Planning and carrying out communications strategies

In a very real sense, planning and carrying out communications strategies is the most essential work of all communicators. Ragan’s 2021 Communications Benchmark Report reveals a remarkable consistency in how this job is done.

For example, the cadence of creating communications strategies occurs every one to three months, according to the Benchmark Report, with week-to-week planning the next most common, and quarterly planning ranking third.

The is one of the more significant findings in the 2021 Communications Benchmark Report. The report indicates that more than a third—35%—of communicators do their planning on the one-to-three-month schedule, while 23% do it week to week. The likelihood there is that the difference relates to the emphasis. Strategic communications planning is done less frequently, whereas tactical planning, or tweaks, or course adjustments, and more are all done more frequently.

In terms of activating comms plans, the preferred channel for internal communications is email, by far and away—90% of respondents. For external communications, the channel of choice is social media, again by an overwhelming number of respondents.