Comms 101: Understanding the Basics & Why It Matters for Your Organisation
Karen Thatcher
Have you heard the word “comms” thrown about, but never quite understood what it is? Let me give you the basics.
“Comms” quite simply means “communications” and refers to ALL the ways a business, charity or organisation communicates in every form.
Comms are the backbone of an organisation, they are the ways we communicate with people: for, with and alongside our organisation. There are loads of elements of comms (it is not, as most people assume, just “posting on Facebook”). Comms includes: branding; marketing; websites; social media; email; printed materials; even in-person! Whether internally, amongst staff/volunteers/team, or externally to the world. Although the way you do your comms differs from place to place, the basics are the same across most settings.
“...big or small, you really do need a comms strategy of some sort and comms should be a top priority of investment.”
Depending on the size of your organisation; your vision and values; and the resources available to you, will depend on how you tackle your comms strategy. But big or small, you really do need a comms strategy of some sort and comms should be a top priority of investment.
As with most things, it’s really helpful if you pay attention to getting good procedures in place from day one and develop your comms as your organisation grows and changes, BUT that’s not always the reality, and so if you have neglected your comms and it now feels too big to know where to start… I promise you, it is fixable. With a good spring clean, and some time and effort you can get back to a clear playing field, and it is SO WORTH IT. (If you need some help to clean up and get back on track get in touch! But if you want to find ways to clean up yourself, have a read down for some questions you can ask to find out where you’re at- a “comms audit” if you like.)
Comms Audit: Where are you currently at?
✅ Vision and Values: Do you have clear written down vision and values of WHO you are as an organisation? The things that shape you, that drive you? The vision for what you want to achieve and why? If you don’t know your vision and values, you can’t expect anyone else to, and you definitely can’t communicate it to anyone else either.
✅ Branding: Branding is the visual representation of who you are- your logo, colours and artwork that you use to represent your organisation. Do you have consistent branding so that people can look at an image and know instantly that it’s you? Is your logo outdated, and no longer represents who you are as an organisation? Do you have logo formats that fit well in digital settings- not stretched, distorted or blurred? Is it time for an update? (Check out BloomCreative’s Rebranding Guide here, to see if you may need a refresh!)
✅ Website: Is your website easy to navigate? Is it optimised for mobile devices? If someone entirely new who had never heard of you before, stumbled across your website, would they be able to quickly find out what you do, and how they can be involved? Has your website got a bit cluttered over time and needs a tidy up? And is it all matched up with your branding and organisation’s tone of voice?
✅ Social Media: Are you present on social media? Which platforms do you use and are they working for the demographic you’re trying to reach? Are you posting regularly using eye-catching images/videos to draw people in? Are your social media channels up-to-date with clear information and links to find out more, including consistent branding? Are you using the insight tools available to work out what’s working and what’s not?
✅ Printed Material: Are you using your printed material wisely? Do you have up-to-date, modern business cards and appropriate literature about your organisation? Does your printed material have a purpose, or do you have a flyer or banner for EVERYTHING? Are you consciously making sure that disposable printed materials are recyclable? Is your printed material sustainable, and thought through?
✅ Emails: Are your email accounts branded with logo headers and/or footer information, across the organisation? Are your GDPR data collection policies up-to-date and in line with current guidance? Are you using emails as an appropriate way of communicating with the right people? Are you sending too many “info” emails too often? Are there better ways to communicate?
✅ Team: Are your team all on the same page about your vision and values; comms strategy; branding and expectations? Do you have guidelines and a brand pack with all the information your team needs to represent your organisation well and consistently? Do you have codes of conduct so your team know who is responsible for overseeing each area of communicating, their role in it, the expectations of how they communicate and represent your organisation? More importantly do they know the WHYS behind the guidelines and codes of conduct?
“It’s better to do ONE thing well, than ten things poorly.”
If the answer to all of these is a big fat YES, then WELL DONE. But if you have some points that you need to do some work on, that’s actually great too. Knowing the changes you need to make is the first step. Sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming knowing where to start, but if you ignore everything else I have said up until now, hear this- you don’t need to tackle everything in one go. Choose one thing, make the changes and get that established before you move on to the next. It’s better to do ONE thing well, than ten things poorly. It’s a process and this is your first step.
Whether you’re a business, church, charity or individual, if you’re looking for some comms related help, I’d love to work with you. Download my services guide here to see what I offer.
Let’s chat about what you need & how we can work together. Whether you’re just putting out feelers or are ready to get going on a project, there are no strings attached when you reach out to chat! You can either drop me an email to hello@thatchcreativeuk.com or just go ahead & book a call with me here!
This is me, Karen, the Thatch behind the Creative. I’m passionate about helping and equipping people to communicate the voice of their organisation in a creative and sustainable way, tailored to their specific resources and abilities. From design to comms strategy, I offer a wide variety of services. Get in touch today to talk about how we can work together!