It’s a simple idea, but often neglected. Every business should have a communications calendar as every business needs to talk with clients and potential clients.

One of the first things I do when starting with a client is to take a look at the existing communication channels they have and can potentially have, with a view of optimising the use of them. By putting together a very simple calendar, it’s an easy way of identifying when you want to say things, what channels you have and preparing content towards it. I stress it doesn't have to be complicated. Over the years, I have seen some very complicated plans that are really pointless. So much time has been put into them, and little thought into the practicalities of actually executing the plan, as well as whether it’s relevant to the audience.

Start off by looking at a monthly communication approach and having a list of each of the channels. These may include most or all of the following: your website, e-newsletters, direct mail (print), facebook, Twitter, blog, and LinkedIn.  Once you have determined the core channels, determine how frequently you plan to use them.

A good way of thinking of where to start is your website. Let’s say you have decided to update your website once a month, how is anyone going to know you have updated it? That’s where you e-newsletters, Twitter, facebook and LinkedIn help. By updating these channels and including a link back to the new content on the website, you start actually letting the audience know something has changed.

Simple tips:

-        Keep it simple and realistic for your business

-        Ensure someone has primary responsibility for it, not everyone. If it’s everyone, it falls through the cracks

-        Lock it into the calendar

-        Stick to it, your audience will come to expect it.

Stay tuned for more tips on communication planning.