Successful communication happens when your message is transmitted to a listener, reader and viewer with the meaning you intended. When a listener “gets” your message, you earn the opportunity to say more about yourself, your product or your organization.

A successful message depends on:

• The Right MESSAGE
• The Right CHANNEL
• The Right AUDIENCE

Evaluate your public, professional and private communication. How do you stack up in those three areas?

To go deeper about message, channel and audience, read on:

1. Send the Right MESSAGE.

• Is your message clear, concise and creative?
  • Clear – Cover the basics (typically the who, what, when and where details) and don’t leave out important details.
  • Concise – Say it as simply and with as few words as possible.
  • Creative – Make it memorable and out of the ordinary.
• Is your message purposeful and persuasive?
  • Purposeful – Know why the message matters.
  • Persuasive – Motivate, inspire and emote with your message.

2. Use the Right CHANNEL.

• What channel is best suited for your message and audience?
• Should your message be sent over multiple channels?
  • Digital – Website, blog, podcast, e-mail, text, digital ad placement, SEO and more
  • Social Media – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Snapchat and more
  • Print – Direct mail, brochure, card, letter, print display ad, etc.
  • Broadcast – Radio and TV
  • Personal – Anything that can be used to share the message from one person to another.
• Will you use free or paid channels, or a combination of both?
  • Free – No-cost social media, web or print channels
  • Paid – Google, Bing, Yahoo, Facebook ads, sponsored Twitter and social media ads, display ads, banner ads, text ads and more

3. Choose the Right AUDIENCE.

• Who are you trying to reach with your message?  What’s your target?
  Is your audience an internal or external core constituency?
  • Internal Core Constituencies – Employees, leaders, volunteers, contributors and more
  • External Core Constituencies – Current customers, potential customers, consumers, prospects and more
• What demographic and psychographic characteristics describe your audience?
  • Demographics – Who your audience is and what they do
  • Psychographics – What your audience thinks and how they act

So what’s the Big Idea?

Send the right message over the right channel to the right audience.

Resources

• “From SEO to Social Media: What Are the 8 Types of Digital Marketing?” by Alexa Gustavsen