5 reasons to budget for external strategic communications support

The beginning of a new year brings many things — excitement for the year ahead, recharged batteries from holiday time off, new goals and opportunities, prior year performance evaluations, and new budgets for the year. While securing critical funding for communicators can often be a challenge — it is also an opportunity to prove the value of the resources needed for a successful year.

As you look at your budget for 2023 and beyond, I encourage communicators, marketers and business leaders across industries to consider allocating funds toward strategic communications with an outside firm.

Why? I’m so glad you asked.

1. To take control of your narrative

Communications and marketing professionals know that if they’re not communicating their narrative, someone else will. Like most things, it’s best to be proactive and play offense instead of defense. The right partner will help organizations and brands identify the storylines that will resonate with customers, investors, and current and future employees.

2. To gain an outside perspective

We saw it happen with a certain celebrity Pepsi commercial and countless other times through history. In-house communications or marketing leaders are so intimately knowledgeable about their brand and business. Even the best Pros need a gut check or second opinion every now and then. A strategic communications firm will help to identify new storylines, new activation plans, and programming that really pops amidst a constant stream of media. And they may even help talk you out of that idea that sounds really good in your head, but maybe doesn’t bode as well in execution.

3. To add extra arms and legs to your existing efforts

We’ve all been there. The best laid plans go awry because of too few resources to execute. The right firm can pivot their efforts as your team’s needs change throughout the year.

4. To gain cross-industry expertise

Strategic communications firms are chock full of smart, capable communicators with decades of experience across multiple industries. This perspective can prove to be invaluable when facing business challenges, managing through a crisis, or launching a new product. With the right firm, you’re able to tap into decades of industry experience and expertise that will help extend the output of your team.

5. To weather the worst, and maximize the best

Communicators are strategically trained to prepare for the worst while anticipating the best. We have the foresight for potential issues, a well-worn playbook for crises, and the right idea at-the-ready for your next launch. We are seasoned at applying our expertise to any business and remaining calm amid any potential storm. To say that we’ve seen it all would be an overstatement, but we’ve seen a lot — and we’ll be there to provide strategic counsel when you need it most.

As you look to the year ahead, if you want to break through the clutter, right-size your resources, and begin to drive the narrative you’ve always wanted, consider hiring a strategic communications firm.

#sayitlikeyoumeanit

By: Katie Regan