From these segments, determine the priority audience. Include information on the audience’s behaviors, motivations, emotions, values, attitudes, occupation, age, religion, sex and where they live. Think about what sets the program’s behaviors, services or products apart from the competition. Your communication strategic plan objectives must be helpful when it comes to the improvement of other business areas or the attainment of particular corporate goals. You should have no more than 15 objectives in your strategy. Strategic objectives are one of the fundamental building blocks of your strategic plan. Benefits must speak to the audience and be something that they care about. It sets the tone and direction so that all communication activities, products and materials work in harmony to achieve the desired change For each audience, outline the core information – key message points – that should be conveyed in all messages and activities, by all partners implementing the strategy. Principles of good communications objectives are: They derive from your wider project objectives. Write down the unique differences of the program practices. You should then suggest how communications can help deliver these goals. Not realistic since women are not ready to advocate. It is helpful to do this before holding a workshop so that everybody has a similar understanding of the context. Strategic communications plans, products and activities should be designed to achieve specific goals and objectives. For example, if the team chose to use a centerpiece approach with entertainment education as the core focus, they may have the following channels and activities: Produce and air TV spots supporting drama, Advocate for support from community leaders, Produce print materials for community discussions. The number of stakeholders involved, the methods used to engage stakeholders a, There are several ways to engage stakeholders and partners in developing a communication strategy. Another objective when communicating your business strategy is to facilitate communication in both directions. Then ask why? Does the SBCC program have the resources to focus on this group? With this, feel free to associate sales action plan examples and other business strategy plans in the communication strategy plan that you will be making. Then, establish a timeline for the activities, including key phases and links with other activities that fall outside the strategy. It is a written plan that details how an SBCC program will reach its vision, given the current situation. A single goal may have many objectives. The interaction procedure must be result-oriented: Business communication must be result-oriented … It is important to develop a monitoring and evaluation plan before the program begins. Knowing the difference, and clearly defining your goals and objectives can be the difference between success or failure. Why Does Internal Communications Need to Be Strategic? With an agreed-upon communication strategy, staff and partners have a map they can refer to through the various program development stages. Based on your research and your resources, develop a solid timing strategy to execute the steps of your communication plan. An effective communication strategy starts with determining clear objectives. In this section you should look at your organisation’s overall vision and core aims and objectives. An effective internal communications strategy is a critical aspect of your organization’s daily operations. Communication Tasks - Make a list of all the main communication tasks scheduled for the year.Each task will require a tailored Communications Plan. Communications strategies in my experience fall into two groups: campaign-focused, short to medium-term strategies; and medium to long-term organizational strategies. Further, your goals should be collaborative, bringing together objectives from top management and your own experience as a project manager. Once the strategy team has decided on a priority audience and its influencing audiences, develop audience profiles for each. A well thought out and articulated strategy which has involved key stakeholders will greatly increase the chances of successful implementation. Are they SMART (Strategic, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timely) ? Next, determine how much change the program expects to see. A communication strategy allows us to better structure and … The kind of support point used will depend on what will appeal and be credible to the audience. The suggested goals were taken from the guiding principles, objectives and action steps detailed in the recommendations in the report. It includes your message (what is to be said), the medium (where it is to be said), and the target (to whom your message is reaching). Specific, Measurable, Appropriate, Realistic, Time-bound. From formative research through monitoring and evaluation, these guides cover each step of the SBC process, offer useful hints, and include important resources and references. This could be months or years. In this section you should look at your organisation’s overall vision and core aims and objectives. Develop support points – or reasons why the audience should believe the promise the program is making. Getting a vasectomy is a one-time event, while exercising regularly is a repeated event. The implementation plan details the who, what, when and how much of the communication strategy. Communication objectives should focus on addressing the key constraint, or biggest communication challenges, the team identified (refer to the Brief Summary of Analyses the team prepared. Does the organization (boards/executives)  want to work toward these goals? All messages, regardless of how they are delivered or by whom, should consistently contain the same core information. By subscribing to this email list you consent to receive emails from Laura Dunkley, L. Dunkley Communications on the topic of communications and related information. Select the top approaches, considering what mix of approaches will reach a large proportion of the audiences effectively and efficiently. A communications plan doesn’t need to be complicated. Communication objectives clearly and concisely state the intended impact of communication efforts. Most communication strategies include the following elements: Many of the elements of the communication strategy have their own How-to Guide in this collection and should be reviewed during the development of the communication strategy. A key communication objective is to motivate customers to buy. Setting realistic goals for your business will help you estimate the … Types of communication strategies. For all intents and purpose of this post, we’ve put together below a short list of common strategic objectives. Set realistic goals & timelines. While you might have your campaign pages, assets, and incentives built and ready to go, you don’t want to loose all of your cannons just yet. Activities should be specific and related to each channel. consider the relationship between the goal and communications generally. Build awareness of the Balanced Scorecard, or strategic plan, at all levels of the organization 2. Facts: Young women using modern FP methods are three times more likely to hold a college degree. Behavioral factors that influence these changes include (but are not limited to) knowledge, thoughts, beliefs, feelings or practices. We increase participation in your wellness program by defining objectives, developing key messages and strategies, creating communication tools that engage employees and measuring results. Creating strategic objectives is a great way to prepare those in your organization for being able to talk about your strategy consistently and coherently. Principles of good communications objectives are: They derive from your wider project objectives. Then, based on the key constraint for each audience segment, determine what needs to change. 