WHAT DOES A COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST DO?

Published: August 19, 2024 -

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Communications Specialist

1. Communications Specialist Duties

  • Content Production: Be in charge of identifying, producing, translating, and publishing external and internal communication content.  
  • Event Management: Be in charge of events organization and a main contributor to the Group communication projects.  
  • Brand Compliance: Ensure compliance with Group corporate brand strategies and guidelines.  
  • Content Creation: Create communication content, translate, and cascade collaterals coming from HQ.  
  • Local Content Development: Create local content based on business input and distribute it to the right audience.  
  • Brand Strategy: Develop the corporate brand strategy in China to increase visibility.  
  • Representation: Act as a point of contact to represent China during the Altran Group Communication events.  
  • Publication Management: Manage internal and external publications.  
  • Calendar Management: Maintain Altran China Communication Calendar.  
  • Social Media Management: Operate WeChat, Weibo, Zhihu, Youku, and LinkedIn platforms.  
  • Metrics Monitoring: Create and monitor communication metrics (WeChat account followers, publications impact...).  
  • Newsletter Management: Manage newsletter publications and support major company business projects and events.  
  • Marketing Activities: Execute day-to-day communication and marketing activities performed at the country level.

2. Communications Specialist Details

  • Social Media Management: Manage social media content calendar, publishing, and engagement while coordinating with the wider commercial team.  
  • Ad Campaign Execution: Lead the execution of Thenia's social media ad campaigns that will generate sales/leads.  
  • Influencer Collaboration: Work with relevant influencers or complementary brands to grow the company’s social following organically.  
  • Content Creation: Work together with the marketing department and graphic designers to create compelling content for publication or campaigns.  
  • Press Release Management: Write and distribute press releases, customer emails, and other communications.  
  • PR and Agency Management: Manage a network of PR, publisher, and research agencies.  
  • Cross-functional Collaboration: Work directly with sales, customer success, product, and demand marketing teams, in support of organizational objectives.  
  • Corporate Communications: Optimize the corporate communications function, establish social media best practices for departments, and ensure adherence.  
  • Metrics Definition: Define objectives and metrics while ensuring ongoing measurement of success.  
  • Communication Initiative Execution: Drive the execution of the regional and global Communication initiatives and activities of Cloudera across the Asia Pacific (APAC).  
  • Communication Strategy Support: Support in the development and execution of external and internal communications strategies and developments, as well as analyst relations engagements.  
  • Leadership Engagement: Manage or support engagement with the APAC Leadership team and other stakeholders regionally and globally.  
  • Regional Communication Planning: Support the development of regional and global communications plans, reporting to the Head of APAC Communications.

3. Communications Specialist Responsibilities

  • Internal Communication Alignment: Partners with the internal communication team to ensure alignment of strategic messaging priorities for Geisinger.
  • Content Creation: Supports the creation of local internal communications content as it relates to key initiatives.
  • Channel Management: Ensures leverage of internal communication channels for key messaging and campaign updates.
  • Multi-channel Communication: Effectively use all communication channels including email, website, Exchange pages, newsletters, video, social media, and face-to-face meetings.
  • Media Relations Support: Supports media relations team in support of Geisinger’s local and regional goals.
  • Event and Promotional Development: Develop events, activities, and promotional tactics designed to increase visibility in the community and among employees.
  • Acts as the face of Geisinger in the community, including business leaders, physicians, potential patients and families, donors, government officials, the media, and other special interest groups.
  • Community Representation: Acts as the face of Geisinger in the community, including business leaders, physicians, potential patients and families, donors, government officials, the media, and other special interest groups.  
  • Strategic Opportunity Identification: Discovers local opportunities for Geisinger’s strategic alignment.  
  • Sponsorship Coordination: Coordinates local sponsorships, assuring that the Geisinger brand is supported.  
  • Media Placement Management: Manages and leads media placements and alignment.

4. Communications Specialist Accountabilities

  • Agreement Management: Responsible for working on the Public Affairs Consultancy’s Written Agreement Requests (WARs) and Professional Services Agreement (For HCP and Patients Consulting in Public Affairs Projects) with the Central Consulting Group (CCG) on their platform.  
  • Reporting and Compliance: Carry out reports and updates about status, and completed work summaries, to process payments and keep records in compliance and good standing.  
  • Newsletter Support: Support the development and publication of the Affiliate’s internal Newsletter, following the format and guidelines.  
  • Content Creation: Write, gather information on activities, carry out simple interviews when required, and follow up to ensure timely publication.  
  • CSR Coordination: Assist with the coordination and development of the annual corporate social responsibility activities, such as Week of Possibilities.  
  • Event and Meeting Organization: Collaborate in the organization of the Department’s meetings, events, and presentations.  
  • Media Metrics Tracking: Keep track of media coverage metrics of the Department’s disease awareness campaigns, press conferences, and CSR activities.  
  • Sponsorship Management: Organize and keep track of the sponsorship requests received at the Communications office.  
  • Communications Support: Support other Communications and Public Affairs projects.  
  • Brand Standards Monitoring: Monitor Geisinger locations in the assigned regions for adherence to brand standards.  
  • Material Management: Ensure replacement and updates of materials, and support local distribution of system marketing messages and materials.  
  • Brand Project Leadership: Serve as project lead for specific brand projects.

