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<\/a><\/p>\nYou can\u2019t predict every challenge, but you can<\/em> expect moments like this. Small communication gaps snowball quickly \u2014 often because of the wrong response, or no response at all.<\/p>\n The same goes for moments you\u2019re excited about. Maybe you\u2019re launching a new product or rolling out a celebrity-backed campaign. You want your team aligned, your audience engaged, and your message clear.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve worked on campaigns across that spectrum, from controlling damage to building buzz. One lesson has held true: You can\u2019t afford to wait until something happens to figure out how you\u2019ll communicate.<\/p>\n You need a plan.<\/p>\n In this post, I\u2019ll share what goes into a strong communication plan and share templates you can use to build one that actually works.<\/p>\n Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n \n Along with armoring your company against crises and challenges, clear communication delivers better business value. Grammarly\u2019s latest annual State of Business Communication<\/a> report found that effective communication led to significant gains like:<\/p>\n Organized communication happens at both the strategic and tactical levels. You can have plans for long-term organization-wide communication campaigns and for immediate needs like product launches, PR campaigns, or crises.<\/p>\n The important part is to write it down and hold your team accountable to it \u2014 a tough job given how many long-dead plans I find gathering cobwebs in clients\u2019 Google Drive folders.<\/p>\n Yes, but before you do, consider what type and format of communication plan template you use. I find most templates handle the overarching concepts well (i.e., I can track my goals), but they fall apart with nuanced needs (e.g., planning social media posts versus email outreach).<\/p>\n A social media communication plan will look vastly different from a product launch plan. You\u2019re tracking different goals and success criteria and require different channels to reach your audiences. Even formatting differences like landscape versus portrait orientation can crop up.<\/p>\n That said, templates can get your team started \u2014 and I\u2019ll take communication momentum over perfection any day. HubSpot has several templates<\/a> you can put to work immediately that cover a range of communication needs.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re in comms, you cannot escape generative AI tools like ChatGPT. They\u2019re seemingly everywhere, and it sounds like it\u2019s helping some workers do better work. Grammarly\u2019s State of Business Communication report<\/a> found that knowledge workers using AI are markedly less stressed and more productive at work than their non-AI-using peers.<\/p>\n However, Grammarly\u2019s report references two limitations that I believe deeply affect communication plans:<\/p>\n These mismatches breed mistakes. Workers don\u2019t know what data they should include in model prompts, potentially leaking sensitive information<\/a> to a public space. Or leaders might remove human oversight<\/a> from AI use too soon, leading to automated communication errors that hold up in a court of law<\/a> \u2014 and cost you millions.<\/p>\n I see many organizations either rush adoption or back away because they\u2019re afraid. Boundless enthusiasm can get you in hot water with comms, but like it or not, AI will probably become part of your comms ecosystem.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why I suggest building an \u201cAI in the workplace<\/a>\u201d policy now to govern tool use, especially if your comms team interacts with confidential or sensitive information. AI training is still nascent but growing as vendors like OpenAI<\/a> grow their enterprise offers. Explore options that suit your team\u2019s tech level and use cases. You don\u2019t want to overwhelm them with features; instead, empower them to use AI responsibly.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n \n Now that we\u2019ve covered how a communication plan can help you, let\u2019s learn how to write an effective one.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re building your first comms plan for a specific need (e.g., product launches, social media campaigns, internal alignment), a template can guide your conversations with other stakeholders and build up something solid to get you going.<\/p>\n For solid templates for various business comms needs, check out these business templates by HubSpot<\/a>. You can find comms plans and other templates for items like action plans, annual reports, business proposals, and other business cases. I\u2019ll also walk through several communication plan templates later in this article \u2014 take any of those to begin this process.<\/p>\n Before you build a new plan, take stock of what you have already. A communication audit lets you see what\u2019s working, missing, and broken.<\/p>\n You can run audits however you want, but I believe any audit should at least include:<\/p>\n Consider a communication plan for a product launch. If your current content covers general industry trends but lacks specifics on your product\u2019s features and value, that\u2019s a gap. And that insight will guide your plan\u2019s priorities.<\/p>\n One tip: Keep your goal (in this case, a product launch) at the core as you audit. You don\u2019t need to solve every gap your audit finds, just the ones relevant to getting your product to market.<\/p>\n You can use lots of criteria to conduct your audit. If you\u2019re struggling to know where to start, consider the \u201cfive Ms<\/a>\u201d format, as you\u2019ll weigh materials against several key business criteria. This framework should deliver an audit with valuable and actionable results.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Your audit will find strengths, weaknesses, and gaps. You\u2019ll want to set measurable goals to address those points using data from your audit results. What do you want to achieve with this plan?