Picking the Right Communication Channels

PR, communications, marketing, advertising - these professions all rely on one thing: the ability to send an effective and clear message to a selected target market, enticing action and ultimately helping achieve company goals.

The ability to send a clear message, and the effectiveness of that message (did it change anything? did it come across the way it was intended? etc.) depends on several factors. The first factor, the message its self, is arguably the most important. I have already blogged about why only sending clear, non-cluttered, short and sweet messages is the most effective method of communication; however, I only barely touched on the second factor of sending an effective message: choosing the right communication channel.

A message can contain several key communication practices (attention grabbing content, interesting data, easy-to-understand message, concise but complete info) but if it's received by the wrong audience or misinterpreted by the receiver, it is not truly considered an effective message. This is why it is so important to choose the right channel of communication. 

Internal and external communications, the two types of communications, call for different messages and messaging channels.

With internal communication, keeping stakeholders, employees and a board of directors engaged with one another and on the same page is imperative to running a successful business, but can provide several challenges. One of these challeneges is picking the best communication channel.

There are several types of internal communication channels, including (but not limited to) open forums, message boards, email or team meetings.

Knowing the best way for your specific content to be presented and received (visually, verbally, written, etc.) is important when deciding what channel of communication to choose; just as imperative to the decision though is understanding the way the audience prefers to receive content and are most likely to respond. Here is a comprehensive list of internal communication channels and considerations, as well as their strengths and weaknesses.

When considering external communication, there are also several types (some of them are outlined here). Again, understanding your message and target audience is key. Not every communication type needs to be used, and some companies may only call for one or two. That is okay! If you choose the right channels, and target your messages, they should be effective every time.

Finally, the most misunderstood external communication practice, social media, is a very important tool that has the power to either make or break a company. Again, here is a list for some social media channels and when or why your business should use them. Every social media channel is different, attracting different types of attention and sending different types of messages. Consider if the content you want to share would be best in words, on your website as a long release, as a short Facebook post, or as a sentence and link on Twitter. Will your content be received better if it is represented visually (using charts or pictographs) and where should you share that visual message; or would a photo or video do better?

There are so many ways to communicate with todays instant access information and socially integrated society; don't let your company or personal brand can go unnoticed or misinterpreted because you didn't choose the communication channel that is right for you.