What’s Your Communication Strategy?

Whilst talking during the break in Oslo on Thursday someone asked me: What’s your communications strategy?

That’s such a great question I thought I’d think through my answer again here.

My communication strategy is first and foremost “Integrated”.¨

I put my energy into building real world connections through real world communication. And that, my friends, includes online communications.

When I say “integrated” I mean that I try and encourage communication as much as possible, no matter the platform or channel.

Every day I talk to people on the phone, Twitter, Facebook, through the comments section on my blog, when I’m out walking the woofs, etc. Communication permeates my day on so many levels.

I try to be open, engage, be enthusiastic and always keep my cool. Although I sometimes fail.

On the Net I try to respond promptly to questions, and take people seriously.

I’m wary that sometimes communication channels like email, twitter, and blog comments can easily be misunderstood because we can’t clarify the words we use with positive body languages. So I try and always take a moment to think before I send or publish and think about the recipient.

Try new things

I’m an early adopter. I’ll give most communications tools or channels a go – even though sometimes I’m wary of their value. When I started on Twitter, for example, I really wasn’t convinced but a month’s “trial” persuaded me there was something in it when I got a couple of jobs via it.

So my communication strategy is also to try new things and take risks; to challenge myself even when I don’t want to. After all, I didn’t wake up one day and think “I have to be on YouTube!” I literally forced myself to start experimenting with the format because I could see that as a content creator I needed to expand my range of skills.

There’s more to say on this topic, but I’ll leave it for here right now.

What’s your communication strategy? Do you have one that you’re cognisant of?

Image: FlickrCC

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1. Do You Have an Integrated Communications Strategy?
2. Communication Strategy Counts
3. English Communication Training in Copenhagen
4. You Don’t Control Your Communication Channels
5. What’s Your Crisis Management Strategy?