What is Strategic Communication? Types, Importance and Components of Strategic Communication explained.

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Strategic communication is the practice of using communication to achieve specific goals and objectives. It involves developing a communication plan that is aligned with an organisation’s overall strategic goals and objectives, and then executing that plan to achieve desired outcomes. This can include internal communication, external communication, and crisis communication. It is used in a variety of fields, including business, government, and non-profit organisations.

There are several types of strategic communication, including:

Internal communication: This type of communication focuses on communicating with and engaging employees within an organization. It can include things like employee newsletters, town hall meetings, and internal social media platforms.
External communication: This type of communication focuses on communicating with and engaging external stakeholders such as customers, partners, and investors. It can include things like press releases, marketing campaigns, and social media outreach.
Crisis communication: This type of communication focuses on managing and responding to unexpected events or crises that can have an impact on an organization’s reputation or operations. It includes developing and disseminating information, as well as engaging with key stakeholders.
Public relations: This type of communication focuses on building and maintaining relationships with the public and other external stakeholders. It can include things like media relations, community outreach, and reputation management.
Marketing communication: This type of communication focuses on promoting products, services, or brands. It can include advertising, promotions, and sales.
Community engagement: This type of communication focuses on building relationships and engaging with the community to understand their needs and concerns, and to provide information and feedback that can help organizations to improve services and make informed decisions.
Government relations: This type of communication focuses on building and maintaining relationships with government officials and agencies. It can include lobbying, advocacy, and communicating with elected officials and regulators.
Investor relations: This type of communication focuses on building and maintaining relationships with shareholders and other investors. It can include financial reporting, investor meetings, and other forms of communication.
Employee engagement: This type of communication focuses on building and maintaining relationships with employees. It includes internal communication, employee surveys, and employee engagement programs.
Social media communication: This type of communication uses social media platforms to communicate with stakeholders and to create and share content that promotes an organization’s products, services, or brand.

Building strategic communication is important for several reasons:

Aligns communication efforts with organisational goals: By aligning communication efforts with organisational goals, a strategic communication plan helps ensure that communication activities are focused on achieving desired outcomes.

Increases effectiveness: A strategic communication plan increases the effectiveness of communication efforts by identifying the target audience, developing appropriate messages, and choosing the most effective channels for reaching the audience.

Enhances reputation: Strategic communication helps enhance the reputation of an organisation by consistently communicating its mission, values, and accomplishments.

Improves decision-making: A strategic communication plan provides information and feedback that can be used to make informed decisions about the organisation’s overall strategy and tactics.

Facilitates crisis management: A strategic communication plan helps organisations respond effectively to unexpected events or crises by providing a framework for developing and disseminating information.

Promotes transparency: A strategic communication plan promotes transparency by communicating with key stakeholders in a timely and consistent manner.

Builds trust: Strategic communication helps build trust with key stakeholders by providing accurate and relevant information that allows them to make informed decisions.

Increases engagement: A strategic communication plan increases engagement with key stakeholders by creating opportunities for dialogue and feedback.

Increases efficiency: A strategic communication plan increases efficiency by ensuring that resources are allocated to the most effective communication activities.

Helps organisations to adapt and stay competitive: Strategic communication helps organisations stay competitive by providing a way to anticipate and respond to changes in the external environment.

What are the Critical components of a successful strategic communication plan

Here are several critical components of a successful strategic communication plan:

Clear Goals and Objectives: The communication plan should be aligned with the organisation’s overall strategic goals and objectives.

Target Audience: The plan should take into account the characteristics, needs, and behaviours of the target audience to effectively communicate.

Message Development: The plan should include the development of clear, concise, and consistent messages that will resonate with the target audience.

Communication Channels: The plan should identify the most effective channels for reaching the target audience, such as social media, email, or traditional media.

Measurement and Evaluation: The plan should include a system for measuring and evaluating the effectiveness of the communication activities.

Flexibility: The plan should be flexible enough to accommodate unexpected events or changes in the external environment.

Integration: The plan should be integrated with the overall strategy of the organisation, and with other communication and marketing efforts.

Continual Assessment: The plan should be continually assessed and updated as needed to stay effective over time.

Consistency: The plan should be consistent with the organisation’s mission, values, and reputation.

Ethical considerations: The plan should be ethically responsible and compliant with all relevant laws and regulations.

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