Downloaded 35 times
Uploaded byPaula Cassin
Optimizing Your Broadcast Communications
The document discusses solutions to reduce "internal spam" and information overload for employees from excessive broadcast communications. It recommends: 1. Manage broadcast communications centrally to protect employees and ensure critical information gets through. 2. Optimize broadcast messages through testing, measuring effectiveness, and following best practices for structure, tone, and multimedia. 3. Provide alternative channels for information delivery like intranets, blogs and videos to reduce reliance on email and allow employees to access data on demand. This matches content to the right medium and reduces interruptions.
More Related Content
Similar to Optimizing Your Broadcast Communications
Optimizing Your Broadcast Communications
- 1. Optimizing Your BroadcastCommunicationsCapture Employee Attention andWeed Out ‘Internal Spam’For Webinar, April 16, 2008 www.cutthroughcommunications.com
- 2. Technology solutions torevolutionize employee messaging and communicationPaula CassinCEO/Founder
- 3. AgendaThe Problem ofInternal Spam, Employee Information OverloadThree Suggested SolutionsTakeaways
- 4. Role of BroadcastCommunicationsWe’re stuck here
- 5. The Status QuoChangeto staff healthcare planWelcome new hiresYour EmployeesWeekly positions vacantNew Expense claim formNew employee disputes process from 1st JanFinancial industry forecastAnnual Shareholder Meeting live webcast SAP Training for Accounting Dept – sign upCompany mission statement and annual objectives now on intranetNew intranet goes liveExecutive Briefing coming upSales Conference - registerAnnual Engagement Survey - complete this weekNew Communities of Interest - InnovationBrown Bag lunch on retail industry trendsNew sales claims processUpcoming Product Launch – X version 6.2January special offers and promosMonthly call center performance statsTop Telesales rep for the monthCustomer support storiesCisco Certification coming upNew technology updatesOutage notifications
- 6. The IssueToo muchemail and communications clutter meansimportant business infogets missed
- 7. Suggested SolutionsManage BroadcastComms – Take ChargeOptimize your Broadcasts – Improve the messageProvide Alternatives – Remove the noise
- 8. Solution #1: ManageBroadcast Comms
- 9. Solution #1: OutcomesProtectEmployees from Spamand Info OverloadMake sure that critical 5% gets through
- 10. Solution #2: Optimizeyour Broadcasts
- 11. Measure, BenchmarkAre yougetting through? Do you even know?What’s a normal response rate in yr org?ReadershipClick-throughsSurvey responsesRatingsPick your ideal target outcomesX entries tagged in CRM by at least X sales repsX click throughs to new product pageTraining module viewed/completed by % reps
- 12. Context: Current stateof affairsCOMPETITION. Who else sends them broadcasts? FREQUENCY. How often do staff receive broadcasts?VOLUME. How many other emails/voicemails do they get a day/week?PAST RESPONSE. How have they responded in the past?INTRANET. Quality of intranet/in-depth resources
- 13. Read this. Really,I mean it Optimize your Message*Six key recommendations.Consistent structureMake it freshPare it downOverview for contextUse several mediums (text, image, table, video…)Invite interaction*based on IABC Research Report:Preparing Messages for Information Overload Environments,” Eppler/Mengis, 2009.Read it for more great details!
- 14. Channel Mix CriteriaCutsthrough?Appropriate?Media-rich?Targeted?Measurable?
- 15. Inviting Employee Interaction“Weneed to ‘push’ out information that explains WHAT the business is doing, and WHY it is doing it . . .and then use interactive social media tools to get employees to start talking about HOW they’re going to help make it happen.”Steve Crescenzo, Consultant
- 16. Solution #2: OutcomesMakeComms easier to absorbMake Comms more enjoyable and interestingfor employees
- 17. Convert info toPULLConsolidate InterruptionsHave Channels for every requirementEmailVoicemail broadcastsScreensaversInternal BlogQ&AsForumsI.M.Digital SignageE-Bulletin Boards RSS Posters Print pubs Videos WikisScrolling news tickersDesktop AlertsSMS/Text AppsMicro BlogsINTRANET newsLaunch PacksPeers/ChampionsTraining SessionsTeam MeetingsLeader VisitsConferencesLetters to StaffSolution # 3: Provide Alternatives
- 18. Solution #3: EnterpriseExample…Competition: every staff member with girl scout cookies to sellAudience: extreme email fatigueVolume: hundreds of email broadcasts per day, mostly spam.Context shows that even the best email in the world would get a low response
- 19. Solution #3: EnterpriseExampleCut through for critical contentFeedback and educationTargeted advertisingNews aggregationContributions and social media
- 20. Solution #3: OutcomesAllCommunications still given an outlet (nothing stifled)Info available on demandDelivery method matches content relevance
- 21. The Snap CommsToolsSnap AlertSnap TickerSnap QuizSnap PollSnap Mag Snap ShotsSnap Interactive
- 22. TAKEAWAYS&QUESTIONS?MANAGEyour broadcast commscompany-wideOPTIMIZE each message to be easy for staff to absorb and actionCHANNEL content into appropriate mediums to reduce noise, maximize cut throughChecklists,
- 23. CHECKLISTS HERE: http://bit.ly/lqkjcFeelfree to contact me/us at Cut Through Commswww.cutthroughcommunications.comPaula Cassin1.805.715.0300. Twitter: paulacassin. LinkedIn: paulacassinfor Webinar: Communicate to Help, not Hinder, your Salesforce, April 2009THANK YOU!5 ways to reduce Email Overload:http://blog.cutthroughcommunications.comIABC Preparing Messages Report: www.iabc.com (free for members or $99)Paula.cassin@cutthroughcommunications.comhttp://www.twitter.com/paulacassin
Editor's Notes
- #3 I’m Paula Cassin, CEO of Cut Through Communications, an internal communications technology company. We specialize in broadcast communications software….and it’s in working with our customers that we’ve started to see several ways to optimize broadcast comms
- #4 First we’ll talk a bit about the current state of broadcast communications and the problems most of us face, then we’ll give you three different ideas on how to tackle them.
