We’re now well into the budget frenzy. Here is a quick list of tips for communicators who are planning to respond to Thursday’s announcements: 

1. Plan ahead – have there been any indications how your company or organisation will be affected by this year’s budget?
2. Know what you want to achieve – think about why you are responding to the budget announcements and what you hope to gain from it.
3. Your audiences – How will you communicate internally, to your stakeholders and the general public? What are the best channels – would your messages work best over social media, the intranet or through mainstream media?   
4. Target your messages - If you are approaching mainstream media, can you avoid using a blanket media release? Journalists will be looking for original angles which means a generic media release will only work for some organisations.
5. Be ready to react quickly – the media will be in full swing after the budget. They will analyse the impact of any big decisions and then will quickly turn to covering the reactions.
6. Add something new and different – there will be a plethora of voices out there saying what they did and didn’t like. Try to add something new to the conversation and say it loud.
7. Read the detail – It might take a few days to do so, but make sure you read the fine print of the budget. 

There are our top tips. Feel free to add your own below!