Comments from K2 Global Communications

At the end of the day, businesses market to people, not to faceless decision-making committees or a bunch of same-demographic consumers. Whether you’re selling to CEOs or stay-at-home dads, your marketing should speak to individual customers - think “human” instead of “the client” or “the client company” - each with his or her own tastes, interests, expectations, preferences, life, and work situations.

Companies now recognize the potential for increased productivity, employee satisfaction, and access to a broader talent pool that comes with a hybrid approach. Thus, employee communications in a hybrid work environment must support increased flexibility, while driving collaboration, innovation, and a shared company culture.

Effective communication is the linchpin that holds the workforce together. When physical proximity is no longer a given, internal communications must be used to bind the teams, align organizational goals, and sustain a cohesive company culture.

Effective internal communication is a challenge - and a necessity. Assumptions about informal channels can lead to information gaps. An unclear hierarchical structure may make it hard to establish clear lines of communication. Managing messaging to remote, hybrid, and onsite employees needs to be a priority. Addressing these issues allows information to flow freely.

Leadership sets the tone for organizational communication; leading by example - prioritizing transparent and open communications - is potent. Transparent communication builds trust among team members and strengthens the sense of shared responsibility. Leaders need to provide regular updates, provide insights about their decision-making processes, and be honest about challenges and successes.

The smaller the organization, the more each individual's contribution is amplified. Teams are more tightly knit. Understanding these dynamics is crucial.

Clear communication requires awareness about diverse linguistic nuances and cultural norms. Recognizing, respecting, and adjusting to individuals’ diverse backgrounds – birth nationality and language, years in the country, etc. is critical.

In addition, you must understand and tailor comms to individuals’ communications preferences. Some team members may prefer one-on-one interactions, while others may prefer more formal channels, such as weekly updates. Tailoring messages to accommodate these preferences ensures that information is received and understood.

Measurement is an integral part of the communications process. Before you begin, you need a baseline. How do employees feel about communications? What channels to they prefer? How can you tailor strategies and tactics to drive improvement? Define your key performance indicators (KPIs) as they relate to engagement and satisfaction.

Successfully marketing your cybersecurity solution is not a guessing game. Targeted marketing is like any other targeted activity – where you aim is where you’ll hit. Of course, that’s easier said than done. With hundreds of cyber solutions on the market, it’s difficult to find your security product’s unique niche so you can tailor-fit your message to the right buyers.

Effective, efficient internal communication directly impacts growth and performance. A meaningful, well-defined internal communication strategy enhances connections between employees and the organization; engaged, appreciated employees are more likely to actively participate in communication efforts and contribute to a positive and collaborative work environment. Effective dissemination of strategic goals and providing group credit for achieving milestones builds a sense of community. By investing in internal communication, you can foster a positive, inclusive work culture, improve employee engagement and productivity, and drive success.

Recently, I spoke with a marketer who had used ChatGPT to revise some content he created; it initially performed in its "regular" way - writing the idea clearly, but being quite redundant. Of course, he had to tweak the prompt to ask it to vary the word choice. Once it did that, it incorrectly stated that the product did X and Y as a single feature. He had then had to "teach it" that those were two separate activities until it provided decent results.

What if he were in a hurry or didn't know enough about the product to understand that the AI created an error that wasn't there before?

Nike’s online community built around its Run+ mobile app not only benefits members through personal training tips and challenges, but also helps the company gain an in-depth understanding of its users’ interests and behaviors.

Online fashion brand Asos’ social followers constantly share content and respond to comments.

Spin Sucks’ 80,000+-strong community’s passion for content marketing has made the brand a leader in the PR and communications industry.

Social media plays a critical role in building a community of loyal customers who can positively impact your brand or business.

Initiating public relations activities, even at the most minimal level, is always beneficial.

Profitable PR, though, requires an investment of time and money to fully realize ROI.

Sending out a press release every month “just because” will get your name out there. Whether it is to the right people remains to be seen.