It is easy to get overwhelmed by the landscape of communications especially when it continues to evolve. There is no distinct line, nowadays everything has become intertwined and when navigated correctly, it becomes an opportunity for businesses to reach a wide targeted audience. The team at bare.pr have put together some ways and tips to help make the journey more seamless.
Create an integrated approach
Gone are the days of streamlined approaches where a business focuses on just one strategy, integrated 360 campaigns create a complete approach to getting the most out of the narrative and create a cohesive stream of communication. This allows businesses to be consistent in their messages and reach a range of target audiences in a way they respond best to.
Social media
The role of social media in a changing communications landscape is extremely powerful as long as the brand understands the different social media platforms, what their audiences are on each of these and how best to approach the audience. If enough research is done and they tailor their approach, it opens an extremely valuable tool to communicate with these audiences by allowing conversation and letting the audience feel heard. Authenticity and a personal approach are what people are after in 2024 so ensuring this opens up deeper relationships.
Social media also allows people to go direct to the company, news and updates to be communicated in real time and more exposure to people that business wouldn’t typically reach. It provides insights and data which is invaluable and can allows them to be shared and tagged showing real connections and real reviews by their publics. Social media opens up a forum for businesses to become their own crisis management, align with creators and collaborate with people who explode creativity offering a new take on key messages beyond the branding campaigns.
AI
AI has meant more time for brands to focus on creation, strategy, and tailoring. Taking the stress and admin out of the job and allowing them to go further with research and messaging. Despite not being 100% accurate it is a great starting point for ideas and creativity.
Managing misinformation
Despite misinformation being more prominent than ever, thanks to the platforms we have now brands can speak on issues instantly and conversate where they can. Communication is still the most foundational skill in the whole landscape that will always need a human touch in order to create relationships. Speak up and speak truth!
Build relationships
Brands must know their audience, whether that is a client, customer or media – to build it you must actively listen and ask questions, understand them and how they like to be approached, pay interest in their lives and choose the channel they prefer. Beyond this, you must use strong emotional intelligence which leads to effective communication and relationship building. This includes empathy and human emotion, knowing how to deal with conflict and being aware of yourself and your part to play in the conflict. Effective communication is the key to business success and takes work and tweaking depending on the person or audience.
Know your brand
Lastly and most importantly to navigate the communications landscape you must know your brand. Businesses must cement their brand values throughout all their strategies and confirm their role in the business landscape. You must decide if you choose to stand for social issues or prefer to stay away, how you deal with things and what your approach will be to any challenges that come your way. You must decide what defines your business – whether that is price, experience of brand, methodology, diversity, shaping the future for generations to come or staying on brand. Once that is determined and stays consistent throughout, the business will thrive within the landscape.