Finding the Right Media For Your Marketing Campaign

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Finding the Right Media For Your Marketing Campaign

If you are struggling to decide what media to choose for your company’s marketing campaign - you are not alone. In fact, most people have similar issues navigating the myriad of media opportunities available. Further complicating matters are the dire consequences your budget and campaign momentum will face if you choose the wrong media for your message.

Before examining the different kinds of media available and their corresponding attributes, I need to stress a very important point – messaging. No matter the media or the campaign, having strong messages that clearly outline your objective is crucial. Good messages, writing and communication are the engines that drive all media strategies.

But, as the media isn’t “one size fits all”, it depends on the type of company you have, the kind of book or service you are promoting, and which media is consumed by your typical customer. The following are the four main media outlets to consider when developing a “media savvy” marketing and PR strategy:

Television – Built for speed and power, TV is a badge of credibility for anyone seeking to get their message out. It allows you to present the audience with a visual image of your message, e.g., graphs, demonstrations and pictures. These visuals make your message easy to understand and more entertaining for the viewer.

What about the difference between local and national television exposure? Simply put, local television is good for placing a stake in the ground and getting the hometown crowd interested in your message. National television, on the other hand, is good for the same but on a grander scale.

Now what about the impression that you make on television viewers? TV viewers are used to 8 minute segments, and then a commercial. They’ll see your interview, and then forget about you a week later. Because of this fleeting nature, a TV campaign alone is incomplete as a full, lasting, PR strategy.

In the end, TV is most effective when you are able to obtain repeat interviews with multiple story angles to keep yourself on the tube.

Talk Radio – Talk radio is a great way to get your message across to a large group of people at one time. There’s a captive audience during morning and evening drive times, in the middle of the day with stay-at-home moms or people in the workplace, and with those “night owls” who listen late into the night. Also, the demographics of the audience are a marketer’s dream. According to the recent Talkers Magazine research project, talk radio listeners are educated, attentive, affluent, and active consumers.

Talk radio schedules are also packed with a plethora of specialty shows (politics, health, relationships, lifestyles, finance, consumer advocacy, sports, etc) enabling you to reach mass or niche audiences alike. Radio interviews also allow you more time to tell your whole story than a TV appearance. These interviews average 10 to 20 minutes in length (and some can go even longer) whereas, TV interviews only range between 3 to 6 minutes.

Print – A recent study executed by Forrester Research Inc. (an independent technology and market research company) revealed that people trust print news coverage far more than other media outlets. I’ve always felt print is “King" when it comes to media exposure. An article or story about you and your company not only popularizes your message to millions of readers - it also provides legitimacy and credibility in a way that’s unmatched.

Although this industry is being hit pretty hard with layoffs, there are a growing number of opportunities for PR agencies to obtain solid placements. Just think about it: with less staff journalists writing good editorial content, these publications will depend more on PR professionals and syndicated content to fill their pages.

In the long term a print campaign can help boost sales, which is especially true when combined with a radio and TV campaign. Not to mention that your newspaper and magazine articles can be recycled in numerous ways to strengthen your entire sales and marketing efforts. Why not use your published article as part of your email newsletter, as a feature on your website’s homepage, or part of a sales package to prospects or retail store buyers. Overall, print is an excellent source for establishing credibility and increasing brand awareness.

Internet – Not so much the new kid on the block anymore, an Internet campaign is a proven method to reach both mass and niche media. If you want to market to an enthusiastic audience who enjoy interacting and sharing information, an internet (or online) marketing and PR initiative is perfect for you.

As the internet is a “useful” content driven medium, if you have lots of terrific articles (published or unpublished), company photos, video presentations or even old PowerPoint presentations, these can all be fed into your online marketing machine which can syndicate it widely through the web, thus increasing your brand’s visibility and building credibility simultaneously.

With websites, blogs and other social media outlets you have the added bonus of starting or interacting with a large community of prospective clients in a real way. Imagine the idea of a networking cocktail party without time constraints and costly travel? Sounds great right? The internet offers extensive reach and cost-effectiveness, while supporting the other aspects of your media PR strategy.

Depending on your campaign’s goals, I would advise using a combination of all the above media outlets. Again, the key thing to remember is your messaging. Be sure that whatever media you end up utilizing properly serves your message and is a good fit for your marketing objectives.

~The Write Market

About the Author

Marsha Friedman is a prominent business woman, publicity expert, radio personality and public speaker.

