5-minute wins to boost your comms in 2021

We recently presented to a group of purpose-led entrepreneurs about small changes they can make to their comms to improve their overall impact. The simplest things are sometimes the most effective, and going back to basics is often a good place to start. We thought we’d share a few tips here.

 

1. Reflect on past success and repeat

Consider your comms over the past 12 months – in terms of your bottom lines (if you’re here, reading this, hopefully not just profit), which one activity has made the most positive impact for your business? A particular post? A piece of print media coverage? The frequency that you put content out? A targeted message?

Whatever it was, try to incorporate something similar in your upcoming content. Equally, if something really flopped, don’t be shy to go in a different direction.

(Also see tip 6, hard to know what’s been successful if you don’t have clear aims and measurement in place.)

 

2. Take inspiration from competitors

Competitors can be a great source of inspiration. Is there a rival whose comms you absolutely adore (or who your target customers seem to love)? Check their website, social channels, media coverage. What is it they do really well, and how do they do it? Jot down any ideas that inspire you and incorporate them in your own comms.

 

3. Search for your business online

Googling your business on private mode shows exactly what your customers see. Do the results represent you? Is your contact info correct? Does your bio accurately describe what you do? Identify any fine tuning that’s needed and make the changes as soon as possible (once they’re done, they can take some time to show on Google – so don’t worry if you can’t see them straight away.)

 

4. Review your social media bios and header images (profile pic and banner)

Social media is often the first port of call for potential customers and clients, so make sure your bios and images do you justice. Descriptions should be user-friendly and jargon-free. They should talk about why you exist, not just what you do. For images, make sure they’re up to date and representative, not just of your company but your client-base too.

 

5. Sketch your dream customer

We all have a rough idea of who we want our customers to be and creating a visual prompt can really help cement this in our comms. Grab your pens (or power up Microsoft Paint) and sketch out a picture of your dream customer.

What are they reading? What are they doing? What problems do they have? What makes them smile? How would they find you? Stick your artwork above your desk and make sure you’re speaking to them each time you communicate.

 

6. Measure your own comms

It’s really important to measure your progress, and to do this you need to create baseline data. Take five minutes to note down key metrics, including social followers, web stats and coverage secured. It’s best to take a three-month average to give yourself an accurate picture. Use this data, and your business objectives to set out clear aims for your comms. Refer back to this on a monthly basis to keep track of the impact your comms is having.