- #5 Right now, with broadcast comms, most people get stuck here, right at the beginning. We’ve heard stories of communicators who are getting the blame from management for not getting through to employees – optional event that no one showed up to, despite emails.
- #6 Let’s take email as an example, as it’s the main broadcast channel we all use. Status Quo in depts is…
- #11 Here’s what you need to consider, probably down on paper, to be really effective in terms of your broadcast communications, OK?Right now, most people will plan around their initiative or project, and they’ll pay attention to message content, but they’ll really gloss over the rest. Let’s go through each one in detail and I’ll give you some examples.
- #12 When you send an email or text or promo pack out to your sales reps, how do you know it’s been effective? For most of us, we really do not measure at this level. We have high level goals or even specific goals for the PROJECT, but not for individual communications. EXAMPLE: let’s say you’re working on the new Sales competition – great prizes for reaching certain levels of sales in your newest categories. You’ll know what sales levels you need and probably analyze where you’re at each month. But it turns out you sent the initial email launching it on the day Corporate Comms announced the closure of your chocolate factory in Ohio, which was also the day that airplane landed on the Hudson River AND the day everyone got their quarterly retirement plan statement. In fact, a lot of Sales Managers were rather preoccupied in the team meetings going over the plant closure and grandfathered product lines, so they sort of glossed over the competition. This is why you better be measuring click throughs to the intranet page, downloads of the pdf, sign ups to email notifications. Whatever you can measure that will tell you whether employees have responded in some way to what you sent.Keep breaking down your goals until you’re at ground level - Where do you need them to go? Did you get them there?
- #13 EXAMPLE: let’s say you’re working on the new Sales competition – great prizes for reaching certain levels of sales in your newest categories. You’ll know what sales levels you need and probably analyze where you’re at each month. But it turns out you sent the initial email launching it on the day Corporate Comms announced the closure of your chocolate factory in Ohio, which was also the day that airplane landed on the Hudson River AND the day everyone got their quarterly retirement plan statement. In fact, a lot of Sales Managers were rather preoccupied in the team meetings going over the plant closure and grandfathered product lines, so they sort of glossed over the competition. This is why you better be measuring click throughs to the intranet page, downloads of the pdf, sign ups to email notifications. Whatever you can measure that will tell you whether employees have responded in some way to what you sent.
- #14 So on this one slide we’ve got a whole nother 30 minutes! Here’s we look at WHAT you’re writing, the content. Recently IABC, the international association for Business communicators put out a very good report on preparing messages for information overload environments. They make 6 recommendations and are a pretty good way to review your content/messages. CONSISTENT STRUCTURE. Do you send out a weekly email newsletter giving key info and linking to more details? Do you structure your emails consistently to give readers CUES.Sumup at the top, ACTION REQUIRED clearly marked. Who what when why howProctor and Gamble Memo template: the idea, background, how it works, key benefits, next steps.
- #18 EXAMPLE: let’s say you’re working on the new Sales competition – great prizes for reaching certain levels of sales in your newest categories. You’ll know what sales levels you need and probably analyze where you’re at each month. But it turns out you sent the initial email launching it on the day Corporate Comms announced the closure of your chocolate factory in Ohio, which was also the day that airplane landed on the Hudson River AND the day everyone got their quarterly retirement plan statement. In fact, a lot of Sales Managers were rather preoccupied in the team meetings going over the plant closure and grandfathered product lines, so they sort of glossed over the competition. This is why you better be measuring click throughs to the intranet page, downloads of the pdf, sign ups to email notifications. Whatever you can measure that will tell you whether employees have responded in some way to what you sent.
- #23 You’ve worked hard to put together a treasure trove of resources for employees. But they have to get there and use it