5. Communications Specialist Functions

  • Workload Management: Manage workload, meet deadlines, and pay attention to account details.  
  • Digital Trends Monitoring: Stay up-to-date on digital news and trends.  
  • Paid Media Campaigns: Build, launch, and oversee paid media campaigns.  
  • Media List Development: Develop media lists and editorial calendars.  
  • Media Relations: Assist with media relations and outreach.  
  • SEO Strategy: Conduct keyword research and apply SEO strategies.  
  • Report Development: Create reports and insights for various clients.  
  • Project Management: Serve as project manager for account and research projects.  
  • Customer Service: Establish customer service procedures, ensuring teamwork, efficiency, cross-training, and continuous improvement.  
  • Industry Knowledge: Maintain a detailed knowledge of industry developments to ensure state-of-the-art products and services.  
  • Cross-training: Cross-train and assist in all areas of the company and to customers.  
  • Customer Response: Respond to customer needs quickly and effectively.

6. Communications Specialist Overview

  • PR Strategy Support: Assist with the development and management of YCA’s PR strategy, campaigns, and activities in North America which effectively communicate YCA’s value proposition.  
  • Media Pipeline Development: Develop a pipeline of news and storylines for target media, thereby strengthening YCA's reputation as a dependable resource for target media.  
  • Media Briefing Coordination: Arrange media briefings with executives and subject matter experts, including briefing preparation and follow-up.  
  • Media Relationship Building: Cultivate media relationships and build new media channels, contacts, and outlets (with a focus on business and national media).  
  • Media Opportunity Management: Proactively seek out relevant media opportunities, secure media placements, and guide upcoming publication opportunities.  
  • Content Creation: Cultivate and write engaging content including emails, newsletters, social media posts, blogs, video content, customer success stories, press releases, news briefs, etc.  
  • Customer Reference Promotion: Promote customer references in North American PR activities.
  • Media Relations Support: Assist with media relations activities before, during, and after key events.  
  • Inquiry Management: Manage inquiries from media and other organizations as the first point of contact.  
  • PR Metrics Reporting: Track, create, and produce metrics for public relations coverage and report on the results.  
  • Internal Communications Strategy: Develop and execute a strategic internal communications program to increase employee engagement, cultivate a positive company culture, and align all employees with overall business goals.  
  • Product Knowledge: Maintain extensive knowledge of company products and services, and coordinate activities with other Customer Service Reps.  
  • Communications Calendar Management: Help build and maintain a communications calendar to ensure aligned, proactive, and effective communications processes institution-wide.

7. Communications Specialist Tasks

  • Strategic Communications Support: Support the project team in the development and implementation of innovative strategic communications and outreach programs and initiatives designed to proactively engage program members, government partners, and stakeholders.  
  • Communications Plan Implementation: Implement a program-level strategic communications plan.  
  • Client Environment Assessment: Help determine challenges, opportunities, and needs in the client's environment and manage expectations of communications products.  
  • Content Creation: Create, design, and write publication materials, employee communications, newsletters, and informational materials for internal or external audiences.  
  • Graphics Development: Guide copy, design, and development of graphics for brochures, briefs, social media, and other communications products.  
  • Content Research: Research new content to develop for communication products.  
  • Leadership Collaboration: Confer with the project leadership team regarding complex subjects to maintain the coherence of communications products.  
  • Publication Drafting: Draft content for publication on the client site and liaise across varying Task Order organizations to ensure the accuracy of communications products, communication plans, and content.
  • Communications Support: Support the internal and external communications function in conjunction with senior managers to ensure key messages are communicated clearly and consistently.  
  • Content Drafting: Support in drafting written content, including news releases, blogs, commentary, award submissions, and speaking opportunities.  
  • PR Performance Analysis: Analyze and report on PR and communications performance to marketing stakeholders.  
  • Media Strategy Execution: Create and execute media strategies that enhance the company's visibility and reputation and attract the right talent to build Nexthink’s talent pipeline.  
  • Internal Content Development: Support the dissemination of information internally, plan, edit, and write content for a variety of internal communications mediums.
  • Reporting: Reports to Global Communications Lead

