10 tips for keeping corporate communications projects on track

I’ve just finished project managing one of my career’s biggest corporate communications challenges. A client asked me to replace 250,000 words on its database with ultra-cool, engaging copy ranging from one-liners to 150-word descriptions.

It was a massive task to update and make all the descriptions consistent – too big for one writer. So, I leveraged the power of my network to pull together a pool of writing talent under my editorial control. Together, we produced all the copy with ultimate client approval.

How to prevent a corporate communications project from derailing

Given its size and scope, the project could have easily derailed, but following these steps kept it on track.

1. Outline the project parameters. Write guidelines detailing the corporate communications project’s context, aims and strategy. Ask the client to approve them before work begins.
2. Keep the client informed. Continual engagement is essential. Create a weekly update detailing each step of the project, from agreeing on the guidelines to keeping tabs on writers’ progress and invoices.
3. Choose your writers carefully. If you admire a writer’s style and have worked with them, bring them on board. If you need more writers, put out feelers. I visited professional groups on LinkedIn or used my contacts in bodies such as the Institute of Internal Communication or the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.
4. Brief your writers on what to expect. A big project means writers will have to self-regulate their writing. So, make sure their style is right from the outset. Ask each writer, whether you know their work or not, to complete a test. Also, check if they can use any application the client wants the copy written in, e.g., Word, Excel or a workflow system.
5. Manage the client’s expectations. Don’t promise to deliver too much too soon. However, let the client know when they can expect the content. Track the amount the copywriters are writing and send reminders to them if they’re running late. Deliver copy to the client in manageable batches.
6. Have a backup plan: What will you do if a writer is ill or a computer virus has wiped out all their work? Be prepared to step in and take over their writing. Be honest with the client and tell them what’s gone wrong and what you’re doing to put it right.
7. Check the client likes the drafts. It’s easier to edit hundreds of words per batch than 250,000 words after the fact. So, periodically check with the client that they’re happy with the content. Tell writers where their work needs changing before they go too far.
8. Keep an eye on inconsistencies. As the project manager, you might not be able to write as much as the others. Keep free time to edit what they’ve written and rewrite if necessary. Be on hand as an emergency editorial service if anything goes awry.
9. Build in a thorough read. As project manager, give the copy a final proofread and edit anything that fails to meet the guidelines.
10. Listen to client feedback. Maintain communication with the client throughout the project and listen to their feedback, especially once they begin verifying the copy in-house (a vital part of the writing process). Be flexible in your response and be prepared to change direction accordingly.

I was delighted to win the ICon Awards 2011 as the best freelance/interim for pulling this corporate communications project together. Thank you, team! I would never have been able to do it without your help and support.