<\/p>\n When in doubt, make your goals SMART<\/a>: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-based. A recent HubSpot poll<\/a> revealed that over 52% of participants believe the SMART framework helps them achieve their goals more often than not.<\/p>\n SMART goals let teams plan communication strategies with delineated expected outcomes. I used them liberally when I was building my content team at a PR agency. I grounded the initiative in a SMART goal: to grow long-form content production 10x through a scalable team and workflow within 12 months. My goal was both a productivity benchmark and a foundation for an internal comms plan.<\/p>\n I used my goal to manage communication with stakeholders like:<\/p>\n The SMART framework\u2019s clarity helps turn a complex, cross-functional initiative into a structured plan where we could hold each other accountable and measure progress.<\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/strong>\u00a0Need a little help building your first SMART goal? Check out our free SMART goal template<\/a>.<\/p>\n Who should hear your message? I\u2019ve seen comms strategies flop hard because teams chose \u201ceverybody\u201d as a target audience. It hurts to cut groups (and potential brand impressions) from consideration, but your comms plan needs to land with the right<\/em> audience for maximum effect.<\/p>\n That audience can be internal or external, depending on your plan. For instance, my team-building comms plan included executive leadership as the primary audience because:<\/p>\n But plans can have secondary audiences, too. My team members and other organizational managers and leaders had a stake in the outcome. Just be thoughtful about how many target audiences sneak into your plan, as each new audience subtly shifts your communication outputs.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re using a pre-built communication plan template<\/a>, you\u2019ll see exactly how to outline and write your plan\u2019s details and tactics. If not, here\u2019s a typical structure:<\/p>\n As an example, I\u2019ll use an unfortunately all too common crisis: an IT company suffers a data breach. You have an immediate need to communicate that the breach occurred, what it affected, and how you\u2019re remedying the situation. What might this plan look like?<\/p>\n Your plan would get more specific on each point, but this outline shapes what you\u2019d write in your full document. Involve your key stakeholders and their representatives throughout this process to keep everyone apprised and to get faster approval.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll also note that knowing your audience matters so much at this stage and can derail even highly detailed plans if skipped. For instance, I\u2019ve reviewed many media outreach plans for events like a product launch or funding round announcement. These plans require an external audience (reporters) you can\u2019t control.<\/p>\n In this situation, take more time to understand who reporters are, what they need for a good story, and how they might respond to your communication. I\u2019ve seen CEOs flail or say, \u201cNo comment,\u201d when a reporter asks who\u2019s funding their latest VC round. A good comms plan not only outlines tactics but also anticipates the target audience\u2019s needs and M.O.<\/p>\n Your message is only effective if you reach the right people at the right place and time. That\u2019s why channel selection is worth extra consideration.<\/p>\n Your channels should align with both your plan\u2019s audience and goal. What might that look like?<\/p>\n For internal audiences, turn to tools your teams already use, like Slack, Microsoft Teams, email, or all-hands meetings. If you have sensitive or high-impact news, like a data breach or imminent layoffs, pair written communications with live conversations to better manage your people\u2019s responses (because they will<\/em> have responses with or without you).<\/p>\n I find external audiences vary, especially as digital marketing has proliferated. Common channels include:<\/p>\n Whatever channel you choose, be consistent. People build trust through repeated interactions. If they know to expect your product launch announcements on Instagram, they\u2019ll follow and engage more regularly.<\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/strong>\u00a0Critical messages like a major change or crisis usually require a multi-channel approach. Repeat your primary message across platforms to reinforce key points. And monitor closely, as channels like social media (with ever-larger AI presences)<\/a> can spiral out of control quickly.<\/p>\n With your plan in hand, you need to choose who will deliver the message. This person is your DRI, or directly responsible individual.<\/p>\n The DRI clearly communicates the message on time and through the right channels. Without one, even the best-laid plans will stall.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s say you\u2019re handling a layoff announcement, an especially tough and emotional comms scenario. The CEO is usually the right DRI. They need to communicate the message promptly and humbly to a nervous internal audience.<\/p>\n Tone, timing, and delivery matter. Get it wrong, and the damage can ripple across morale, media coverage, and long-term brand trust. For instance, one tech company in 2024 laid off its entire staff during a \u201ctwo-minute Google Meet<\/a>,\u201d and the backlash hit TechCrunch\u2019s front page within hours.<\/p>\n In this exact situation, you\u2019re probably leaving the company instead of choosing a DRI. But in less severe cases, make sure your DRI understands the why<\/em> behind your plan, feels supported, and is ready to deliver hard news with care.<\/p>\n A communication plan without a timeline is just a wish. Deadlines keep you on track and aligned with your stakeholders.<\/p>\n Your SMART goal should\u2019ve set an overarching timeline (e.g., 12 months to 10x content production). You\u2019ll also want to map out a realistic timeline for major milestones, including:<\/p>\n For example, if your message needs to move from leadership to employees, plan for the time needed to review, handle feedback, and gain approvals from legal and HR.