8. Communications Specialist Roles

  • Media Relations Support: Help develop media materials, including press releases, FAQs, media lists, and other materials in support of media relations activities for the retail businesses.  
  • Media Clearance Coordination: Coordinate in-store media clearances to support scheduled on-site media interviews.  
  • Content Development: Work with subject matter experts across retail businesses to help create written content for company-owned internal and external digital properties.  
  • Trend Monitoring: Monitor and analyze healthcare and industry trends as well as the businesses’ media coverage for regular, daily reporting to key internal partners across CVS Retail businesses.  
  • Activity Tracking: Track and report weekly CVS retail activities and manage input into the department snapshot used to update senior leaders on key communications activities.  
  • Communications Strategy Support: Support the development of communications materials, plans, and strategies using best practices, innovative ideas, and audience insights.  
  • Internal Communications: Support internal communications projects, initiatives, and operations.
  • Communications Collaboration: Collaborate with individual business leaders and cross-functional teams to identify communications needs and assist with the creation, development, and execution of content that builds confidence, understanding, and loyalty.  
  • Visual Content Creation: Work with internal and external design resources to create visual elements, such as posters, banners, emails, videos, or other materials.  
  • Message Strategy Development: Develop message strategies to update customers on changes in the business, and manage those projects through completion with other internal and external sources.  
  • Content Creation: Research, schedule, and write original content for a variety of internal and external audiences, including memos, newsletters, videos, customer letters, intranet, web, social media, speeches, and presentations.  
  • Content Editing: Edit existing content to apply multiple nuances of a complex topic to different internal groups and customer segments, ensuring consistent messaging across all groups.  
  • Reporter Outreach: Research and recommend reporters for outreach.

9. Communications Specialist Additional Details

  • News Tracking: Track news stories, research cases, and opportunities to educate and assist attorneys, practice groups, and team members.  
  • Contact List Management: Develop and maintain mailing and contact distribution lists, media lists, and memberships and leadership databases.  
  • Content Drafting: Draft and proof press releases, blogs, social media posts, website and brochure copy, and internal communications.  
  • Media Relations: Review, manage, and provide counsel on media requests and reporters, and support media projects and appearances.  
  • Relationship Building: Develop strong, positive working relationships with attorneys, staff, co-counsels, clients, reporters, and communities while exceeding their expectations for customer service.  
  • Event Planning: Support strategic planning and execution of firm events and meetings.  
  • Event Material Development: Develop and apply concepts to event handout materials, signage, website, and other communications.  
  • Event Logistics Coordination: Coordinate online event management functions and support logistics and operations.
  • Award Tracking: Track award nominations, deadlines, and embargos for the firm and attorneys, and maintain accurate records of methodologies and both firm and attorney awards.  
  • Project Management: Demonstrate experience in providing solutions and making projects happen through new ideas, nimble execution, and follow-through.  
  • Marketing Material Production: Produce marketing communications materials such as brochures, leaflets, PPTs, newsletters/magazines, advertisements, promotional items, and videos in line with brand guidelines.  
  • Media Relations: Develop press releases and media interviews to lead the market and build relationships with media to pitch the brand, products, and services.  
  • Brand Safeguarding: Safeguard Atlas Copco brand and create a strong, clear image of Atlas Copco in the respective market.  
  • Employer Branding: Plan employer branding activities to drive Atlas Copco’s culture.

10. Communications Specialist Role Purpose

  • Internal Communication Management: Manage internal communication channels, including the company intranet (WepNet), electronic notice board, weekly employee newsletter, and ad hoc email announcements.  
  • Document Quality Assurance: Support the technical teams with the creation and review of all client-facing documentation, ensuring proper formatting, grammar, and adherence to documentation quality standards.  
  • Social Media Management: Manage social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn) to establish the company as a thought leader in the industry.  
  • Proposal Support: Participate with the Sales team in the creation of client proposals and RFPs.  
  • Marketing Content Creation: Create compelling, education-focused marketing content, including website copy, blogs, newsletter content, and sales literature (sales brochures, eBooks, etc.).  
  • Event Planning and Execution: Participate in marketing activities, event planning and execution, industry award submissions, and other related activities.
  • Strategic Communication Planning: With input from the Business Plan/Marketing plan, create and execute a yearly strategic and tactical communication plan to support business growth in the Compressor Technique Business Area.  
  • Digital Content Creation: Responsible for creating digital content for web and SNS channels in line with SEO/SEM and follow-up lead-generation activities.  
  • Event Communications: Execute communications work for external events such as exhibitions, seminars, and product launches.  
  • Industry Monitoring: Monitor and analyze peer activities, industry developments, etc.  
  • Cross-team Coordination: Coordinate with teams across the company on various communications initiatives.  
  • Industry Passion: Created role that requires a passion for the tech industry and a sophisticated understanding of the business and media environments in which the company operates.
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