In today’s technology-obsessed marketplace, consistency plays an increasingly important role to the success of any marketing communications. The growth of available communication channels has made it both easier and more difficult to successfully communicate a marketing message. How can this be? Well, on the one hand, the use of multiple communication channels lets you reach a broad audience—or multiple audiences. On the other hand, you run the risk of conveying an inconsistent message, which can lead to audience confusion and distrust. Here are four steps organizations can take to make communication more consistent, when tapping several channels:
1. When creating messages, include and align all relevant internal stakeholders. Make sure that, when crafting messages, all key stakeholders are involved in the process and aware of the final product. The last thing you want is the CEO and CMO to be on record with conflicting information.
2. Communicate any planned changes internally before communicating externally. Naturally, changes will need to be made to the message as time progresses. Be sure to convey these changes to the relevant groups before taking action.
3. Develop a marketing voice. Choose the right words and visuals to match your brand, and use this throughout all communication channels. A sarcastic Twitter account might work for Cheez Doodles, but probably won’t work for an investment bank, no matter how “fun” your social media guru is.
4. Update information across channels. Don’t make the mistake of only updating one channel with new information about the company. If you have something worth sharing, do so across all active channels and make sure it’s consistent with what consumers are experiencing.
By following the four steps laid out above, you can help ensure a greater level of consistency—and, thus, trust and credibility—for your communications. While these quick tips are a great starting point, there are also many other ways to achieve consistent communication.
-Michele Brancati