<\/p>\n Or if you\u2019re handling media outreach, think fast. Modern media cycles demand fast responses to stay ahead of the narrative. I see teams miss their moment when a reporter has a 24-hour turnaround for the story and the company\u2019s DRI disappears.<\/p>\n Build buffer time into every step. Hofstadter\u2019s Law<\/a> holds especially true in communication plans: Even when you account for delays, things still take longer than expected. Give your team breathing room to keep things moving smoothly under pressure.<\/p>\n Whether it\u2019s big or small, every communication plan deserves a postmortem. Measurement and analysis help refine your approach and improve future outcomes.<\/p>\n After executing your plan, ask:<\/p>\n For example, my content team\u2019s communication plan significantly exceeded its SMART goal, but not without challenges. Working with a new team meant learning how to communicate effectively with executive leadership. I encountered gaps in consistent reporting that made it harder for stakeholders to stay aligned. With experience and time, we built stronger reporting systems that communicated our impact and growth.<\/p>\n Approach every communication plan as a chance to learn. Review the data, gather feedback, and make thoughtful decisions to strengthen your next plan.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Communication plans can get complicated, but a solid one will serve your team long after you write it.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve included seven plan templates below to help you respond to different comms needs and audiences so you can build strategies that actually work.<\/p>\n Slideteam<\/a> built this template for internal communication teams needing to keep stakeholders aligned through regular updates. It gives a clear, high-level snapshot of tasks, timelines, and responsibilities. That makes it easy for leadership and teams to stay on the same page.<\/p>\n Core elements include:<\/p>\n And you get it all in a layout that\u2019s simple to follow and easy to customize.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Since it\u2019s formatted in PowerPoint (a marketing professor\u2019s favorite lecture tool), it\u2019s easy to tweak. You can switch colors, layout, and text to fit your brand or structure without a total rebuild.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve helped put products in-market, so I know a good GTM communication plan takes precision. This go-to-market SOP communication plan from HubSpot<\/a> makes that happen. From stakeholder agreement to brand messaging, pre-launch tactics, and press outreach, this framework keeps vital information from slipping through the cracks.<\/p>\n It\u2019s designed to guide teams through every phase of a launch, clearly outlining responsibilities, messaging timelines, and execution steps. Plus, it\u2019s flexible enough to reuse for your next product launch with minimal tweaks.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n This template strikes a healthy balance between structure and flexibility. You can tailor the SOP to your launch specifics while leaning on a reliable framework that spells out who does what and when.<\/p>\n This text-based template from Bright Hub<\/a> covers how communication should happen within your organization, especially when dealing with crises or major strategic shifts. You get everything from setting communication goals and analyzing stakeholders to tracking costs and identifying risks.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a marketer or project manager without a formal comms team, use this template. It\u2019s divided into twelve well-organized sections, including external environment, context, and stakeholder analysis, making it a solid pick for small- to mid-sized teams.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Bright Hub is a project management firm; you can see its expertise reflected in this template\u2019s logical, strategic structure. It covers not only what to communicate but also why and how, with thoughtful prompts for evaluation, budgeting, and audience-specific messaging.<\/p>\n Simplicable<\/a> used this template for a billing system upgrade project. It offers a clear and structured communication plan, laying out the essentials:<\/p>\n I see this template\u2019s value in managing cross-functional projects where you have multiple departments or stakeholders involved. The columns for audience, goals, schedule, and communication format make it easy to track how teams share project updates.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n The template includes a dedicated section for communication channels, so you can plan whether something\u2019s best shared in a meeting, email, or formal report. You also get a clear DRI for each communication step, limiting dropped handoffs.<\/p>\n This detailed marketing communication plan template from Smartsheet<\/a> can support multi-channel strategies across multiple audiences like customers, prospects, internal teams, and media partners. If you\u2019re launching a new product or rolling out a huge campaign, this template can keep you organized.<\/p>\n The layout helps you segment audiences and define messaging, timing, and channels for each group. Whether you\u2019re using internal messaging platforms for team updates or social media and email newsletters for customer outreach, this template helps close the tactical gaps across your marketing mix.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Each objective includes a defined timeframe, which helps coordinate campaign timing and keeps comms streamlined. You can also document any marketing automation tools<\/a> you plan to use, which is nice if you\u2019re juggling multiple systems.<\/p>\n Smartsheet<\/a> comes through again with a strong three-page corporate communication plan template, offering a roadmap for internal and external communication strategy. You get nine key sections, from the executive summary and mission statement to audience segmentation and budgeting.