Add Another Audit to the Mix
Organizations rightfully focus on in-depth financial record-keeping and analysis. For example, creating monthly P&L and Balance Sheet reports, then completing annual internal and external audits of financial statements, processes, and procedures. When was the last time you finished a similar approach for your communications?
How many messages did you send last year? How many mailings, emails, newsletters, and magazines? What about invoices and billing statements? Was it all cohesive? Was it in line with your brand standards? Do you even have brand standards?
I received a solicitation email for advertising and sponsorships from an organization that will remain nameless. The email was well-written, concise, and straightforward. The attachment contained the opportunities. I went to the organization's website to learn more and realized they still needed to update the site with 2023 information; they got 75% of the job done.
While you may think this would never happen at your organization when was the last time you looked at every page on your website? When did you review your letter templates, email signatures, invoice templates, and automated messages?
Do you know what your organization is sending out? If you looked at every email, every mailing, and every invoice, you would find something that needs to be updated. It's an ongoing process, but it will save time in the long run.
Here's a quick list of things to look at:
Your website
Email templates and signatures
Invoices and billing templates (make sure they are correct)
Mailing envelopes (what does your logo look like?)
Postage labels or return address labels
Brochures
Customer Letters
It needs to be updated regularly if you send it out in the world. There is no such thing as too much work to keep your brand clean and professional. And remember that even if this seems like a lot of work, it's worth it. Your customers will appreciate knowing they're dealing with a company that takes pride in its appearance!
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About the Author
McCurry has over 20 years of marketing and communications experience and has served in executive roles at leading trade associations for over a decade as CEO and Chief Development Officer. Greg is a creative visionary leader whose strengths include outstanding communication skills, an imperative to include and promote the work of others, and never stops working to achieve company and client objectives. Greg has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and Marketing from Minnesota State University, Mankato.