How to Connect your Business to the World? Elevating your Communication

What is Business Communication?

Every company engages in business communication, whether they realize it or not. It doesn’t matter if you’re brand is a small third-party logistics company handling another business’s shipping services or a large marketing firm, your brand definitely makes use of business communication. In a nutshell, business communication occurs any time a representative of a business relays information to another representative of that business, a representative of another business, potential consumers, or any other party on behalf of the business. 

There are a few significant benefits to effective business communication strategies. The first is the loyalty it will inspire in both your customers and your employees. In recent years, customers have begun to engage in a practice known as responsible consumerism. Under this shopping philosophy, consumers go out of their way to support businesses that show an active interest in the same social movements that they do. For instance, environmentally conscious consumers will deal with more inconveniences and pay more money for a product that is sustainably sourced and manufactured. So by communicating to your customers that you both share the same values, you’ll generate more customer loyalty. But the same sort of communication can also spur loyalty in your workers. Employees that feel that their company shares the same values they do have reported feeling happier with their job and less desire to find new employment. In this way, effective business communication can help your company attract top-level talent. 

The second major benefit of a solid business communication strategy is improved brand awareness. Brands that spend more time communicating with their target audiences generally have more brand awareness than their quieter counterparts. Brand awareness is a measurement of the degree to which consumers in your target audience recognize your brand’s messaging, products, name, and/or logo. The more recognizable your brand is, the easier it will be to generate sales and revenue. 

Different Types of Business Communication

There are four types of business communication, and chances are that your company already engages in all of them. There are two parent categories of external and internal communication with the latter category being split into three subcategories. The subcategories are distinguished by who the two parties involved in the communication are. 

● Internal Upward Communication

Internal upward communication is an internal form of communication where a lower-level employee relays information to their manager or team leader. Anytime communication is traveling up the chain of command in a company, it can be considered internal upward communication. Common examples of internal upward communication are project progress reports and PTO requests. 

● Internal Downward Communication

Internal downward communication travels in the opposite direction of internal upward communication but still occurs within the organization. Common examples of internal downward communication are employee performance reviews, project feedback, and new employee onboarding. 

● Internal Lateral Communication

Internal lateral communication is any communication that happens within an organization between two or more peers of the same level. Lateral communication that occurs between two disparate departments within a company is still considered internal lateral communication, even if it occurs in a virtual office. Common examples of internal lateral communication are emails between peers, collaboration on a project, and even conversations at the vending machine. 

● External Communication

External communication is perhaps the most common form of business communication because there is such a large audience for businesses to communicate with. External communication occurs any time a business relays information to any parties that are not associated with the organization. These could be third-party partners, potential consumers, or potential employees. Common examples of external communication are marketing campaigns, paid advertisements, and social media posts. 

Tips for Internal Communication

● Professional Corporate Training

One of the most effective ways to improve your brand’s business communications is to invest in professional corporate training from a training consultancy. Though this is one of the more expensive methods of improving your business communications, it is also one of the most simple. With professional corporate training, a consultant will advise your team on how to best develop the skills of your employees. 

Here are a few of the common areas of expertise these corporate training consultancies have: 

○ Leadership development

○ LMS selection and implementation

○ Diversity and inclusion

○ Learning experience design

● Create a Company Newsletter

Creating a company newsletter will spur engagement among your employees and give them something to look forward to regularly. Even just a weekly email recognizing your workers’ progress and important days such as birthdays can bring the company closer together on a personal level. A company newsletter imparts a sense of being connected with the business, especially if any of your employees are working remotely. Newsletters also help a company build a strong corporate culture which improves worker loyalty. 

Tips for External Communication

● Have a Unique Voice

With so many companies fighting for the attention of consumers, it is incredibly important to find a way of separating yourself from the competition. A unique brand voice and marketing strategy does exactly that. Your brand’s voice can be light-hearted and quirky, or professional and serious, but what’s most important is that it is consistent. Brands that consistently engage with their target audience using a unique voice will usually have more brand awareness and have an easier time making sales. 

● Content Marketing

Content marketing is a powerful form of external communication because it allows you to deliver messages to your target audience while generating organic traffic for your brand’s website. The most common form of content marketing is blogging. Blogs generate buzz around a product or business-relevant topic and bring readers to the website as well. These targeted users are generally easier to convert into paying customers. 

About Nick Rojas

Nick Rojas is a business consultant and journalist who lives in Chicago and his hometown Los Angeles with his wife. His work often discusses social media, marketing, and branding in regards to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).