Corporate Communication Planning

What’s the most common mistake when plans shift unexpectedly? Over two-thirds of you agreed in my recent poll: it’s failing to communicate changes effectively to stakeholders. One of the best tools to address this is a Change Communication Plan—a simple roadmap to build awareness and commitment to change. Here are three tips to help you get started: 1️⃣ Test your message with the project team. Ensure your message is clear and resonates with your organizational culture. Focus on the why and “what’s in it for me” to create a compelling case for change that builds momentum. 2️⃣ Engage the project sponsor and executives. As change leaders, they can ensure your message aligns with the organization’s broader strategy, providing direction and credibility. 3️⃣ Involve key departments like HR or corporate communications. Even if they’re not directly impacted, these stakeholders can be powerful change agents, helping refine and amplify your message. Once your narrative is solid, choose the right communication channels—email, employee portals, team meetings, or even corporate events—and have influential figures, like the executive sponsor, deliver the message. Remember, visuals help make change messages stick. For more on creating effective change communication plans including examples and a template, check out my course: Change Management Roadmap to Planning (https://rpb.li/egSh) Have questions or tips on communicating change? Share them in the comments below, #ChangeManagement #Leadership #Communication #OrganizationalChange #ChangePlan

✨ First 90 days in a new internal comms role? ✨ Here's a solid framework for a 30/60/90-day plan. Also! You can obviously use this for your first 90 days in a new job, but it's an amaaaaazing thing to bring to interviews (it's incredibly impressive) and/or a really good option for what I like to call a "hard reset" -- when enough things have changed in your org that you just need to call it all into question and start fresh. The first 30 days:  ☑ Share your 30/60/ 90 day plan (seriously! it helps) ☑ Understand the company’s current goals, priorities, & values ☑ Run an internal communications survey ☑ Start a listening tour (formal + informal!) ☑ Review the current toolset & processes ☑ Identify quick little wins: just a few things that can make an almost instantaneous impact The first 60 days:  ☑ Complete an internal communications audit ☑ Determine key metrics and set benchmarks ☑ Create an editorial calendar with holidays, observances, and important company dates ☑ Set up monthly touchpoints with key stakeholders (HR, IT, marketing, + leadership for starters) ☑ Achieve and showcase those little wins! The first 90 days: ☑ Document your internal communications strategy ☑ Publish a monthly report with all your KPIs ☑ Evaluate new tools (esp. for email if you're using Outlook or a marketing tool) ☑ Advocate for resources (budget, team, etc.) ☑ Launch or revamp a few core internal communication campaigns (I typically recommend a monthly newsletter, all-hands recap, and weekly CEO letter) ...anything I'm missing that you'd recommend I include? Also, we have templates for almost all of these items (the audit, survey, editorial calendar, and more!), so just DM me if you need any of them! ✨

I’ve learned two big lessons over the last couple of weeks. 1. If you want to go viral on LinkedIn, post a relatable niche Beyoncé meme. 2. Almost every comms pro has a horror story about how they found out about a major announcement on short notice or after the fact. That’s a big problem for our industry Would leaders of a company give the finance team 24 hours to prepare an earnings report? Or give a programmer 24 hours to code and test a new software product before launching it? So why do they think it’s ok for an important message? Like any other profession, we need adequate time to do our best work. So what can you do to make sure the comms team is kept in the loop? 🤝 Build relationships - Regularly connect with leaders and business partners. - Ask what keeps them up at night. - Discover what “great communication” looks like to them. - Listen for upcoming initiatives that could impact key stakeholders and tell them you need to be involved. Don’t wait to be asked! 👩🏫 Teach people how to work with you - Create a clear process for communication requests. - Shift their requests from “We need an email” to “Here’s the business challenge—what’s the best way to solve it?” - Stick to your process—consistency builds credibility. 🙋♂️ Be in the room - Show up to project meetings—you can’t influence what you don’t know. - Anticipate key company moments and ask to be included in the planning meetings. - Identify communication risks before they become urgent. - Speak up! Your perspective shapes strategy, not just messaging. 📈 Use Data to prove your impact - Leaders trust numbers—use engagement metrics, survey data and case studies. - Demonstrate how poor communication creates risk. - Connect your work to business outcomes like retention, engagement or compliance. - Share success stories—help leaders see the value of proactive communication. What do you do to show your leaders and business partners that communication should be a priority, not an afterthought? #ChangeCommunication #InternalCommunication #StrategicCommunication #ChangeManagement #CorporateCommunication #SwingCommInsights

