Communication Corner: Mix up your ‘go to’ media

Effective communication requires more than using one type of media. Unfortunately, many organizations rely on a “go to” media to deliver messages. Perhaps it’s a quarterly newsletter or a monthly email.
 
Breaking through the communication clutter means reaching customers tactfully — with relevant information delivered in multiple formats. The key is to create a cohesive mix of content to maximize the effectiveness of your messaging.

• Answer “print or electronic?” with “yes.” You don’t have to choose one medium or the other. Each person retains information in preferred styles (some by hearing, some by reading and studying, etc.). A sensory blend is most effective.

 

• Launch a social media component if you haven’t already. Social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn enable immediate and ongoing interaction with your customers.

 

• Make resources available online. Create specific pages on websites to serve as valuable information repositories from which customers can access answers to common questions.

 

• Blog: A blog is a simple and effective way to deliver ongoing content to customers.

 

• Podcasts: Podcasts are non-confrontational, informative, and casual.

 

• Video: Video creates the sense of approachability, and lets customers view, see, and hear things not possible with other formats. Users consider video the most credible, most engaging form of online content, with a high “pass-around” value.

 
TIPS:

• Don’t discount the power of print. To maximize its effectiveness, make print more timely and customized.
  

• Print enhances the impact of other media. Direct mail, poster campaigns, and brochures can lead people to websites, videos, and social media sites — and vice versa. Even digital technologies such as Quick Response codes (“QR codes”) co-exist with print.