When you are planning your corporate communications, do you consider their over-all impact on the brand? Developing strategic communications can help you tie various different activities together so they are all working in harmony for the benefit of your business. First, let’s look at the three key communication tactics which are all delivered online today: Above the line communications – These are communications broadcast or disseminated to a large group of people, the masses. It is not as targeted and tends to rely upon large scale forms of communication. SEO is an example of this type of communication, keywords, banner advertising or article marketing, for example. Below the line communications – These are communications that have been specifically targeted at a niche group or market. It’s a way of talking directly to a smaller segment of your audience. Examples of these communications could be promotional emails. Through the line communications – These are communications which use a clever combination of both of the above. They are targeted and very specific, attractive to a niche audience, but they are also disseminated to huge numbers of people, for example, Pay Per click campaigns management. By developing a plan which incorporates these three levels of communication you will increase the opportunities to be seen by a wider, more qualified audience. They are tactics which will let you be more specific with your communications and target your customers more effectively. It will also help you get a much better return on your investment, and help you make your marketing budget go much further. When you start to plan your internet marketing activity, speak to your SEO team and discuss the various tactics which will be used. List these tactics and make sure they are covering all the types of communication mentioned above. By doing this, you will have much better results. The people you attract will be more likely to become qualified leads. But more importantly, you will be able to successfully dovetail your communications so they all complement each other and work together in a more effective, strategic way. Unfortunately, internet marketing is not an exact science, and nothing can be guaranteed online. But that’s why it is so important to employ strategic thinking in all the communications you put out. From a simple email sent to one single contact, to a huge pay per click campaign, all these communications can result in more traffic, more visibility, and in the long run, more sales.