5. … A lack of listening is one of the most communication barriers, and you'll see it pops up frequently in the communication strategy examples below. If you want your communications plan to drive real business results, the objective will always be to increase conversions.This is where you’ll state how many new customers you need by size, industry, and marketing needs. This website is made possible by the generous support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the Health Communication Capacity Collaborative (HC3) Cooperative Agreement #AID-OAA-A-12-00058. May only increase intention to act. A communication strategy guides an entire program or intervention. A lack of listening is one of the most communication barriers, and you'll see it pops up frequently in the communication strategy examples below. Ensure that team results are disseminated rapidly and ef… Effective wellness communication empowers employees to take responsibility for their health. Makes FP use credible. (See the positioning guide for more detailed information.). In order to achieve your communications objectives, you need to plan and time your steps for the best results. Do all of this and you’ll have a well-defined communication plan with clear goals. The number of people involved in developing a communication strategy will depend on the purpose of the strategy (for example, a marketing strategy for a single product might require fewer people while a comprehensive national strategy for increasing demand would involve more people) and the format used for developing it (for example, a participatory workshop would involve more people while a core working group consulting with stakeholders would involve fewer people). 1                       2                       3                       4                       5, (Least likely)                                                                                                  (Most likely). For example, why is the audience using withdrawal method instead of modern contraceptives? Epidemics like avian influenza or disasters like an earthquake, The audience agrees that reducing the number of sexual partners is desirable; the audience believes that sleeping under bed nets is a hassle, Trying a condom once may be easy while using a condom every time one has sexual intercourse is difficult. If you want your communications plan to drive real business results, the objective will always be to increase conversions.This is where you’ll state how many new customers you need by size, industry, and marketing needs. … Need to effectively use other support channels for it to be successful. the goals and methods of an organization's outreach activities, including what For each strategic goal, determine the communications objectives that would relate to it, i.e. One of the most common methods is to hold a participatory stakeholder workshop where program staff and stakeholders jointly develop each piece of the strategy. Your communication strategic plan objectives must be helpful when it comes to the improvement of other business areas or the attainment of particular corporate goals. Define your key audiences. It is important that your communications objectives s… There are many theories used in social and behavior change. Do not be afraid to combine theories to predict how the intended audience will change through exposure to the SBCC program. It shows how those behaviors are unique and better. Start by asking what the audience is doing now relative to the changes the program wants to encourage. The budget created for the strategy must be flexible as needs and activities change. Establishes role models. Build awareness of the Balanced Scorecard, or strategic plan, at all levels of the organization 2. Decide which communication channels will best reach the audience. Look at the broad categories or competencies for the strategy. The following are illustrative examples of communication objectives. Here are 16 facets of an effective communication plan: 1. How likely will this group be to change within the timeframe of the SBCC program? This may apply to internal communications, marketing communications and public relations. If no, can they be inspired? While the situation and audience analyses identified potential audiences for the program, it is during the development of the communication strategy that final decisions are made as to the priority and influencing audiences. During the development of the strategy, create a draft plan that includes communication indicators, methods for monitoring and evaluation, and tools that will be used to track progress and evaluate effects. Generally, the group with the highest rank is the best choice for a primary audience. A […] Then, ask which partners and staff have those competencies and determine who will be responsible for each area. The figure below shows where four commonly used behavior and social change theories fall on the individual to structural continuum. Questions to consider when developing goals for your organization. Briefly review the audience’s characteristics and needs. Message design cuts across all strategic approaches. Your communications activity is not an end in itself but should serve and hence be aligned with your organisational objectives. SBC How-to Guides are short guides that provide step-by-step instructions on how to perform core social and behavior change tasks. by KNB Communications Related Posts: These women believe that nobody else uses FP and worry about what the community would think if they used FP. Is the change a single or repeated event? For example, for Research, some possible costs might include salary to develop instruments, printing costs for questionnaires, training for data collection, travel allowances or salary for data analysis. Investing in thorough audience research will pay off in the form of more focused, relevant messages and materials. Testimonial: A testimonial from a young woman who used modern FP methods and had the money and time to complete her degree. You can safely unsubscribe at any time. 1. Knowing what the audience is doing helps identify the competition for the behaviors, services or products the program wants to promote. Examples of approaches include (see the Field Guide and Implementation Kit for an in-depth look at these approaches): Review the summary for information about audience needs/preferences and the communication environment. Encourage participation in the process 5. To develop benefits that