Writing Guide
Our aim is to help you write clearly, consistently – and creatively – in a way that is relevant to your audience (whoever they may be).
| Purpose | Typical audience | Pros | Cons | Can you do it yourself? | Thinking points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enables a single, definitive set of answers to commonly asked questions | All DSM colleagues (especially useful as a support tool for people managers) | Easy to create with a little teamwork | You need to ensure that the FAQs don’t get out-of-date | Yes | How do you handle ‘difficult’ questions? Maybe do some role-play… |
An FAQ document can be an invaluable tool when introducing something new or managing a change. People will inevitably have questions: thinking in advance about what these might be will also help you to shape your proposition and ensure you answer them consistently!
Check out the comparison notes below and weigh the pros versus cons. This will help you decide how to spend your time/ money for the best result.
Things to keep in mind
How will you know ‘what success looks like’? Measuring the response to this channel /tool could give you a better understanding of whether you’ve reached your communication objective. KPIs can be qualitative or quantitative. Here are some ideas:
If this a stand-alone initiative, then go ahead! However, if this is part of a wider initiative, you might want to take a step back and look at the broader communications perspective. A good starting point is our 9-step approach to creating your communication plan - which includes an overview of all the internal channels and tools.
Our aim is to help you write clearly, consistently – and creatively – in a way that is relevant to your audience (whoever they may be).
The perfect ‘digital destination’ when used for providing comprehensive content on a given topic.
Suited to smaller virtual meetings including one-on-ones.