The communication plan as a strategic business and growth tool
Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2025 11:23 am
If you are a company manager, you know that competition is fierce and that you need to do a lot to stand out in the market. It may seem like I, as a marketing consultant, just want to sell my fish, but the fact is that a good communication and marketing plan, especially when it is done in the medium term and takes into account the seasonalities of the year, is a strategic tool for the growth of any company.
That’s why whenever I start a consultancy, even if it’s in the middle of the year, I recommend that my clients do an annual communications plan. Ironically, it’s never too late to start, but it’s also never too early to start.
But what is an annual communication plan?
An annual communications plan is a strategy that takes into account the company's business objectives and, based on this, applies communication and marketing tools to achieve these goals. This is why it is so important to carry out annual planning. It usually includes most of the topics below:
– Scenario analysis: presents the context of your company’s costa rica whatsapp data communication in the market and internally.
– Goal setting: sets clear and achievable goals.
– Target audience: identifies the target audience and understands their needs and desires.
– Budget: determines how available resources will be used in the communication plan.
– Action plan: Defines a communication schedule, including campaigns and channels to be worked on.
Benefits of an annual communication plan
There are several benefits to creating an annual communications plan, but the one that usually catches the attention of business owners and managers and helps us gain financial favor is the savings. That's right: saving money. When your company draws up an annual communications plan, it is possible to think, plan and prepare your sales campaigns, for example, in advance.
In practice, this means that it is possible to negotiate with different suppliers during the low season, achieving better deals. Want an example? Mother's Day, Black Friday and Christmas are very important dates for retail and, in general, printers have longer deadlines and more expensive products. However, if you produce your sales material for these dates 60 or even 90 days in advance, you certainly won't have to worry about late deliveries, high prices, lack of manpower to prepare your point of sale, etc.
Furthermore, when the company combines the communication plan with the financial and tax plan, it is possible to have greater predictability for long-term actions, relationship strategies with key customers, in-person events and other strategies that may require a larger investment or a longer-term investment.
That’s why whenever I start a consultancy, even if it’s in the middle of the year, I recommend that my clients do an annual communications plan. Ironically, it’s never too late to start, but it’s also never too early to start.
But what is an annual communication plan?
An annual communications plan is a strategy that takes into account the company's business objectives and, based on this, applies communication and marketing tools to achieve these goals. This is why it is so important to carry out annual planning. It usually includes most of the topics below:
– Scenario analysis: presents the context of your company’s costa rica whatsapp data communication in the market and internally.
– Goal setting: sets clear and achievable goals.
– Target audience: identifies the target audience and understands their needs and desires.
– Budget: determines how available resources will be used in the communication plan.
– Action plan: Defines a communication schedule, including campaigns and channels to be worked on.
Benefits of an annual communication plan
There are several benefits to creating an annual communications plan, but the one that usually catches the attention of business owners and managers and helps us gain financial favor is the savings. That's right: saving money. When your company draws up an annual communications plan, it is possible to think, plan and prepare your sales campaigns, for example, in advance.
In practice, this means that it is possible to negotiate with different suppliers during the low season, achieving better deals. Want an example? Mother's Day, Black Friday and Christmas are very important dates for retail and, in general, printers have longer deadlines and more expensive products. However, if you produce your sales material for these dates 60 or even 90 days in advance, you certainly won't have to worry about late deliveries, high prices, lack of manpower to prepare your point of sale, etc.
Furthermore, when the company combines the communication plan with the financial and tax plan, it is possible to have greater predictability for long-term actions, relationship strategies with key customers, in-person events and other strategies that may require a larger investment or a longer-term investment.