Global brands and communications colleagues, are you listening? This will shape our industry in the next decade. Communications is evolving rapidly...don’t get left behind. Explore these trends and innovations to stay ahead: ✅ Educate and Explore AI and Automation: 1. AI-driven content creation: Speed up and personalize messaging 2. Safety, Privacy & Potential Bias: Support Interventions and Policies  To Address These Concerns 3. Predictive analytics: Anticipate trends and behaviors ✅ Focus on Data-Driven Strategies: 1. Real-time analytics: Make informed decisions quickly 2. Consumer and employee insights: Tailor your approach based on data 3. Performance metrics: Measure success accurately, stay focused on KPIs ✅ More Multi-Channel Communication: 1. Social media: Reach wider and more diverse audiences 2. Newsrooms: Leverage your owned platforms for message control 3. Video content: Increase engagement with dynamic and visual storytelling ✅ Prioritize Authenticity and Transparency: 1. Genuine storytelling: Build trust and loyalty 2. Transparent practices: Foster credibility 3. Ethical communication: Uphold integrity and values ✅ Invest in Emerging Technologies: 1. Augmented Reality (AR): Create immersive experiences 2. Virtual Reality (VR): Transform engagement and interaction 3. Blockchain: Ensure secure and transparent communication ✅ Develop a Robust Crisis Communication Plan: 1. Preparedness: Be ready for any situation before it happens 2. Responsiveness: Take time to gather information, accuracy over speed. 3. Recovery: Rebuild and strengthen reputation ✅ Cultivate a Collaborative Culture: 1. Cross-functional teams: Enhance creativity and innovation 2. Inclusive communication: Foster a sense of belonging 3. Continuous learning: Stay updated with the latest trends ✅ Focus on Sustainability and Social Responsibility: 1. Sustainability practices: Reduce environmental impact 2. Social initiatives: Support community and global causes 3. Ethical marketing: Promote responsible consumption ✅ Enhance Employee Engagement: 1. Internal communication: Keep teams informed and motivated 2. Employee advocacy: Leverage staff as brand ambassadors 3. Feedback loops: Encourage open dialogue and focus on continued improvement Stay ahead of the curve by integrating these trends and innovations into your communications strategy. Start today to shape the future of your brand. Share your thoughts below. #innovation #communicationsstrategy #corporatecommunications #consumercommunications

COMMs pros, let's go from being an afterthought to a strategic partner with a seat at the table in our organizations. 🫱🏼🫲🏾 Here’s how we get ahead of the game. 👇🏾 Be PROACTIVE, not just reactive. Don’t wait for someone to ask you to get involved in projects and initiatives. Let's be strategic about finding ways to offer our insights and expertise early. But what if we don't know what's going on or what activities are being planned? Here are a few practical ways to be proactive and embed yourself in your organization: ✅ Schedule regular check-ins with peers and team leaders. A quick weekly, monthly or quarterly meeting with department heads keeps you informed about upcoming projects before they become urgent. This gives you time to plan strategically instead of scrambling at the last minute. No more "when did y'all decide to do that?" ✅ Share results from social media and other campaign wins with peers and leadership. Photos, stats, comments, testimonials -- anything that shows you are connecting with audiences. This not only highlights the value and impact of comms, but also presents our work as an ongoing effort, not something we do every now and them for “big events.” ✅ Offer communications-related ideas to leadership. Instead of waiting for requests, proactively pitch ideas for engagement, brand awareness, events or storytelling opportunities. If you see an initiative, resource, or product that could benefit from a communications push, share your ideas for how to get it done! Leaders will start to see you as a strategic asset and partner, not just an in-house service provider who’s good at “photoshopping stuff.” ✅ Create a communications intake process that makes it easy to keep you updated. This could be a form, checklist, or meeting - any method that encourages early and frequent collaboration. When your teams find it easy to share ideas with you, they’ll start making it a habit. ✅ Stay visible and vocal in meetings by asking the right questions: 👉🏽 "What’s the goal of this initiative?" 👉🏽 "Who needs to know about this?" 👉🏽 "How will we measure success?" The more you insert these questions into conversations, the more people will naturally start thinking about communications as they plan. ✅ Build relationships beyond your team. The more people trust and understand what you do, the more they’ll bring you in early. Take time to connect with leaders, program managers, and other departments. When they see you as a strategic thought partner, they’ll invite you into discussions before decisions are finalized. Bottom line? When you take the initiative to build relationships, demonstrate value, offer expertise and make it easy for people to share with you, people will start seeing comms as a necessary part of the team. So I'm curious to know - what’s worked for you in making sure you’re involved early? ⬇️

