If you want to make sure your team has everything they need to smoothly navigate communication in different circumstances, you\u2019re going to need a good communication plan template.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, you\u2019ll also need to know how to use it \u2014 which is exactly what this article will teach you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Quick access to communication plan templates:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u23ec Internal communication plan template<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u23ec Marketing communication plan example<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u23ec Product launch communication plan sample<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u23ec Crisis communication plan example<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u23ec Project communication plan template<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n A communication plan is a <\/strong>document outlining the way we convey information to a specific target audience.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It defines the main elements of the communication process<\/a>, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Essentially, a good communication plan tries to predict <\/strong>and account for <\/strong>as many variables as possible<\/strong> to stay one step ahead of any setbacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A communication plan is not a general idea<\/strong> of how to communicate internally or externally or a high-level perspective similar to a communication strategy<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rather, it\u2019s an action plan that helps you improve communication<\/a> by defining how<\/strong>, when<\/strong>, and why<\/strong> you and your team will need to communicate to solve a problem or complete a task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are 3 major benefits to using an effective communication plan:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having said that, let\u2019s take a moment to talk about what should go in your communication plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n Need to communicate something internally? Start by getting a reliable team communication app like Pumble.<\/p>\n\n Communication plans can come in the form of presentations, memos, digital documents, mood boards, or anything in between.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The format you pick will depend on a variety of factors \u2014 your organization\u2019s usual communication style<\/a> and level of formality, the composition of your target audience, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, a communication plan that\u2019s made to target your team of developers will be different than one intended for third parties<\/a> like clients or customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet, even though the format can vary, the basic components of your communication plan should be more or less the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your action plan should include the:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, take a moment to consider whether you need to omit anything. Avoid adding any unnecessary details in your communications plan, as it will only contribute to information overload<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having said that, let\u2019s talk about how you might go about writing a communication plan \u2014 with or without a template.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chat with your team on Pumble<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that you know what to put in a communication plan, all you have to do is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Going forward, we\u2019re going to break down these steps and talk about what they might look like for Joan, a manager tasked with organizing a team building event for her organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, you need to explain as precisely as possible what the main intent<\/strong> behind your communication plan is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Getting a clear answer to these questions is one of the prerequisites to a successful communication plan. It will serve as a guide for all of the following phases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having said that, let\u2019s see a communication plan example that starts with this step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example<\/strong>: Joan is organizing a team building event with 2 of her team members, Milo and Nicole. The purpose of her communication plan is clear: she wants as many employees as possible to attend the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To achieve that result, she needs to take stock of the resources at her disposal \u2014 namely, her team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She writes a list of pros and cons for Nicole and Milo:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Joan\u2019s internal communication plan will have to take advantage of her team members\u2019 strengths while also taking into account their individual weaknesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n Planning a team building event? Organize it through Pumble.<\/p>\n\n Once you know what you\u2019re hoping to achieve, it\u2019s time to create an action plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To do that, you\u2019ll need to define the roles and responsibilities of your team members while keeping in mind their strengths and weaknesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Throughout this process, you should try to predict as many variables as possible by consulting different stakeholders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And, above all, be sure to keep everyone updated on any changes<\/strong> to the plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example<\/strong>: Joan created an action plan that took into consideration her team members\u2019 strengths and weaknesses. She\u2019d keep a high-level view of the situation and make big decisions, while:<\/p>\n\n\n\n During this stage of planning, Joan realized that their team building event could only be held on a Saturday. This would become one of the biggest communication hurdles they\u2019d need to overcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Troubleshoot with your team on Pumble<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, you need to establish who your target audience is, or who you\u2019re communicating with<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That will help you adjust:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to get a better read on your audience and fine tune your approach, you might have to do some market research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Knowing your audience will also help you anticipate their responses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example<\/strong>: In our team building example, Joan\u2019s audience consists of her company\u2019s employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having learned that the event her team is planning can only be held on a Saturday, Joan is now aware that her communication plan will likely be met with resistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Though her goal is to have as many employees attend, she also knows that most people won\u2019t be too keen to spend their weekend with their coworkers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s another thing her communication plan will have to account for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n Learn what your employees really want with Pumble polls.