Who, what, when, why and how? Journalism students learn to answer these questions to ensure the most important information is conveyed first in an article. 

Depending on their backgrounds, marketers may not be familiar with this structure. Even as someone who studied journalism, I’m guilty of forgetting my roots. We all get busy trying to promote this product or that service. And in all that busyness, with different voices expressing their opinions about what needs to be said, focus can be lost. 

But working as a marketing consultant for the last few years, I’ve been reminded about the importance of questions — particularly the FAQ document. It’s a strategic asset, the starting point for many, if not all, projects. Let’s look at some FAQs to help you use this tool to your advantage. 

Why are FAQs so important? 

FAQs are instrumental in developing key messages that will guide internal and external communications. Think of FAQs as a main guide. They provide all the key points and explain what the company wants to say and why it is important. They create alignment and consistency among the executive team. This should then spread to every department in the organization. T 

When should FAQs be developed? 

A FAQ can be included in any communications or marketing plan to help develop and/or solidify key messages. They are essential tools when managing:

• Mergers and acquisitions.
• A crisis, from a cyberattack to layoffs.
• Company news/press releases.  
• New product or service launches. 
• A corporate rebrand.

Dig deeper: What’s the role of marketing in a crisis?

Should FAQs be shared with all audiences? 

No. A FAQ is a strategic tool to ensure alignment between communications and/or marketing and executive functions regarding a specific project or situation. It should only be shared with the appropriate groups.

Here are some you might use around M&A activity:

• General FAQs for any audience, including media.  
• FAQs for employees of the acquiring company.
• FAQs for employees of the target company.
• FAQs for customers of the acquiring company.
• FAQs for customers of the target company. 
• FAQs for partners of the acquiring company.
• FAQs for partners of the target company. 

Executives and department managers usually receive a master document with every set of FAQs. This prepares them to deal with questions from any internal or external audience. 

Employees of the acquiring and target companies get the general FAQs and those touching on what they need to know. The FAQs should be as transparent as possible in answering questions and reflect the unique nuances of each audience.  

Who should be involved in developing FAQs? 

The project or situation will dictate who develops FAQs. Someone in communications or marketing usually serves as the document owner and involves the appropriate internal subject-matter experts. 

• In M&A, HR is heavily involved. 
• At product launches, we rely on the product manager. 
• In a crisis, legal must review any information before it’s disseminated inside or outside the organization.  

Dig deeper: The 4 secrets of effective communication

How do you ensure appropriate collaboration when writing FAQs? 

When developing an FAQ document, you’ll want to determine:

• A deadline for collecting the relevant information for the first draft.
• Which SMEs need to be involved by providing information via existing documentation, internal interviews or both.
• How you’ll collect feedback on the initial draft so SMEs can see each other’s comments/edits (e.g., Google Docs). 
• How you’ll resolve comments or disagreements regarding certain answers.
• If outside stakeholders need to be involved (e.g., legal or investors). 
• The deadline for producing a final document. 
• Which SME and/or executive is responsible for final approval.
• Who will have access to the final document and how it will be used. 

How should FAQs be used? 

An FAQ document is a useful tool for creating different types of communications and marketing materials. It helps in specific situations, like a merger or crisis, and is also great for writing press releases, product fact sheets, brochures, videos, customer communications and more.

The main goal is to understand the story you want to tell. You should also document the facts. This helps ensure accuracy and consistency, no matter the medium. 

In an M&A or crisis situation, an FAQ document might only be shared with certain audiences, such as employees or your support team. While specific answers may be written and approved for sharing via phone conversations and email with customers or partners, the document should not be shared outside the company.

Be sure to include the appropriate instructions or classifications, such as “confidential” or “for internal use only,” and also allow time for training your designated spokespeople, front-line managers and support staff regarding approved talking points and FAQs.    

FAQs still appear frequently on both B2C and B2B websites. They support customer service and are used for search engine optimization (SEO). 

Dig deeper: 7 marketing strategies to conquer decision paralysis

What are some key questions to include in an FAQ document? 

The subject matter or situation will dictate the questions on which to focus. You can always query ChatGPT to help cover your bases. Here is a list of simple questions to think about when creating an FAQ document for a company announcement. 

• What are we announcing?
• Why is it important to the organization? 
• How does it affect our employees? 
• Why does it matter to customers? 
• How will our partners (including investors) be impacted?
• How might competitors try to spin the information? 
• Is there a call to action?  

The Chinese philosopher Confucius said, “The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute, the man who does not ask is a fool for life.” This summarizes the importance of questions and the power they hold.

As marketers, we can use FAQs to help us focus — or refocus — our messaging and empathize with our audiences to ensure we consider their perspectives and anticipate their information needs.  

Dig deeper: Why startups need more than just press releases