A unified, built-in content material plan amongst inside and exterior communications groups is vital to reaching goal audiences.
Lockheed Martin Director of Digital Communications John Yembrick shared his insights Wednesday on the Ragan Communications Strategic Communications Convention at Microsoft Headquarters in Redmond, Wash.
Yembrick mentioned a customer-driven easy message works with all audiences and will help drive engagement.
Why a less complicated message was wanted at Lockheed Martin
Earlier than Yembrick joined the protection firm, he mentioned Lockheed Martin approached messaging with many social media posts which wasn’t resulting in engagement.
“We now have 4 enterprise areas at Lockheed Martin,” Yembrick mentioned. “And every enterprise space has their very own communications crew with completely different priorities.”
Lockheed Martin’s John Yembrick speaks throughout Ragan Communications Strategic Communications Convention. (Photograph used with permission from Erin Patrick).
He informed attendees that the messages despatched from completely different departments wasn’t constant and had been reaching solely a fraction of its meant viewers.
“The federal government procurement course of is complicated,” Yembrick mentioned. “You’re speaking about elected officers in overseas governments, their staffers and traders. It’s only a entire internet of various folks you wish to attain, nevertheless it’s an actual viewers that you could goal.”
And that viewers was a broader one, which takes a distinct sort of message.
“I wished to current our firm as a very good place to do enterprise with and to work for,” he mentioned. “And also you try this by showcasing the nice issues about what our firm does.”
‘Your messaging must be accessible to everybody’
Yembrick informed attendees that there’s worth to sharing comparable messages internally and externally,
“Your messaging must be accessible to everybody,” he mentioned.
For example, he shared a video about what Lockheed Martin goals to do. The identical message was additionally shared in a press launch and all exterior and inside messages.
“We wove the identical message (inside or exterior) on the video so it’s in every single place,” he mentioned. “It’s this concept that you realize the consumer expertise is similar wherever they see it. It’s additionally a message penetration so in case you’re attempting to say one thing, you say it in every single place since you don’t know the place everyone’s going to see it. ”
Don’t be afraid to experiment on social media
Yembrick additionally emphasised the significance of experimentation in social media. Even when the assessments aren’t profitable, you’ll have a greater understanding of your viewers and efficient ways.
He examined two hypotheses in separate, month-long assessments: one which Lockheed Martin’s engagement would go up if the corporate posted much less, and the opposite that utilizing solely images would assist drive outcomes.
“We posted much less after which all the things went up,” Yembrick mentioned. “Our engagement charges went up, our impressions went up, our common shares per publish went up, and posting much less was more practical for us. High quality over amount. We had been very selective as a result of we posted one factor per day.”
He mentioned he borrowed an thought from his time at NASA earlier this 12 months and posted solely photographs with easy captions for a whole month.
“We confirmed our merchandise doing cool issues,” Yembrick mentioned. “Quite simple, however the backside line was that it labored,” he mentioned. “You’re speaking about your functionality, you’re instructing one thing to folks, they’re studying one thing that’s not simply photographs. I used to be actually pleased with the experiment, it carried out rather well.”
And Yembrick informed attendees that Lockheed Martin was in a position to share use this concept to share its work with producers of “High Gun: Maverick” to create a compelling message.
Chris Pugh is a workers author for PR Each day. Observe him on Twitter and LinkedIn. Ship story concepts to ChrisP@Ragan.com.
COMMENT
