The steps involved in developing a communication concept

The importance of effective communication concepts 

Typically forming the backbone of successful marketing and engagement strategies, communication concepts are essential in creating a consistent brand narrative. It's a non-negotiable when seeking to resonate with your target audience. Let's delve further into their importance for modern businesses. 

Positive brand perception is crucial 

Your success as a business often rests upon how your audience perceives you and what you offer. When your communication is transparent, consistent and relevant, the natural result is a growing number of consumers who have trust in you. Trust is essential for consumers - evidenced by the fact that 81% say that it plays a central part in the brands they use. 

Driving customer engagement

Engagement is another critical factor to consider, as it's something that not only attracts potential customers but also keeps those you already have on board interested and keen to use more of your products or services. Brands with highly creative communication strategies are much more able to meet an audience's needs and maintain their attention. 

For instance, the communication concept on display at the 2024 Mentor Breast Symposium was exceptional throughout the pre-event, during-event and post-event phases - greatly contributing to its success. Pre-event notices, real-time updates, and comprehensive branding all combined to create a cohesive experience around a concept of collaboration, professional development, and community-building.

Enhancing market focus 

Another reason a solid communication concept is essential is that it helps you ensure that the right audience receives the right messaging. As we'll cover later in the blog, part of the process includes understanding your target audience's behaviours and demographics. This step lets you know that your marketing efforts aren't wasted on people who have no interest in what you offer and that your budget is used efficiently. 

A boost to your bottom line 

Perhaps the most persuasive argument for putting maximum effort into creating a communication concept for your company is the effect it typically has on the bottom line of your balance sheet. When your communication is clear and persuasive, it often results in higher sales, increased customer retention and improved overall profitability.

The steps involved in developing communication concepts

So, now we look at the practical elements that need to be considered when putting your communication strategy together. Each step shown below ensures that your messaging is clear, consistent and has the highest possible chance of resonating with your audience. 

• Step #1: Market research—Understanding the people you're trying to reach is the foundation of what you're trying to achieve here. This initial step also involves gathering insights into market trends and what your competitors are doing. At this point, conducting a SWOT analysis is a good idea to properly grasp your industry landscape. Social listening can also be beneficial in ensuring your findings align with the up-to-date sentiments and preferences of your target consumers. 
• Step #2: Set clear objectives—Muddied thinking about objectives will not help your efforts, which is why your concept needs to be based on clear, set goals. The simplest way to achieve this is to form yours using the SMART formula. For example, your objective might be to increase brand awareness by 20% within six months. Making your objectives realistic and aligned with your broader business goals will help you create a cohesive roadmap that allows you to measure your success.
• Step #3: Be sure about your core messaging—Needless to say, the key messaging being broadcast must be compelling to have the desired effect. As such, a well-defined core message should address the pain points and preferences of your audience. 
• Step #4: Choose the right communication channels—For your marketing to have the maximum impact, it needs to be aimed at the most appropriate communication channels. Social media analytics tools can help you assess where your ideal customers hang out, allowing you to tailor your strategy accordingly. Each demographic will be different, depending on the specifics of your organisation. While social media might be the best choice for one segment, traditional channels like broadcast media and print might be the best for another. 
• Step #5: Create engaging content—At the very heart of your communication strategy is content that captivates, educates and compels people to take action. This could take the form of articles, infographics, or videos, but the specifics will be guided by the preferences of the audience in question. Be sure to include eye-catching pictures along with written content you produce, as articles with images are known to get almost double the views as those that don’t. Also, be careful to choose topics that will be of interest to your audience and that align with your brand values and core messaging.
• Step #6: Implement and monitor—Once you’ve developed the details of your concept, it’s now to time to put it into action. When launching your campaigns, pay particular attention to ensuring that all of your messaging is consistent across every one of your chosen channels. Monitoring your progress is another key part of the process. You’ll be looking at key performance indicators (KPIs) such as click-through and engagement rates, as well as conversion rates to help you evaluate the effectiveness of your approach.
• Step #7: Adjust and refine—In the days and weeks after launch, you’ll generate lots of useful data that will help you adjust and refine your strategy. By regularly reviewing your performance data, various areas for improvement will likely be identified, and continuous monitoring will allow you to tweak a little here, a little there.

These steps form a basic outline that businesses can use to develop to build effective communication that uplift your brand perception and engage with the audience you see as being most fruitful. It’s an ongoing journey, too, with every success or failure giving you valuable insight that informs your future approach. 

Getting your messaging received and understood takes an experienced, expert touch

The task of developing a strong communication concept is such an important one for any organisation to effectively connect with its audience. It requires that you know your audience fully, set clear objectives and transmit defined core messages. It’s also vital that you provide a regular supply of engaging content through the right channels in order to generate long-term profitability and success.

Addressing everything required takes time and experience to perfect, which is why companies often turn to expert engagement agencies for assistance. However, with something this crucial to your success, it’s essential that you choose the right engagement marketing partner. 

At MCI, our team knows exactly what’s required to develop communication strategies that hit their mark to engage customers and boost your bottom line. To learn more about us and what sets us apart from the rest, take a look at our wide range of engagement marketing services.

Alternatively, to speak directly with our team about how we can help you, simply enter your details into our contact form, and we'll get back to you as quick as we can.