Why communicating should be a top priority for businesses in 2021

This is a pivotal time for businesses, not only because of the ongoing pandemic, but further challenges lie ahead for many organisations as 2021 as the UK navigates its new relationship with the EU.

As many mitigate for an unpredictable future, how businesses communicate changes and decisions to their stakeholder network is critical.

Poorly managed communications can quickly undo the well-earned reputation you have painstakingly built over many years. We’re not just talking about external audiences either, it’s vital that any changes are communicated to internal teams first, ahead of any public announcements.

What does 2021 look like? That’s the million-dollar question that every business owner is asking themselves.

Although the year ahead may be a difficult one to predict, there are questions that you can ask yourself and answer right now. How has your market-place changed in the last year? What noises are your competitors making? What poses an opportunity or threat to your organisation?

Whatever those answers might be, there are a number of steps that your business could, and should, be taking to make sure you are adequately communicating with your external, and internal, stakeholders.

• Creating and issuing electronic newsletters – informing and reassuring your audiences about what you are doing, and sharing your expert advice.
• Supporting internal communications – your most important audience needs information and advice too. It is important to clearly communicate what is happening and why.
• Press releases – the media is interested in how organisations are adapting, and the support you are able to offer people and business at this time.
• Creating and distributing social media – this is helping to ensure key audiences are being kept informed, advised and receiving expert advice in a timely, straightforward manner.
• Be ‘The Expert’ – your expertise could be critical at this time as the world makes sense of what is happening. Communicating what you can do is an important way of reassuring people and informing them, as well as positioning you as a leader in your field.
• Looking to the future – some businesses have simply had no choice other than to shut-up shop for the time being. Some of our clients are using that time to look to the future and have asked us to help shape their plans for once things do get back to normal – which they will.

Before you make any moves, take some time to listen and plan. We have invested in high-tech software to help shape our clients’ communication or to monitor a particular interest – often to support wider organisational decisions (for example, competitor analysis or acquisition opportunities).

We can support you with any of these activities. Or you may want to do in-house, but might need some training support.

The Effective team has been able to fill gaps as organisations focus on other areas of their business, or where the very nature of remote working has made communicating difficult. We have the technology and the platforms to work on anything anywhere.

If you require support, guidance or advice in any of the areas above, we are available for our clients day and night.

Please do not hesitate to pick up the phone or drop us an email.