<\/p>\n It also includes frameworks like SWOT and PESTLE analysis<\/a> to contextualize your comms within your market or organizational dynamics. Whether you\u2019re aligning internal teams or preparing external outreach, this template delivers strategic depth to your planning process.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n The included milestone chart helps you outline tasks, assign owners, and set due dates to move everything forward. Combined with defined tools, tactics, and messaging elements, this highly detailed planning template is a steal<\/em>.<\/p>\n This Excel-based checklist from Prezly<\/a> offers an actionable guide to crisis communication, outlining what to do before, during, and after an emergency. It can help organizations deliver fast and consistent responses to unexpected situations, covering everything from regulatory compliance to media outreach.<\/p>\n The template includes dedicated tabs for each crisis phase (pre-crisis, live crisis, and post-crisis), with checklists for messaging, DRI assignment, and distribution methods like press releases, email, and social media.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n I like the tab specifically for tracking social media comments (a powder keg for many modern comms crises<\/a>). You can give leadership visibility into audience sentiment and show your responses in real time. It\u2019s an accessible format that can easily slot into any crisis playbook.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n By now, you\u2019ve developed a good understanding of a communication plan and have tried out a template or two. But what elevates a good plan into a great plan?<\/p>\n Here are a few tips to refine your plan for the best results.<\/p>\n I often see comms leaders stop their target audience development one level too soon. For instance, they\u2019ll write \u201ccustomers\u201d as the primary audience \u2014 but who<\/em> is a customer? Does that mean your most loyal buyers? Your newest customers (or even hottest leads)?<\/p>\n It\u2019s an age of personalized communication: BCG research shows that about 80% of consumers globally expect personalization<\/a>, but two-thirds reported they had at least one inaccurate or invasive personalized experience with a brand. You need to know your specific audience, or they may remember you for the wrong reasons.<\/p>\n If you think you\u2019ve reached your ideal target audience, I challenge you to push one level lower. What insights do you find? And how does that inform your comms plan?<\/p>\n Don\u2019t stop at one DRI, especially if your plan calls for escalation paths. Your plan should define what happens at each step and who handles that step<\/em>.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve been in the middle of plans where we forgot to define an owner for reporting information to clients, and that led to project delays, escalation to leadership, and unhappy reviews. Make sure your plan shows clear ownership and a chain of command.<\/p>\n Scope creep<\/a> isn\u2019t just for contracts and statements of work. As more stakeholders get involved in building your comms plan, you may need to fend off extra ideas, directions, and desired outcomes.<\/p>\n A communication plan thrives when it\u2019s focused \u2014 the fewer words, the better. Say what you need to say and do it with clarity and precision.<\/p>\n Generative AI can make plan construction and execution much easier. That\u2019s true with prompt-focused LLM interfaces like ChatGPT and with AI agents<\/a> that can autonomously produce communication content.<\/p>\n\n
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Can you use a communication plan template?<\/h3>\n
What about AI in communications?<\/h3>\n
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1. Use pre-built communication plan templates.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. Audit your current communication materials.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\n3. Set SMART goals for your communication plan based on your audit.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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4 . Pick your plan\u2019s target audience.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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5. Outline and write your plan, remembering your audience.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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6. Choose your communication channels.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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7. Assign a DRI (Directly Responsible Individual).<\/strong><\/h3>\n
8. Estimate a timeline for each step.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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9. Measure your communication plan\u2019s results and adjust as needed.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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7 Ready-to-Use Communication Plan Templates<\/h2>\n
1. Internal Communication Plan Template<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nWhat I Like<\/h4>\n
2. Go-to-Market SOP Communication Plan Template<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nWhat I Like<\/h4>\n
3. Strategic Communication Plan Template<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nWhat I Like<\/h4>\n
4. Project Communication Plan Template<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nWhat I Like<\/h4>\n
5. Marketing Communication Plan Template<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nWhat I Like<\/h4>\n
6. Corporate Communication Plan Template<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nWhat I Like<\/h4>\n
7. Crisis Communication Plan Template<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nWhat I Like<\/h4>\n
Tips for Stronger Communication Plans<\/h2>\n
Break down your audiences.<\/h3>\n
Clarify ownership and escalation paths.<\/h3>\n
Keep your plan simple and focused.<\/h3>\n
Use AI (but don\u2019t over-rely on it).<\/h3>\n
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