Communication is arguably the most important part of any business in today’s world. Internal employees, external stakeholders, customers and the general public all call for a level of communication and transparency that didn’t happen even a decade ago. The age of leaders making decisions and not explaining why or how they came to be doesn’t work with the expectations employees and customers have for the organizations they trust and support.
An internal communications team has a huge job, with most of its time typically devoted to managing internal and external communication channels for employees and customers. A partnership with an external agency is often beneficial for expanding reach and considering the outlets and messages that will resonate with potential customers and employees. When these two teams come together, it is invaluable for the growth of the business.
Why Should You Bring in an External Team?
An internal team is constantly pulled in a million different directions. Communication for any organization is a big task to take on, and an internal team will be working to address all the different pieces. You’re doing a disservice to that team by asking them to continually take on more without additional support. Most businesses can’t survive without an internal team once they reach a certain size, and as they continue to grow, an external team quickly becomes necessary to support that growth.
The best relationships between internal and external communication teams are when the two are an extension of each other and work together to achieve the same goals. When launching a new product or service, it can be difficult to take a step back from the messaging and the day-to-day details to see all the potential audiences. An external team can look at it from a different perspective and offer recommendations on what is going to resonate with those outside the organization, including the media. They can also proactively pitch the media, handle interview requests and preparations, write press releases, craft a social and paid media strategy, write thought leadership and more to allow your internal team to focus on other priorities.
An external team will always rely on an internal team, which will know the customers, employees and messaging best. The value an external team brings is knowing the strategies and outlets to capture the attention of those who aren’t already loyal customers or fans.
How Can You Pick the Right External Team?
An external team should align with your company’s values and culture. Picking that partner is just as important as picking the right employee to work within your organization. While a medtech company may look at choosing a partner that specializes in working with the medtech industry, it’s important to be aware of where all your audiences are. Medtech reporters and niche industry media publications may help get your name out in that specific industry, but is that also where your customers are? Is that what your investors are reading? Analyze your goals, where your opportunities lie, where you are currently known and where your potential audiences are before making a decision.
The Added Bonus
Don’t wait for a crisis to hit before bringing in a team to partner with you. Emotions run high during crisis situations, and it’s hard to not be emotionally invested in your company, culture and people. Navigating those feelings can be difficult when responding to a crisis and can be risky as you make decisions on how to respond. As an internal team focuses on messaging for employees and customers, an external team can assist in handling media requests, crafting messages for other audiences and managing social media. A crisis can be a blip on the radar or can cripple an organization, and you only have one chance to respond. Have a partner already in place who understands your organization’s messaging and priorities without having to learn on the fly.
In crowded and competitive industries, brand awareness and reputation are critical for a company’s success. Internal and external teams, partnering together, give an organization the best opportunity to grow and achieve its goals. In today’s landscape of quiet quitting, cancel culture, social media and fake news, your communications team should be your highest priority.