In our very final episode of the season I answer the most common question I have received this season: Are my communication channels effective?

In this episode I share:

• 3 simple strategies to address the effectiveness of your communication channels
• Where to begin when you choose a communication channel and why
• How to focus your energy, build engagement  and avoid content overwhelm
• Tracking your progress  to maximise your results.

Ineffective communication channels mean lack of engagement, miscommunication, a diluted message and wasted time and money. 

Thank you for joining us for Season1. We will be back on Wednesday 26 April 2023 with Season 2 were we zoom in on Audience.

Season 2 is packed full of guests sharing their expertise and experiences with identifying your audience and engaging and building your audience and community.

This week I am joined by special guest National Associate Director at The LKB Agency, Kirsty Bennett.

I have known Kirsty for close to 10 years and she recently joined LKB to lead our projects and team. She is one of the calmest and best communicators I know and there is no one I would rather have by my side in a crisis than Kirsty!

In this episode, Kirsty joins me to talk about what to do when plans go wrong, including sharing a real life scenario and what she did to manage the crisis as it unfolded. 

Whether your business is just starting out or a global giant, you are not immune to crises or serious issues. Sometimes (hello COVID-19!) we have no control over the circumstances so being prepared and knowing who and what your plan is when you’re under pressure, is not a nice to have. It is a necessity for anyone in business.

We talk about:

• Why it is more essential than ever to have a crisis plan prepared whatever stage you are at in business
• What’s in a crisis plan? The simple 5 stages of a crisis and what you need to prepare for each
• What is expected of you as a spokesperson in a crisis and how to prepare
• Helping your team in a crisis and why communicating internally is as important as externally
• Managing media scrutiny and the message
• The crucial first hour: Kirsty shares a real life scenario of an environmental crisis and what she did in the first hour to bring the crisis under control.

You can find out more about Kirsty at The LKB Agency and follow us @the_lkbagency and @the_Calmcommunicator for more tips and support.

Don’t forget next week I will be workshopping one of your communication challenges and you still have time to send one in. I will randomly select a question in the next few days so jump in quick and send me a message at www.calmcommunication.com.au/contact with your communication challenge!

Ever written a strategy in January with the power of the new year and all your good intentions behind you and then never looked at it again?

Communication strategies and plans are active, living and breathing documents in your business that need to change or adapt as often as your business does!

In this episode, I share 4 quick ways to review your strategy and your plans and all the reasons why you should not let that strategy or plan gather dust on the shelves.

I cover:

• Why we need to keep reviewing and adapting our strategy and plans to suit our business
• The key factors that can impact our strategy and plans including the ones we have no control over
• How frequently to review a strategy and your plans and how to make it part of your business processes
• What parts of your strategy and plans are the most important to look at
• What tools to use to review your strategy and plans.

 Next week I catch up with my National Associate Director at The LKB Agency, Kirsty Bennett to talk about what to do when your plans go wrong. Kirsty will share her insights and tips into how to manage the inevitable business curve balls and how to plan for the unplanned.

Follow me on instagram @the_calmcommunicator for more communication insights and tips.

How boring is measurement? All those numbers and stats, we just want to create exciting content and share it with the world, right?

Of course we do, but as small business owners we also need to protect our precious time and money.

In this episode, I show you that measurement can actually be pretty simple and easy and it can give us the freedom to make great decisions, spend wisely and get to know and connect with our audience on deeper levels. Yes, measurement is a magic tool!

I’ll step you through:

• Why measurement is important (hint: it’s got something to do with time and money!)
• Why we sometimes think it’s harder than it is
• The three key areas we should be measuring with lots of examples of communication activity and content we should measure  
• How frequently should we be scanning our results and what do we do with them
• And the most important thing you should do for yourself!

If you have any questions about measurement or anything communication related in your business, send me a message at www.calmcommunication.com.au  and don’t forget in a couple of episodes we will be workshopping one of your communication challenges so send those in too!

This week we are joined by special guest, business strategist and trusted advisor to small business owners, Michelle Broadbent.

Over a 20 year career Michelle has supported the founders of startups and small businesses to grow into global, successful companies. Her passion lies with helping female founders manage the overwhelm of business, get a clear strategy, systems and processes in place to thrive.

Michelle has worked with me, supporting The LKB Agency during our growth in the last few years, including helping us develop systems and processes that save my team time, energy and headspace every day so we can spend more time focused on our clients!

My conversation with Michelle covers:

• Why it’s so important to have strategic direction in your business, no matter its size
• Why ALL areas of your business need to be considered in your strategy (don’t leave out communication!)
• How to share your strategy and your plan with your team and the benefits of communicating strategy as a leader and founder
• What to do when you feel overwhelmed and how strategy can help
• How documenting what you do into effective systems and processes will save you time and money
• The trademark communication skills of great leaders in Michelle’s experience
• Michelle’s final words of wisdom for mastering communication in your business!

I loved this conversation and I know you will too. If you want to work with Michelle (and you should!), you can find out more on her website https://www.michellebroadbent.com.au/ and subscribe to her podcast Your Business Boost here - https://www.michellebroadbent.com.au/podcast/

In Episode 5 I complete the remaining elements of building your communication plan. I cover:

• My 3 rules of making messages that stick
• I share the messaging making formula I have refined over 25 years of writing messages for businesses of all sizes
• I talk through how to identify and tailor messages to channels that will reach your audience.

You can visit https://www.calmcommunication.com.au/resources for my simple guide to making messages and identifying channels. You can also register for our short course on message making - coming soon!

Follow @the_calmcommunicator on instagram for more tips and insights into the world of communication.

In Episode 4 I break down the key elements of a communication plan so you can start creating your own plan for your business.

I share:

• How to set objectives that you can easily measure and are realistic for your business
• My 3 tips for objective setting
• My simple 3 step process for identifying your audience
• My golden rules for engaging and keeping your audience engaged

For more information and to download the resource ‘Engage your audience in 3 easy steps’ I mention in this episode go to www.calmcommunication/resources

Follow @the_calmcommunicator on instagram for more tips and insights into the world of communication.

Ever wondered what the difference is between a communication strategy and a plan? Or if you need both? In this episode I explain the difference, what you should include in each and if you really need both. I also provide a little explanation of each element of a strategy and a plan so you can start creating your own communication strategy and plan for your business.

I will share:

• A definition of a communication strategy and a plan
• The key difference between a strategy and a plan 
• The core elements you need to include in each one
• Why we need both and how they work together including a reference to peanut butter and jam…

For more information and to download the resource ‘Engage your audience in 3 easy steps’ I mention in this episode go to www.calmcommunication/resources