Unlocking Marketing Potential: The Essential Role of FAQs

Who, what, when, why, and how? These essential questions are the cornerstones of journalism, guiding students to highlight the most crucial information right at the beginning of any written piece.

Marketers, however, may not always be accustomed to this format, especially those coming from diverse professional backgrounds. Even I, despite my journalism education, find myself losing sight of these fundamentals amidst the chaos of promoting various products and services. In the hustle and bustle, with numerous opinions swirling around about necessary content, it’s easy to lose focus.

During my time as a marketing consultant over the past few years, I’ve come to appreciate the significance of asking questions—more specifically, the FAQ document. This tool serves as a strategic asset and is often the starting point for many projects. Let’s explore how you can leverage FAQs effectively.

Why are FAQs crucial? 

FAQs play a vital role in shaping the core messages that inform both internal and external communications. They act as a central reference, encapsulating the key points that reflect what the organization wishes to convey and the reasons why it matters. This creates cohesion and consistency among the leadership team, which should then extend to all departments across the company.

When is the right time to create FAQs? 

Integrating FAQs into your communication or marketing strategies is useful for crafting and/or reinforcing key messages. They are especially beneficial when navigating:

• Mergers and acquisitions.
• Crisis situations, ranging from cyberattacks to workforce reductions.
• Press releases or company announcements.
• Launch events for new products or services.
• A corporate rebranding initiative.

Explore further: The critical role of marketing during a crisis.

Are FAQs meant for all audiences? 

Not necessarily. An FAQ serves as a tactical mechanism designed to align communications and marketing efforts with executive objectives regarding specific projects or scenarios. It should only be shared with intended groups.

Consider these possibilities during M&A activities:

• General FAQs accessible to any audience, including the media.
• FAQs specifically for employees of the acquiring organization.
• FAQs directed at employees of the target company.
• FAQs for customers from the acquiring entity.
• FAQs for customers associated with the target business.
• FAQs aimed at partners of the acquiring organization.
• FAQs for partners connected to the target company.

Executives and department heads typically receive a comprehensive FAQ document encompassing all necessary information. This prepares them to tackle queries from various internal and external stakeholders.

Employees from both the acquiring and target firms should have access to general FAQs, alongside tailored content that addresses their specific informational requirements. Transparency in these FAQs is crucial, ensuring that they accurately reflect the distinct concerns of each group.

Who contributes to the development of FAQs? 

The development of an FAQ document is typically guided by the nature of the project or situation at hand. A communications or marketing representative often takes ownership and collaborates with relevant internal subject-matter experts.

• In the context of M&A, HR plays a significant role.
• For product launches, the product manager is indispensable.
• During crises, legal teams must review any communication before dissemination.

Explore further: Four essential strategies for effective communication.

How can you facilitate collaboration during FAQ document creation? 

When crafting an FAQ, consider establishing:

• A timeline for gathering necessary information for the draft.
• The subject-matter experts (SMEs) who should participate and how they will contribute (using existing documentation, conducting interviews, or a combination).
• A mechanism for collecting feedback on the initial draft, ensuring that SMEs can view and respond to one another’s comments (for instance, Google Docs).
• A strategy for addressing comments or resolving disagreements on specific answers.
• The involvement of external stakeholders, if required (e.g., legal representatives or investors).
• A final document submission deadline.
• Who holds responsible for the final approval (an SME or executive).
• A clear outline of who can access the final document and its intended usage.

What is the best way to utilize FAQs? 

An FAQ document serves as a versatile resource for developing various communication and marketing materials. Whether addressing specific scenarios like mergers or crises, FAQs can also support the creation of press releases, product sheets, brochures, videos, and client correspondence, among others.

The primary focus is on the narrative you want to share while cataloging the essential facts. This approach ensures precision and consistency across all formats.

In the context of M&A or crisis management, an FAQ document may be reserved exclusively for specific groups, such as employees or support personnel. While some answers may be tailored and approved for customer or partner interactions via phone or email, the detailed document should remain internal.

Make sure to incorporate relevant instructions or classifications, such as “confidential” or “for internal use only,” and allocate time to train your designated spokespeople, frontline managers, and support staff regarding approved FAQs and key messaging. 

FAQs continue to have a significant presence on B2C and B2B platforms, enhancing customer service and playing a role in search engine optimization (SEO).

Explore further: Seven marketing strategies to overcome decision paralysis.

What essential questions should you include in an FAQ document? 

The pertinent subject or scenario will dictate the types of questions worthy of emphasis. You might consider utilizing tools like ChatGPT to help cover essential inquiries. Here’s a list of straightforward questions to contemplate when drafting an FAQ document for a company announcement.

• What is our announcement about?
• Why does this hold significance for the organization? 
• What implications does it have for our employees? 
• Why should our customers take notice? 
• How will our partners, including investors, be affected?
• How could competitors attempt to reinterpret this information?
• Is there a call to action involved? 

As the Chinese philosopher Confucius wisely stated, “The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute; the man who does not ask is a fool for life.” This highlights the significance of inquiry and the power it wields.

For marketers, leveraging FAQs enables us to sharpen—or re-establish—our focus in messaging while demonstrating empathy towards our audiences, ensuring we proactively consider their perspectives and anticipate their information requirements. 

Explore further: Why startups require more than just press releases.