Five steps: how to build a media communication plan that works

A media communication plan is a document to support your organisation's earned media planning. Earned media refers to the visibility and media space in all media that the organisation does not own and does not pay for. This media space is earned through the journalistic process and is therefore both credible and desirable.

Ideally, the media communications plan is based on the communications strategy, but goes into particular depth on what topics will be discussed in the coming quarter or year, how they will be discussed, who will speak and how these topics will be used to earn their own space in the desired media.

The media communication plan can be part of a broader communication plan or stand alone. Paid media, such as natives or banner advertising, can also be part of a media communication plan, but for now we will focus on earned media planning.

1. Clear your voice and position

At the beginning of the plan building process, clarify the starting point: for example, did you do any media communication in the previous year? What were the results? What was the tone of the media coverage and did you reach the people you wanted to reach?

Based on this, it is worth starting the plan by identifying your desired position in the industry debate, the main messages you want to highlight in media outlets and the target group(s) you want to reach and address.

2. Set objectives and milestones

What are your media communication objectives? The targets can be numerical, and often you want to cover, for example, the number of media hits in the previous year. You may also want to measure the number of images and infographics or links that have gone through, for example, as well as media circulation and reach.

There are also a number of possible qualitative targets, such as the tone of the stories published, the scale of the stories and the size of your organisation's role in the story. In addition, there may be a desire to reach new audiences and to reach media that have not been reached before.

3. Build a media calendar and dream up ideal headlines

Think through the cycle of the year, both for your organisation and for the rest of the world. What major events do you have planned, and which things recur at the same time each year? Then go through the same thought process at a general level: what is happening in Finland and the world in, say, March-April? Once you have outlined the specific features of each month and the topics of discussion around them, it's time to synthesise the information and think about how you as an organisation can contribute to the current debate. Do media outlets require any other support, such as research, partners or experts outside your organisation?

This is also the time to indulge in some dreaming: if you could create the best possible media headlines for your organisation, what would they be?

4. Define big and timeless themes

In your media communication plan, you should also note down themes that are not time-bound, but that work regardless of the season. They can trigger topics that are on the surface in a different form all the time, or you can start a whole new conversation. You can come back to these ideas when there is nothing else acute on the table or when the media scene is relatively quiet.

At this point, it is also worth going back to the beginning of the media communication plan: what our objectives were, what messages we wanted to get across this year, what media we hoped to reach, whether our spokespeople have been successful in the media and whether our positioning has been as we hoped.

5. Be prepared to be flexible and seize the moment

As well as being planned, you should leave room for the unexpected. Some themes are timeless and can be discussed at almost any time, and some milestones recur every year, but it is impossible to predict the future with any accuracy. When the time comes to react, be bold and adapt your plans, or take on new topics alongside planned actions, and keep an eye on what's going on in the world and what's trending.

Need help building a media communications plan? Ask us for more information!