Why You Need a Brand Communication Strategy
They say a picture is worth a thousand words.
And it’s true. Design and visuals are freaking awesome.
But when was the last time your business successfully did anything without the use of at least a few words? A sentence here, a catchy line here, a joke there?
I mean, have you ever created a contract with hieroglyphics? Done an interpretive dance to make a sale? Didn’t think so.
In today’s image-focused and newsletter-ridden business landscape, we all know that brand is emperor and content is king. But the thing is, brand and content must work together for optimal benefits.
Because of course, your brand is more than your logo, color palette, and photography styling. For the most immersive brand experience, your words — whether written or spoken — must complement what you put forth visually.
So who is your Communication Strategy then? They’re your brand’s army general for content creation.
The 5 Reasons You Need a Brand Communication Strategy:
1. A Communication Strategy helps you reach every audience.
Design can be brilliant, but sometimes it’s just not enough. Some people are more linguistically oriented than they are visually and lean on written explanations to get their emotional engines to turn over. Expertly curated words means you will reach the audiences you want to reach, and convert them into adoring customers.
2. It ensures everything you say and write is on-brand.
Consistency, consistency, consistency. Each piece of communication speaks to your brand and company as a whole and must resound with a tone true to its nature. Make sure they work together, not against each other. A communication strategy will help you strategically stay aligned with your key brand messages and will ensure each communication you put out is instantly recognizable as your own.
3. It’s the playbook for your team of brand champions.
Having a key document explaining your company’s voice is a great way to onboard new members of your team to your brand. The more people on your team that can start speaking like a brand champion sooner, the better. The Communication Strategy will act as a manual for how to describe your company, what words to use, what key messages to focus on, and any other best practices for on-brand communication.
4. It kicks confusion out the door.
Sometimes everyone needs a good back-crack. Your Communication Strategy is the go-to place for getting everyone on the same page about what your major messages are, the goals for communication, what you want to achieve, and resolving disputes. When embarking on a big communication campaign, it’s important to frequently go back to your communication strategy to remind yourself of what’s most important.
5. It alleviates space for creativity.
A solid communication strategy alleviates the mental space required to recreate the wheel for everything you write. It will take the pressure off and allow your team to think more creatively during your day, so you can get down with the critical and strategic thinking needed to grow your business and bust out of industry walls.
Marisol Dahl is a Communication Strategist at ABC Design Lab. The “wordsmith” of the crew, her pastimes include Googling synonyms, weaving in brand tone, and calling people out for not using Oxford commas. Reach out: marisol@abcdesignlab.co.
