12.1 Setting communication objectives and KPIs

Setting communication objectives and KPIs is crucial for effective corporate communication. It provides a roadmap for aligning communication efforts with business goals, ensuring strategic focus and measurable impact. Clear objectives help prioritize initiatives and demonstrate the value of communication activities.

The SMART framework guides the creation of effective objectives: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This approach ensures clarity, accountability, and results-oriented planning. Different types of objectives, such as awareness, engagement, and behavior change, serve distinct purposes in driving desired outcomes.

Importance of communication objectives

• Communication objectives provide a clear roadmap and sense of purpose for corporate communication efforts
• Well-defined objectives ensure communication activities are strategically aligned with overarching business goals
• Having specific objectives allows communicators to prioritize initiatives, allocate resources effectively, and measure the impact of their work

Aligning objectives with business goals

• Communication objectives should directly support and advance the organization's strategic priorities (revenue growth, customer retention, employee engagement)
• Alignment ensures communication efforts are focused on the most critical issues and opportunities facing the business
• Linking communication to business outcomes demonstrates the value and ROI of the communication function

SMART objectives framework

• The SMART framework is a best practice tool for setting effective communication objectives
• SMART objectives follow five key criteria: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound
• Using SMART objectives creates clarity, accountability and a results-oriented approach to communication planning

Specific objectives

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• Specific objectives are clear, concise and focused
• They define the desired outcome in unambiguous terms (increase awareness of new product features among key customer segments)
• Specific objectives leave no room for misinterpretation and provide a precise target to aim for

Measurable targets

• Measurable objectives include quantifiable targets or key performance indicators (KPIs)
• They define success criteria that can be objectively assessed (achieve 25% share of voice in industry media coverage)
• Measurable targets enable communicators to track progress and demonstrate concrete results

Achievable goals

• Achievable objectives are realistic and attainable given available resources, competencies and constraints
• They strike a balance between being ambitious and pragmatic (grow social media engagement by 15% year-over-year)
• Setting achievable goals motivates teams and avoids the pitfalls of overcommitting or sandbagging

Relevant to stakeholders

• Relevant objectives matter to key stakeholders and contribute to their success
• They align with the priorities and expectations of executive sponsors, functional partners and target audiences
• Relevant objectives foster buy-in and collaboration by delivering mutual benefits

Time-bound milestones

• Time-bound objectives have a clear deadline or delivery date attached
• They create a sense of urgency and accountability for achieving results (launch new corporate website by Q3)
• Time-bound milestones provide a cadence for project plans and allow course corrections if timelines slip

Types of communication objectives

• Communication objectives can be categorized into three main types: awareness, engagement and behavior change
• Each type of objective serves a different purpose and requires tailored strategies, tactics and measures
• Effective communication programs often include a mix of objective types to drive the desired outcomes

Awareness objectives

• Awareness objectives focus on increasing knowledge, understanding and recall of a topic, issue or brand
• They aim to put information on stakeholders' radars and break through the clutter (generate 500,000 impressions for new ad campaign)
• Awareness is typically the first step in the communication process before engagement and action can occur

Engagement objectives

• Engagement objectives center on capturing attention, generating interest and fostering two-way interactions
• They seek to draw audiences in, spark conversations and build relationships (achieve 10% click-through rate on email newsletter)
• Engagement deepens connection to a message and is often a precursor to behavior change

Behavior change objectives

• Behavior change objectives target specific, observable actions that communication aims to influence
• They define the "what's in it for me" and provide a clear call-to-action (drive 1,000 downloads of new whitepaper)
• Behavior change objectives are the ultimate aim of most communication programs and tie directly to business results

Defining target audiences

• Defining target audiences is a critical step in setting communication objectives
• Audiences can be segmented based on demographics, psychographics, behaviors, needs or relationships to the organization
• Clearly defined audiences allow for personalized messaging, tailored content and customized channel strategies

Internal vs external audiences

• Audiences can be broadly categorized as internal (employees, board members) or external (customers, partners, influencers)
• Each audience has distinct communication needs, preferences and objectives
• Internal audiences require information to do their jobs while external audiences need information to make decisions

Audience segmentation strategies

• Segmentation subdivides broad audiences into more discrete, homogeneous groups
• Common segmentation strategies include demographic (age, gender, income), psychographic (values, interests, opinions), and behavioral (usage frequency, loyalty)
• Microsegmentation uses data analytics to target niche subgroups with highly relevant content (frequent fliers who prefer aisle seats)

Crafting compelling key messages

• Key messages are the main points you want target audiences to remember and act upon
• Effective key messages are concise, memorable, relevant and differentiating (Our new software cuts production time in half)
• Key messages should be aligned with communication objectives and tailored to specific audience segments
• The most compelling key messages combine rational and emotional appeals to both inform and persuade

Selecting optimal communication channels

• Communication channels are the various methods and platforms used to deliver key messages to target audiences
• Channel selection should be driven by audience preferences, communication objectives, content type and available resources
• Multichannel approaches leverage the unique strengths of each medium while providing multiple touchpoints (launch event + press release + social media posts)
• Emerging digital channels (mobile apps, voice assistants) provide new opportunities to engage audiences

Establishing meaningful KPIs

• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are quantifiable measures used to evaluate the success of communication objectives
• Meaningful KPIs are relevant, reliable, timely and actionable - providing insights to optimize performance
• KPIs can be categorized as outputs (what you did), outtakes (what they heard) and outcomes (what they did)
• A balanced mix of KPIs provides a holistic view of communication performance and impact

Quantitative vs qualitative KPIs

• Quantitative KPIs are numeric measures that can be counted, calculated and benchmarked (number of website visits, revenue generated)
• Qualitative KPIs gauge sentiment, opinions and attitudes through feedback mechanisms (surveys, focus groups, social listening)
• Both quantitative and qualitative KPIs play important roles in assessing different aspects of communication effectiveness

Leading vs lagging indicators

• Leading indicators are predictive measures that signal likely future outcomes (email open rates, sentiment scores)
• Lagging indicators are backward-looking measures that show actual results achieved (sales lift, employee turnover)
• Leading indicators enable proactive optimization while lagging indicators validate business contributions

Benchmarking performance

• Benchmarking compares communication KPIs to internal targets, external standards or competitive sets
• Internal benchmarks track progress over time against prior period results or stretch goals
• External benchmarks gauge performance relative to industry averages or best-in-class organizations
• Competitive benchmarks provide insights to seize share of voice or thought leadership in the market

Tracking progress against objectives

• Tracking involves regularly collecting, analyzing and reporting data on communication KPIs
• Effective tracking requires clearly defined owners, processes and tools to aggregate data across multiple sources
• Dashboard solutions enable real-time monitoring of KPIs with data visualization and alerts
• Tracking helps identify performance gaps and opportunities to course-correct tactics or revisit objectives

Reporting on communication outcomes

• Reporting involves packaging and presenting KPI data to key stakeholders in a clear, concise and compelling way
• Effective reports align communication outcomes to business priorities and use a mix of quantitative and qualitative insights
• Storytelling techniques (headlines, infographics, case studies) make data more engaging and actionable for audiences
• Reporting cadence should match stakeholder needs and decision-making timelines (weekly, monthly, quarterly)

Refining objectives based on insights

• Insights generated from tracking and reporting KPIs should be used to continually optimize communication programs
• Insights can reveal which messages, channels and tactics are working best to inform future plans
• Underperforming KPIs can highlight where objectives were overly ambitious or undefined and need to be refined
• Objectives should be periodically pressure-tested to ensure they are still aligned with evolving business goals and audience needs