates to spread the word about your company? O.K. then, but figure out which influencers and how you’re going to choose them. Even if you’ve hired a company to manage your content and digital assets for you, and you definitely should (Ahem, ahem) — the digital arena is still very much a battlefield full of nuances and specificities that you should be well versed in.
4. Always be mindful of your weak points
Don't be aloof and say "It won't happen to me." You may be thinking, “We’re a new company, fresh on the market with no blemishes. What could we possibly be accused of? And even if something embarrassing were to be exposed, I trust my people to keep it in the family”.
But when the word gets out about the smallest uncanny incident — then organic material we'd rather not elaborate on will hit the fan and things are bound to spin out of control.
In the military, we would call this a chart of “potential incidents and responses". We’re offering a civilian-communications equivalent, and much more detailed.
Map the areas where you might encounter unexpected incidents. Try to predict as much of the unpredictable. Are you in the food business? Then have a contingency plan that details who will be speaking to the press, what the correct response is and what to explain in case of contamination. Not to mention cases of sexual harassment, suspicions of irregularities or "just" a financial problem.
Also, don’t lose sight of the potential impact your management decisions will have on the media. Let’s use the food industry as an example: A manager can make a decision to cut back on the number of bacterial tests in order to save money, but such a decision should not be easily overlooked since it could very likely backfire. A manager could, for example, increase the price of all products, across the board. Or have to lay off many workers at once. The sorrow-filled announcements should already be ready, just in case, even if right now you can't even imagine a situation in which you will have to fire employees.
And finally: When it’s already out there, you have to acknowledge that you’re no longer operating in routine mode, but rather in crisis-management mode, that requires entirely different solutions, and often also a third-party that is able to observe the situation objectively, supporting you every step of the way (hint, hint).
5. Don’t forget internal communication within your company
What will set you aside from other anonymous "enterprises"? How will your employees feel that they belong to a family, but not merely the hollow, corporate version of it? How will they be committed to the company’s goal even in moments of great pressure or dramatic changes in course? How to not be perceived by your subordinates as distant and cold managers? After all, the employee's perception of their management will eventually spill over into the public perception, and will determine your reputation and that of the entire organization.
There is a long list of tools for managing your internal organizational communications. From a closed Facebook group for employees, to publishing a print newspaper. One of the best things you can do is to begin seeing yourself as a small publisher that produces its own internal content. This way, you can recruit content creators from among your employees, and derive a lot of added value from them. On the other hand, it’s also possible that your employees will experience that as a nuisance in which case you might want to hand it over to the trusted professionals (ahem, ahem)
6. Talk to your children
This, by the way, is good advice for life in general. But in terms of media policy, it’s only from youth that you’ll get a sense of what’s happening these days. Young people will tell you which social networks are perceived as awkward and for boomers only; which brands are in even though you’ve probably heard of any of them; what kind of conversations they’re having with their friends; where they get their share of news; and what are the hot new trends.
Talking to your kids is like sending a secret agent into a time machine, because when you get a picture of the social-media landscape from your children, you have a better sense of where things are headed in 10-15 years. You’re ahead of the game. And while you’re at it, you might get to know them better. They’re great, really.