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<h1>Finding the Right Media For Your Marketing Campaign</h1> 
 
If you are struggling to decide what media to choose for your company’s marketing campaign - you are not alone. In fact, most people have similar issues navigating the myriad of media opportunities available. Further complicating matters are the dire consequences your budget and campaign momentum will face if you choose the wrong media for your message. 
 
Before examining the different kinds of media available and their corresponding attributes, I need to stress a very important point – messaging. No matter the media or the campaign, having strong messages that clearly outline your objective is crucial. Good messages, writing and communication are the engines that drive all media strategies. 
 
But, as the media isn’t “one size fits all”, it depends on the type of company you have, the kind of book or service you are promoting, and which media is consumed by your typical customer. The following are the four main media outlets to consider when developing a “media savvy” marketing and PR strategy: 
 
Television – Built for speed and power, TV is a badge of credibility for anyone seeking to get their message out. It allows you to present the audience with a visual image of your message, e.g., graphs, demonstrations and pictures. These visuals make your message easy to understand and more entertaining for the viewer. 
 
What about the difference between local and national television exposure? Simply put, local television is good for placing a stake in the ground and getting the hometown crowd interested in your message. National television, on the other hand, is good for the same but on a grander scale. 
 
Now what about the impression that you make on television viewers? TV viewers are used to 8 minute segments, and then a commercial. They’ll see your interview, and then forget about you a week later. Because of this fleeting nature, a TV campaign alone is incomplete as a full, lasting, PR strategy. 
 
In the end, TV is most effective when you are able to obtain repeat interviews with multiple story angles to keep yourself on the tube. 
 
Talk Radio – Talk radio is a great way to get your message across to a large group of people at one time. There’s a captive audience during morning and evening drive times, in the middle of the day with stay-at-home moms or people in the workplace, and with those “night owls” who listen late into the night. Also, the demographics of the audience are a marketer’s dream. According to the recent Talkers Magazine research project, talk radio listeners are educated, attentive, affluent, and active consumers. 
 
Talk radio schedules are also packed with a plethora of specialty shows (politics, health, relationships, lifestyles, finance, consumer advocacy, sports, etc) enabling you to reach mass or niche audiences alike. Radio interviews also allow you more time to tell your whole story than a TV appearance. These interviews average 10 to 20 minutes in length (and some can go even longer) whereas, TV interviews only range between 3 to 6 minutes. 
 
Print – A recent study executed by Forrester Research Inc. (an independent technology and market research company) revealed that people trust print news coverage far more than other media outlets. I’ve always felt print is “King" when it comes to media exposure. An article or story about you and your company not only popularizes your message to millions of readers - it also provides legitimacy and credibility in a way that’s unmatched. 
 
Although this industry is being hit pretty hard with layoffs, there are a growing number of opportunities for PR agencies to obtain solid placements. Just think about it: with less staff journalists writing good editorial content, these publications will depend more on PR professionals and syndicated content to fill their pages. 
 
In the long term a print campaign can help boost sales, which is especially true when combined with a radio and TV campaign. Not to mention that your newspaper and magazine articles can be recycled in numerous ways to strengthen your entire sales and marketing efforts. Why not use your published article as part of your email newsletter, as a feature on your website’s homepage, or part of a sales package to prospects or retail store buyers. Overall, print is an excellent source for establishing credibility and increasing brand awareness. 
 
Internet – Not so much the new kid on the block anymore, an Internet campaign is a proven method to reach both mass and niche media. If you want to market to an enthusiastic audience who enjoy interacting and sharing information, an internet (or online) marketing and PR initiative is perfect for you. 
 
As the internet is a “useful” content driven medium, if you have lots of terrific articles (published or unpublished), company photos, video presentations or even old PowerPoint presentations, these can all be fed into your online marketing machine which can syndicate it widely through the web, thus increasing your brand’s visibility and building credibility simultaneously. 
 
With websites, blogs and other social media outlets you have the added bonus of starting or interacting with a large community of prospective clients in a real way. Imagine the idea of a networking cocktail party without time constraints and costly travel? Sounds great right? The internet offers extensive reach and cost-effectiveness, while supporting the other aspects of your media PR strategy. 
 
Depending on your campaign’s goals, I would advise using a combination of all the above media outlets. Again, the key thing to remember is your messaging. Be sure that whatever media you end up utilizing properly serves your message and is a good fit for your marketing objectives. 
<h3>About the Author</h3>
Marsha Friedman is a prominent business woman, publicity expert, radio personality and public speaker. 
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Article Source <a href="http://www.thewritemarket.com">The Write Market</a>