<\/p>\n\n Once you know your main communication objectives and your audience, it\u2019s time to strategize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll need to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal of this step is to create separate phases within your communication plan to make it easier for everyone to wrap their heads around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If necessary, you could even have one general communication plan and multiple sub-plans for different communication stages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example<\/strong>: Knowing that her audience might react negatively to the chosen day of the team building event, Joan has decided to build up anticipation before making an official announcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her communication plan now includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The teasers are meant to put people in a good mood and remind them how they felt about previous events, without revealing that this one will take place on a Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Joan will also need to consider which channels would be the most effective ones for communicating<\/a> during each stage of the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ditch email \u2014 try Pumble for free<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019ve got your strategy all figured out, fine tuning your key messages should be pretty easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just ask yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n These questions will help you create the first draft of your message. Remember to keep it short and simple to avoid miscommunication<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also run it by a few trustworthy people for feedback before sending it to your main audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example<\/strong>: While Milo deals with the event organizing side of things, Joan and Nicole workshop the messages they want to attach to the different stages of their communication plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the teasers, they decide to keep it short and mysterious to create hype.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But then, the time comes to reveal all on the main channel of the company\u2019s digital HQ<\/a> \u2014 the team communication app, Pumble by CAKE.com.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Choosing this channel to deliver their main announcement helps them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s what their message might look like in Pumble<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n Post company announcements on Pumble<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n At the end of the process or during long campaigns, it\u2019s good to stop and assess what went right and what went wrong \u2014 to make sure you\u2019re on the right track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Evaluating your work objectively will help you do even better on your next campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example<\/strong>: Joan\u2019s announcement was received better than she might have hoped for. Some people still refused to attend, but many others were excited enough to sacrifice their Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, Joan found that her team\u2019s processes could be improved by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n But, if you\u2019d like to implement Joan\u2019s takeaways right away, you can do so by making the most of your team communication tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n Use Pumble meeting links to schedule a meeting and talk about the results of your communication campaign.<\/p>\n\n Now that you know what goes into creating a solid communication plan, let\u2019s talk about some of the Pumble features that can help you execute it, namely:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s how these might come in handy as you\u2019re executing your communications plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you create and execute your communication plan, chances are, you\u2019ll find yourself having to lead a lot of meetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Luckily, Pumble has extensive voice and video conferencing features<\/a>, allowing you to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, if you come to realize that you spend more time in sync meetings than necessary, you can move some of those check-ins to thread messages<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Create a channel for the project you\u2019re working on and send a message every day asking people to say what they\u2019re working on in the threads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to saving precious time, this also creates a written record of your team\u2019s activities.<\/p>\n\n\n Organize your messages with Pumble<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n While frequent checkins can be done through text, weekly sync meetings can be replaced with voice messages<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is especially useful if you\u2019re managing a remote team<\/a> that works across different time zones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Voice messages let the sender transmit the tone of their message as well as the message itself, while still allowing the receivers to listen to the messages on their own schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n Send voice notes through Pumble<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Some meetings can be replaced with threads and voice messages, but what happens when you need to show your team something on your screen?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, if you want that to happen asynchronously<\/a>, you can have your team send video messages<\/a> instead of getting on a call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With Pumble video messages, you can share your screen<\/a> and still have your face visible while you explain what\u2019s on the screen. Whether you\u2019re demonstrating how something is done or walking someone through a decision you\u2019ve made, this will make the message feel less like a formal presentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Either way, the recipient of your message will be able to see it and refer back to it whenever they want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And, you can even incorporate this feature into your communication plan.<\/p>\n\n\n Record a video message on Pumble<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether you\u2019re dealing with product launch communication or event planning, it would be good to group all communication surrounding the topic in a single Pumble channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pumble lets you make as many private or public channels<\/a> as you need \u2014 even on the free plan<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you have made your project channel, you\u2019ll be able to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Organize your Pumble workspace<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83c\udf93 PUMBLE PRO TIP<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Want to know what else voice and video messages are good for? Check out this guide:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you\u2019re in the middle of a big project or trying to solve a crisis, communication may be the last thing you want to think about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And yet, regularly checking in with the rest of your team is always instrumental to success, no matter the circumstances you\u2019re dealing with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Luckily, Pumble\u2019s message scheduling<\/a> feature lets you write messages when you have time and schedule their delivery with your recipient\u2019s working hours in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once again, this can be especially helpful for managing team members across time zones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, you can also use Pumble\u2019s message scheduling to set up recurring messages, as shown below.