“Strategy is at least as much about what an organization does not do as it is about what it does”. This quote can’t be more accurate. Usually, when teams need to come up with communication strategies, they are so focused on what an optimal strategy should look like. Due to that, they tend to overlook what strategic mistakes have already been made. When we talk about business communication strategies, the most important factors are external and internal communication strategies, employee communication is one of them. Not only are these strategies important for the relationships within the company and with clients, but also, if done right, these strategies can boost conversions.
External Business Communication Strategies
As the name suggests, these strategies are your window to the outside world. They represent the ways and methods your company is using to attract the audience. To be more visible. Even your company’s website is an example of an external communication strategy. Some other aspects are social media engagement, blogs, video content, emails, newsletters, webinars, etc. These strategies are essential in generating more revenue and converting new clients. They provide you with a great opportunity to establish and advertise your brand. Furthermore, they enable you to forge new and strong long-lasting business relationships that will support your brand.
First things first
The foundation of any external communication strategy is a website. Think of it as your business card. It is the place where your existing and new clients will “land”. It is the place where they will find out all the latest news and updates. They will also find out important info about your company. This is why an appealing and information-filled website is a must. People tend to leave pages that aren’t catchy or that don’t look promising. This is where your content plays an important role. Be very generous when it comes to your website’s blog section. Whether you will have guest writers or provide your content, make sure that it is of high quality and relevant. Set yourself as an expert in your industry by providing what your audience needs and craves for. To do that you will have to:
- Get to know your audience: you need to speak their language. You need to see what triggers them, and what their biggest pain point is, and then offer a solution. Your audience isn’t only clients. We’re talking about influencers, shareholders, etc. You need to know each of these segments and provide offers or solutions that are relevant to them.
- Social media: to reach your target audience you would need to know where they “hang out”. Based on that your marketing team will make a strategy that fits the bill. You can’t have the same strategy for Instagram and Linkedin, for example. Social media are also a great place where potential clients can contact you and get answers to their inquiries.
- Newsletters and emails: What better way to stay in touch with your prospects than e-mailing and newsletters? Carefully crafted emails and newsletters that deliver value and are both informative and entertaining will boost your conversion. Empty, sales emails will not. One of the important things to think about is to deliver what you promised and to be reliable. Don’t neglect any of your segments, especially not already existing clients. They are your best advertisers and referrals.
- Video: Recent years have seen a massive rise in video popularity. It isn’t surprising considering that a good video is captive, it takes less time to watch than to read about the same thing. Moreover, it gives you the chance for a very personal introduction. It is much easier to attract prospects when they can see you and hear you. Body language is a very powerful communication tool. You can use a video to do a demo tour or promote a new feature. Perhaps to announce some webinar, or guest appearance. Whichever way you are using it, it is ok. Just keep using it.
Internal Communication Strategies
Equally important, but often neglected, are internal communication strategies. What do we mean by neglect? You might be surprised how many companies don’t associate internal communication with conversions. And this can’t be further from the truth. This type of strategy isn’t only essential to boost conversion but is also essential to any internal affairs happening inside of an organization. Although external and internal business communication can overlap in some segments ( and you should take into account both of them), they still represent two different entities. As we said earlier, external communication strategies are directed outwards, toward the prospects. Internal communication strategies, on the other hand, aim at the inner affairs, and the relationships within the organization.
Internal communication (strategies) are there to help employees communicate better amongst each other, but also with higher ranks. They provide an area for brainstorming and exchanging fresh ideas and perspectives. An additional benefit is that they also contribute to better bonding between employees. Consequently, this leads to better business communication, productivity, and motivation. The best example of internal communication strategies is an intranet and digital tools. They are software a company uses for internal communication. It shares the company’s info, relevant data, and info for the employees. It is also a great way to discuss various topics, too and turn it into some kind of social platform.
If you are still wondering how internal communication strategies can boost conversion imagine that you are a client and you visit a website. You find what seems to be a great product or a service. You send them an email or inquiry. Nobody responds. Or it takes days that you to get a reply. Furthermore, your reply is confusing and doesn’t provide all the info you asked about. Then you end in a nerve-wracking back-and-forth emailing that doesn’t bring you even closer to a solution. This is of course quite stretched-out scenario, but you get my drift.
If the internal communication isn’t efficient, if a person on the other line doesn’t have all the info because of the delay in internal business communication channels and miscommunication within the organization, the delivery will suffer, too. And with bad delivery, both sides are at a stake: Prospects who will probably not come back and an aggravated employee feeling completely demotivated. Internal communication matters.
Both external and internal business communication strategies have an essential part in boosting conversions. Your main task is to find strategies that work best for your type of business and audience. However, regardless of this, some things remain the same: practice what you preach, deliver what you promised and listen to your audience and employees. Only by strategically focusing on each segment of your business can you expect more results and better conversions.
Also Read: Know How Internet Marketing Service is Essential To Business
