Whether you work for a nonprofit organization or a corporation earning millions of dollars per year in revenue, your media strategy must change as new forms of communication enter the market. Television and other traditional forms of mass media used to be the only way to communicate with large numbers of people, but media strategists and communications professionals now have blogs, chat rooms, and social media networks to interact with customers and deliver their messages to millions. As new types of media enter the market, keep in mind that the quality of your messages is more important than the quantity.
Message consistency should be a top priority for communications professionals, as consistency makes it easier for your audience to understand your messages and prevents them from confusing your messages with those of your competitors. Communications specialist Elizabeth Trew recommends having your public relations team create or review every message released by your organization, even if the message pertains to employment opportunities. This makes it possible to have a consistent voice in the marketplace, which will increase the effectiveness of your media strategy.
If you want to integrate social media into your media strategy, follow the example of companies like Home Depot and Subway. These companies have social media strategies that give them distinct competitive advantages over other brands. Steve McKee of Bloomberg Businessweek says some communications professionals make the mistake of allowing their own preferences as consumers to influence their strategic decisions with regard to choosing social media platforms and crafting the messages they share with consumers.
If you want to create an effective media strategy, you must think like a marketer and choose platforms that will help you connect with people in your target audience. Mary Anne Conlin of Ecopreneurist.com reminds media professionals that having a presence online is not the same as having a cohesive social media strategy. If you do not craft effective messages, you may be reaching people who already use and love your brand instead of increasing awareness among people who have never used your products or services.
You cannot forget about traditional forms of mass media when developing your media strategy, as televisions, newspapers, and magazines are still a good way to communicate with members of your target audience. Creating effective messages is more important than focusing on the number of messages you release, especially if you want to influence members of a hard-to-reach audience. Before you create or release any messages, you must create a media strategy that identifies the best communication channels and addresses what other companies in your industry have already done. Identifying your target audience will help you create effective messages to inform, persuade, or remind people about your company.
Because the job of a communications professional is always changing, you must be prepared to change your strategy to include new forms of media in your communication campaigns. It is important to focus your efforts on creating effective communication pieces rather than blitzing your target audience with inconsistent or irrelevant messages. Remember this when developing a media strategy for your company.
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