<\/p>\n\n\n Pumble isn\u2019t the only CAKE.com<\/a> product that can help you get a better handle on your remote team. Its sister apps, the time tracker, Clockify<\/a>, and the project management platform, Plaky<\/a>, can become just as integral to your team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both apps integrate with Pumble, allowing you to receive notifications about your team members\u2019 activities in real time. On top of that, you\u2019ll be able to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n Improve collaboration and cut down on emails by moving your team communication to Pumble.<\/p>\n\n Different situations require a different approach to communication planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With that in mind, we\u2019ve come up with 5 communication plan templates, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n After choosing a suitable communication plan template from the ones below, make a copy of the document and customize it to your liking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An internal communication plan<\/a> is meant to influence the opinions and behaviors of a company\u2019s internal stakeholders \u2014 its employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Though internal communication planning can look many different ways, the template we\u2019ve prepared can be used to create a general guideline for your organization\u2019s approach to different communication situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From there, you can create separate communication plans to further fine tune your approach for different situations and even come up with specific internal message templates<\/a> you want to use.<\/p>\n\n\n \u23ec Download our Internal communication guideline plan template<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Communicate and collaborate on Pumble<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n A marketing communication plan involves a detailed plan for communicating to your target market as well as your sales prospects, media partners, and other external stakeholders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our marketing communication plan template lets you specify the <\/strong>goals of your campaign <\/strong>as well as the specific deliverables, timeframes, and channels you\u2019ll use<\/strong> to conduct your campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n \u23ec Download our Marketing communication plan template<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
What is a communication plan?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Execute your communication plan with Pumble by CAKE.com<\/h2>\n
![\"Illustration\"](\"https:\/\/pumble.com\/learn\/wp-content\/themes\/cake-learn\/src\/images\/pumble\/banners\/landing-1@2x.png)
\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n\n\n\nCreating a communication plan: The basics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How to write a communication plan in 6 steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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#1 Identify your goal<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Collaborate effortlessly with Pumble by CAKE.com<\/h2>\n
![\"Illustration\"](\"https:\/\/pumble.com\/learn\/wp-content\/themes\/cake-learn\/src\/images\/pumble\/banners\/landing-2@2x.png)
\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n#2 Create an action plan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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#3 Identify your audience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Doing some internal market research? Do it with Pumble.<\/h2>\n
![\"Illustration\"](\"https:\/\/pumble.com\/learn\/wp-content\/themes\/cake-learn\/src\/images\/pumble\/banners\/features@2x.png)
\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n#4 Create a strategy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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#5 Fine tune your message<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Joan](\"https:\/\/pumble.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Joan-announces-the-upcoming-team-building-event-on-Pumble-a-team-communication-app.webp\")
#6 Evaluate the plan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Follow up with your team on Pumble<\/h2>\n
![\"Illustration\"](\"https:\/\/pumble.com\/learn\/wp-content\/themes\/cake-learn\/src\/images\/pumble\/banners\/templates@2x.png)
\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n\n\n\nHow to put your communication plan into practice with Pumble<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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#1 Hold daily standups in message threads<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"A](\"https:\/\/pumble.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/A-daily-standup-channel-with-thread-messages-in-Pumble-a-business-messaging-app.webp\")
#2 Have a weekly sync with voice messages<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Voice](\"https:\/\/pumble.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Voice-messages-make-it-easier-to-convey-the-tone-of-your-message-through-Pumble-a-team-communication-app.webp\")
#3 Use video messages for async project updates <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Recording](\"https:\/\/pumble.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Recording-a-video-message-with-a-shared-screen-on-Pumble-a-business-messaging-app.webp\")
#4 Use project channels as the single source of truth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"A](\"https:\/\/pumble.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/A-pinned-message-in-a-project-channel-on-Pumble-a-team-communication-app.webp\")
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#5 Practice time-zone management with scheduled messages<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Recurring](\"https:\/\/pumble.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Recurring-message-scheduling-on-Pumble-a-business-messaging-app.webp\")
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Try the CAKE.com Suite<\/h2>\n
![\"Illustration\"](\"https:\/\/pumble.com\/learn\/wp-content\/themes\/cake-learn\/src\/images\/pumble\/banners\/bundle@2x.png)
\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n5 Communication plan examples and templates<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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#1 Internal communication plan template<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Internal](\"https:\/\/pumble.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Internal-communication-guideline-plan-template.webp\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n#2 Marketing communication plan example<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Marketing](\"https:\/\/pumble.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Marketing-communication-plan-template.webp\")
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![\"Product](\"https:\/\/pumble.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Product-launch-communication-plan-template.webp\")
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