Why Strategic Communications Is a Must for Every Business Recently, many corporations have found themselves in the headlines, but not in the way they wanted. These situations underscore the essential role a seasoned communications leader plays in shaping a company’s public perception. Whether in-house or outsourced, having someone oversee the communications function is crucial. A strategic communicator supports your business plan, navigates challenging situations, and amplifies your story with priority stakeholders. Whether you're an early-stage startup, a well-established private business, or a publicly traded giant, each stage in your company’s journey requires a unique communications approach. Here's why prioritizing communications is a must for every business: 1.  Strategic Counsel and Advocacy 🤝 Communications leaders are trusted advisors, providing insights on public perception and aligning strategies with company values and goals. They evaluate how actions impact stakeholders, crafting messages for each audience. Integrating communication strategies into your core business plan prepares you to adapt to changing dynamics.   2.  Crisis and Reputation Management 🔥 Every business faces potential crises, threatening reputation and stability. A seasoned communications advisor is crucial for proactive crisis planning, working with leadership to swiftly address issues. They help preserve brand integrity by delivering transparent, honest, and timely information. As recent news cycles show, maintaining trust during a crisis demands experience and situational awareness.   3.  Brand Awareness and Storytelling 📣 Communications professionals build credibility with the news media to tell compelling brand stories through earned coverage or a combo of paid + earned. Marketing and comms teams must work in lockstep, ensuring a consistent, authentic, and cohesive brand message across all channels.   4.   Internal and External Message Alignment ✳️ Consistency in messaging across all organizational levels is vital. A great external strategy starts with an internal focus. Ensure employees understand business goals and their roles in supporting them. Aligning internal and external messaging maintains a cohesive culture and delivers a consistent brand narrative.   5.  Business Growth 📈 Strategic communication fuels business growth and transformation by crafting compelling content and narratives that highlight products, services, and initiatives. A communications advisor ensures an ongoing dialogue with priority stakeholders. Their awareness of current trends and media strategies enables you to seize opportunities and tell your story. Investing in a skilled communications leader or advisor is investing in the long-term success and resilience of your business. It's not just a nice-to-have but a critical component of a successful business strategy. #StrategicCommunications #BrandReputation #CrisisManagement #CorporateCommunications

Two things I will continue to shout from the rooftops until I see this change: 1. A good comms plan relies on a good project plan. 2. A comms plan is NOT your project plan. Too many times in my career I've been asked to create a comms plan in the absence of even a basic project plan, which means we don't know what's happening, when, how, and who's involved. If you want your project comms to really work, then you have to put in the effort to creating a project plan we can use as a starting point. Even if you don't have a formal project plan, you can still provide the basics like: - What outcomes are you hoping to achieve - What are the timelines and key milestones - Who does this impact and how - Who is involved who needs to provide input, review, or approve For the comms folk, don't be afraid to use an 'yes and...' approach when you get these requests: 'Yes, and I can do that comms plan once I get your project plan'. Ever had a similar experience? How did you influence others? [Image description: A red tile with text that reads - Them: "Can you do a comms plan for me? I don't have a project plan." Me: Below is a meme of Moira Rose from the TV show Schitts Creek, with the words ABSOLUTELY NOT.] #CommunicationPlan #tips #projects

Communication Strategy created in a vacuum is a workplan, not a strategy. It MUST include insight and feedback from other business areas you work with. Now I know I preach about YOU being the expert and not taking orders from others. So let me clarify. Your business area peers/partners don't have all of the right specific direction for where you need to go as a communicator ... and that's not what you're asking of them. You're not asking them how often they want to communicate or what they want to announce. You're asking them what kind of business goals they're trying to achieve (at a macro level, in multiple ways). And if they try to get prescriptive with Communications plans (some do, most don't when you do it right), you just bring it back up a notch in the conversation and questions in return. Volley it back. One of my favorite sayings when it comes to suggestions, "take what you like and leave the rest." Because when it comes from another business area sharing thoughts on Comms., it's a suggestion, not advice. YOU are the expert in your business area, they are the expert in theirs. You DO need them to share the plans, activities, and goals they're focused on, You then create the dovetail Communications plan that will support achieving those goals by using your Communications expertise. If you do it right, they'll be impressed rather than dictatorial. May the strategic planning force be with you.