Communications done right is a matter of thinking ahead. Timing is everything and most timelines are set by external factors, such as an EU or national legislative process, the launch of a product or project, or perhaps a (somewhat arbitrarily) created day, celebrating something. For pretty much everything, there’s a dedicated day to be found: World Animal Day, World Tourism Day, Drink Beer Day, … We’re not kidding, there’s also a Chocolate Day, or any other food group for that matter. A good strategist plans ahead. But if you know your timeline, what then? In this short article, Niels van Velde, a seasoned communications professional, looks at the five key elements that make or break your communications strategy.
The 1: Objectives
You need to know what you’d like to achieve. Who do you want to convince of what? Do they need to adopt new behaviour, buy your product or services, change their laws or policies? It sounds simple to define what you want, but it’s all about making choices. If you can’t do everything (and that’s usually the case), you need to simplify it to its essence. Before asking how we achieve success, we need to ask: What is success?
2: Owned content
A largely underestimated element of a good campaign is your own content, but make sure you find an experienced copywriter that can deliver flawless, correct, easily understandable, clear and attractive writing. Would you trust an article full of errors..? Well, neither does your audience. It’s important to make a trustworthy and credible impression.
Owned content can be for example a landing page on your website, a blog or insights piece like this very article, or a report or study. All the communication tools you have at your disposal should be used. And the best part is: You have full control over what you put out there (and when).
3: Media & PR
To broaden your audience, you may want to rely on journalists and media outlets to convey your messages to their audiences. Piecing together what media outlet(s) would be the best fit can be overwhelming. Start with a list of around five outlets you’d like to speak to. For every outlet, come up with an original concept—an idea of what you’d like to speak to them about. When your pitch is correctly tailored to the interest of the journalist, you know you have a winner.
Is the idea of giving a journalist interview making you a tad nervous? Consider reading some of the top tips we’ve pulled together for getting your ducks in a row, before sitting down with a journalist: Five mistakes to avoid when being interviewed by a journalist.
4: Social media
To reinforce your messages online, you can put your corporate social media pages to work. But don’t forget: You have your own personal platforms as well. Spread the news there, as your connections and group of peers might be curious to hear what you have to say. It’s also a great way to push out some of the owned content you developed (#2) or spread the news when you score a big article online (#3).
5: Event
Also known as ‘a big splash’; A key moment in time to work towards. This can be a physical, multi-thousand visitor trade show—or a webinar you host yourself. The size of the event should fit the size of your campaign, and your objectives. In terms of organising the event, the location, venue, food and speakers are all essential parts, but don’t forget to think about your message first.
What would you like for the main take-away to be? What message should stick with your attendees?
Wrapping up
In this article, we’ve covered the five main elements of a solid communications strategy. Truth be told, you can add more, or break them up in more pieces, but the most important thing is that you sit down and think ahead. Prepare, plan, involve the rest of the organisation and create buy-in. No communications manager can execute this kind of strategy alone, so make sure you have the appropriate support. If nothing else, we hope this five-point overview can serve as a quick guide to your next communications strategy.
About the author: Niels van Velde is the Communication & Media Manager at the European Biodiesel Board (EBB), where he is responsible for strategic communication, media relations, and positioning the organisation within the European energy debate. He is also the owner of Van Velde Communications, a PR and communications firm that turns complex topics into clear, compelling public narratives.
With about a decade of experience, he brings a hands-on, strategic approach to the table. Before joining EBB, he worked at the Brussels-based press agency Evoke as a Senior PR Consultant, supporting clients with Flemish and national media communications, social media strategy, and media training. Prior to being recruited by Evoke, he served as Communications Manager Europe at ACT | The App Association. Niels began his career at Hill+Knowlton Strategies, an internationally renowned PR agency, where he spent three and a half years working on corporate communications and media strategy for a range of clients. Originally from the Netherlands, Niels holds a bachelor’s degree in communication and has been living in Belgium since 2018. He is fluent in both Dutch and English and speaks some German.
In this article:
1: Objectives
2: Owned content
3: Media & PR
4: Social media
5: Event
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