Why Most Communications Strategies Fail (And How to Fix Yours)
Every organization believes they have a communications strategy. They point to their press releases, social media campaigns, and quarterly newsletters as proof of their strategic approach. But here's the uncomfortable truth: most of what passes for communications strategy is actually just activity disguised as strategy.
The difference between the two can make or break your organization's ability to connect with its audience and achieve its goals.
The Activity Trap: When Busy Doesn't Mean Strategic
Many organizations fall into the activity trap. They have a to-do list: publish a press release, launch a campaign, post on social media, send out newsletters. They're busy, they're producing content, and they feel productive. But activity without strategy is like driving without a destination—you might cover a lot of ground, but you won't necessarily get where you need to go.
Real communications strategy isn't about how much you're doing; it's about how purposefully you're doing it. It's the difference between broadcasting and truly communicating.
What Makes a Communications Strategy Actually Strategic
A genuine communications strategy is built on three fundamental pillars that transform scattered activity into focused, effective communication:
1. A Clear Objective
The first pillar is specificity in your goals. Vague aspirations like "we want visibility" or "we need better brand awareness" aren't objectives—they're wishful thinking.
A strategic objective is precise and measurable: "We want to shift perception about our commitment to sustainability in the manufacturing sector by demonstrating our carbon-neutral initiatives to industry decision-makers within six months."
This level of clarity does several things. It gives your team a concrete target to work toward, provides a framework for measuring success, and ensures every communication activity serves a specific purpose rather than just adding to the noise.
2. Defined Audiences
The second pillar moves beyond the dangerous assumption that you're speaking to "everyone" or "the general public." Strategic communications requires real personas—detailed profiles of the people you actually need to reach.
These personas go deeper than basic demographics. They include behavioral patterns, information consumption habits, decision-making processes, and the specific needs your organization can address. When you understand not just who your audience is, but how they think and what influences their decisions, your messaging becomes exponentially more effective.
For example, reaching procurement managers in healthcare requires a completely different approach than reaching patients seeking treatment options. Each audience has distinct concerns, preferred communication channels, and decision-making criteria.
3. Message Discipline
The third pillar is perhaps the most challenging: message discipline. In a world where everyone wants to say everything to everyone, strategic communicators focus on saying one thing well.
This doesn't mean having just one piece of content or one social media post. It means having one clear, central message that's anchored in truth and repeated with intention across all your communications. This message becomes the thread that connects every press release, every presentation, every social media post into a coherent narrative.
Message discipline requires restraint. It means saying no to interesting but off-message opportunities. It means training your entire team to understand and consistently deliver the same core message, whether they're speaking at a conference or chatting at a networking event.
The Foundation of Effective Communication
When we work with leaders and teams at Clarity Communications, we always start with these three basics. Not because they're simple—they're actually quite challenging to implement well—but because they're essential. Without clear objectives, defined audiences, and message discipline, even the most creative campaigns and polished content become ineffective noise.
These pillars create a foundation that supports everything else you do. They ensure your resources are focused on activities that advance your goals rather than just keeping you busy. They help you measure success meaningfully and adjust your approach based on real results rather than vanity metrics.
Moving from Informing to Influencing
The distinction between broadcasting and communicating is crucial. Broadcasting is one-way: you send information out into the world and hope it reaches the right people. Communicating is two-way: you send targeted messages to specific audiences and create opportunities for meaningful engagement and response.
Strategic communications transforms your organization from a broadcaster into a communicator. Instead of shouting into the void, you're having focused conversations with the people who matter most to your success.
Building Your Strategic Foundation
If you recognize your organization in the activity trap, don't despair. The solution isn't to do less—it's to do better. Start by auditing your current communications against these three pillars:
Do you have specific, measurable objectives for your communications, or just general hopes for "better visibility"?
Can you describe your target audiences as real people with specific needs and behaviors, or are you trying to reach "everyone"?
Do you have one clear message that runs through all your communications, or are you trying to say everything at once?
Once you identify the gaps, you can begin building a truly strategic approach that turns your communications from noise into signal.
Ready to build a strategy that works—not just makes noise? At Clarity Communications, we help organizations move beyond activity to create communications strategies that deliver real results. Let's talk: [email protected]