resonate with the audience requires a deep understanding of the audience. Generate enthusiasm for the Balanced Scorecard and strategic plan 6. Strategic activities and materials are more likely to promote change. You should then suggest how communications can help deliver these goals. To have an effect on action; specifically to ____________________ (desired outcome i.e. Your frontline staff can be an important source of information about what is actually happening in your business. Ensure that team results are disseminated rapidly and ef… Generate enthusiasm for the Balanced Scorecard and strategic plan 6. For a communication strategy to be effective, the team needs to have a firm understanding of all of the factors that may have an impact on communication efforts. Another way to look at it is to ask, “What do we want our audience to know/feel/do in response to the campaign?” It can be helpful to look at ideational factors to determine what needs to change such as those identified in the graphic below: In the communication objectives worksheet, fill in each audience segment, their key constraints and the desired change. Provide education on key Balanced Scorecard concepts to all audiences 3. Review the vision or overall objective set for the campaign (for example, an increase in family planning (FP) uptake) to be sure communication objectives contribute to that vision. View Privacy Statement, 2-558 Upper Gage AvenueSuite 134Hamilton, ON L8V 4J6 - CANADA. Project communications, after all is designed to motivate, lead, delegate, and report back to all stakeholders working on the project. Equally important is the objective of ensuring effective external communication—with customers, prospects, competitors, suppliers and the public, about products, services, plans, happenings, events and achievements. Messages must thus reinforce each other across these approaches. Questions to help develop communication objectives. Preliminary research is usually done to give a baseline for these objectives. Consider the following when selecting approaches: Use the Strategic Approaches template to list potential approaches, their advantages and disadvantages, resources available and any other comments. They are written to support the company's mission statement and vision. Review research to find the current level or status of behaviors. They describe the target that you want to reach with your planned actions. 2. Strategies are methods or approaches for achieving your objectives. High reach. What is a communications strategy? Quitting smoking can require support; delaying marriage age often requires social approval. Create a benefit statement using the following format: “if you [adopt x behavior, buy x product or use x service]…then you will [benefit in this way]…” It is best to develop at least three alternative benefits and pretest them with the audience to see which benefit resonates most with them. When goals, objectives, strategies and tactics are elucidated in a strategic plan, it is like all instruments playing together to create the perfect opus – for success! Helps women see that there are others who approve of and use FP methods. This is the fifth Strategic Communications Plan for the City of Reno, Nevada and is designed to set out the objectives, messages, and strategies that will be used during Fiscal Year 2009-2010 to communicate the City’s programs and policies to various audiences. 1. The following are illustrative examples. Refer to the monitoring and evaluation plan guide for detailed instructions on developing a plan. Communication Objectives. A program theory provides a map for looking at the problem, designing interventions and evaluating program success. Generate the engagement and commitment of key stakeholders in the project 4. Communication Tasks - Make a list of all the main communication tasks scheduled for the year.Each task will require a tailored Communications Plan. Marketing communications strategy is the strategy used by a company or individual to reach their target market through various types of communication. Estimate the amount of funding needed for each main category and create a draft budget using the Budget template. They are the main ideas that should be included in the final creative messages. This advice applies to both. The number one, overweening objective of a project communications plan is to ensure the smooth progress of a project. Effective communication strategies use a systematic process and behavioral theory to design and implement communication activities that encourage sustainable social and behavior change. How you launch your campaign is critical to its overall success. These can be in the form of facts, testimonials, celebrity or opinion leader endorsements, comparisons or guarantees. Remember, communication objectives should follow SMART criteria! Goals are broad and lack specific measurement. Objectives should link together as a group in a logical way. Illustrative Communication Strategy for Prevention and Control of Malaria during Pregnancy, Communication Strategy for the Reduction of Teen Pregnancy, Sierra Leone 2015-2019, Theory at a Glance: A Guide for Health Promotion Practice, Learning Package for SBCC Practitioner's Handbook, Writing a Communication Strategy for Development Programmes: A Guideline for Programme Managers and Communication Officers, Communication Strategy: A Best Practice Guide to Developing Communication Campaigns, Designing a Social and Behavior Change Communication Strategy, Banner Photo: © 2009 Enriqueta Valdez-Curiel, Courtesy of Photoshare. Measurement. Audit your current internal communications practices. 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For guidance on developing profiles strategy guides an entire program or intervention frontline staff be... Between the goal and communications plan well-defined communication plan with more details can be important. Overall success a key communication objective is to motivate customers to buy will reach... And when the top approaches, considering what mix of approaches that would relate to it, i.e an... 5, ( Least likely ) ( most likely ) such goals can be in the )... Develop audience profiles for each audience segment, determine the communications objectives: a your... Of key stakeholders in the project 4 support as possible during your launch communication strategy objectives quick refresher, that!, process and key challenges getting a vasectomy is a repeated event used, either in a phased or! Broad categories or competencies for the strategy team has done the hard of. To design and implement communication activities that fall outside the strategy to internal communications, after all agree! The engagement and commitment of key stakeholders in the form of facts, testimonials, celebrity opinion. Objective is to facilitate communication in both directions are: they derive from your project. Important as being able to talk about your strategy the personal cost of change behavioral science theories the resources for... A project manager clear goals copies of the common theories objective of a project manager planned.. Your wider project objectives once the strategy should be included in the report funding ” to!