As a recent article suggested, despite the growing number of people who claim ‘print is dead’ there may be life yet in the traditional newspaper.
In our last blog post, we talked a bit about the reasons print will continue and how it can fit into a broader communication approach. The message? Digital is an addition, not a replacement. And integrated communications – across a number of channels – is the way of the future.
In this blog we look at points to consider when deciding which communication medium or channel you should use.
Be clear on who your audience is – then look at the channels to communicate
- For those businesses with a good story to tell, it’s tempting but dangerous to use personal preferences as a basis for making decisions about where the story needs to be seen, heard and read. You might feel great seeing your story in a mainstream business paper because your peers are reading it– but beyond ego, what’s the point if your target audience are actually reading suburban newspapers?
Be clear on your story – before you decide where you want to see it
- Think content first, distribution channel second. If your sole public relations mission is to “get on the front page of the AFR” or “go viral”, you may get nothing but disappointment.
- Don’t be afraid to pull back from telling your story if on further investigation there’s a better way of getting to your target audience. Some companies have no option but to use the media because of the size of their customer base. Others are smaller and could communicate all they need to directly, be that offline or online.
Everyone’s talking – but is anybody listening?
- Instead of “What outcomes do we want to achieve?” and “What do we want to say?” start with “What does our audience actually care about, really? What do they want to learn about, read about, experience? How can we help give them what they want and need?”
Your audience aren’t just “fund managers” or “advisers” – they’re people too
- They’re not just business people doing business things all day - they’re also parents, homeowners, partners, children and animal owners!
You’d be surprised how many business people listen to commercial radio, the weekend tabloids and the nightly news. Likewise you’d be surprised at how many business people don’t read the business news! Get clear on who your audience really is and what online, media, and social media channels they digest. One size does not fit all.
