Businesses that succeed in growth, expansion and diversification have a clear stakeholder engagement strategy that covers all areas of their business. While customers are important, so too are prospective buyers, partners, the industry and employees.
How a business engages these stakeholders will have a direct impact on customers' experience that will lead to driving better performance in acquisition, retention and product development. Without communications alignment throughout your business, messages become unclear, unstructured and can play against your efforts.
Your values and beliefs need to be at the heart of your stakeholder communications underpinned by your value proposition. In the new age of marketing communications a hybrid of options that engages the buyer, empowers the employee, reaches out to partners and understands the needs of the user will lead to greater reward.
Your most powerful marketing channel is your stakeholders, and by empowering each of them you will gain access to a wider network and focused audience group.
When creating your narrative for your marketing strategy it’s essential that you
Know what you're trying to achieve, what is your mission?
Turn your proposition into real stories with real benefits, why do you exist?
Connect incentives with the expectations of customers, how do they win?
Be clear with your pricing and payment models, what does it cost?
Ensure there is a communications life-cycle, even when they are a customer, what is your promise?
Identify champions who can do that work for you, how do you engage stakeholders?
You need to be aware of your core communication barriers and have a plan for how to overcome them:
Lack of clarity – messaging and jargon: ensure your language is accessible and applicable to your audiences experiences. Keep your message simple, clear and relevant.
Incorrect timing of messages: planning is essential, schedule your communications based on the channel you are using, otherwise it gets lost in the ether.
Problems with the communication medium: incorporate the right channels for your business, Facebook is not suitable for every company - and your organic reach may be limited.
Attitudes of sender or recipient: build a community willing and ready to receive your communications. This is a two-way relationship, by listening first you can deliver what they want.
Language & cultural barriers: whether your reaching niche audiences or targeting different countries - be respectful and understand their cultural expectations.
Problems with the message itself: don’t over promise - this will come undone. Prepare to iterate your proposition in the most authentic way possible.
Your marcomms activity is your vehicle to achieving your commercial goals in your business strategy - by aligning your departments and sharing the effort you have a unified voice which brings efficiency to the business. You’ll also be able to pivot in the future much faster.
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