by Marina Stenos
Communications consultants are often called upon to help clients craft messages, or hone a narrative that better tells their story. The goal is most often to inspire our audience to take some action, whether it's a social share, donation to a cause or campaign, or simply a membership renewal--we want them to act. One of the first questions that needs to be answered, regardless of the communications task: WHO is our audience? I've worked as a public relations and marketing professional for more than twenty years, and while the tools of the trade have evolved, the answer to this question--regardless of the client's field or whether it's an internal or external project--is remarkably consistent. More often than not, clients respond with 'everyone.' We want to reach everyone, at once.
Knowing your audience is important no matter what you're doing. It's important in personal interactions and it's fundamentally important if you are about to spend money to achieve a business goal or advocacy objective. Perhaps that very reality--that resources are about to be consumed and we need to see some return on that investment-- is what pushes so many accomplished, capable executives to run to the 'let's talk to everyone, at once' solution for communications efforts. Much as we wouldn't enter a social setting, like a party, for example, with a canned message for every person with whom we interact, developing a communications strategy requires thought, nuance and a demonstration that we understand and care about our audience. What are our organizational and programmatic goals? Who exactly is our audience? What do they care about and how do we motivate them to not only listen to our message, but to take action? This isn't to say that communications strategies can't be built for multiple audiences. In cases where we want to reach a variety of stakeholders, we'll need to prioritize them and develop separate messages for primary and secondary audiences, identify surrogates and even consider our detractors.
Today's suite of communications tools--everything from social platforms to the blogosphere to traditional media outlets--offer communicators unprecedented means with which to connect to their audiences and a wealth of data on what's working and for whom. The ubiquity of social networks also creates a lot of noise. Understanding which audiences are where, and when, is just as important as nailing the message. For example, if reaching classroom teachers is your goal consider ramping up your efforts on Pinterest. It may seem like an odd choice until you understand just how many lesson plans and classroom materials are curated by educators on the platform. Want to take on a think piece about management? LinkedIn is the go-to spot to share your insights and connect with other business leaders. If you're looking to motivate a grassroots advocacy campaign, consider platforms like Facebook or Change.org. It's never been truer than it is today that the medium is indeed the message.
Understanding how to use data and user insights are equally important today. Does your organization have an e-newsletter or blog? What are your click through rates? Who is reading and commenting? How about your intranet or web site? What kind of user experience are your staff and members anticipating when they click on your landing page? Human beings tend to be fairly predictable. We want to get information that is pertinent to us as quickly and easily as possible. We want to be delighted or inspired to take action. Above all we want it to feel personal, something created just for us. Communications experts who fail to utilize the rich data offered by user behavior are missing important opportunities to better connect with their audience and, more importantly, to refine their messages and tell their stories in deeper and more meaningful ways.
Marina Stenos is Senior Vice President & Partner at Widmeyer Communications, a Finn Partners Company. You can reach out to her at her LinkedIn page.