Do you ever get confused with all of the different terms in the Marketing Industry? Are they all the same? Are Public Relations the same as Media Relations? Is there a difference between the Communications tactics we use, and the Marketing Communications strategy we employ? Yes, there is. While minuscule, there are differences in these terms. With all of the different monikers in the Marketing industry (such as Public relations, Strategic Communications, Media Relations, Digital Relations, etc.), companies and the general public tend to confuse the term Communications Tactics with Strategy.

Asking the right questions shifts the focus from “Where should I post my creatives” to “Why are we doing this?” Your Marketing Communications strategy can be focused on multiple goals:

1. Create demand for our products and drive them to our sales channels.
2. Create awareness for Fundraising
3. Raise awareness of the brand and vision of the company.
4. Create awareness for potential acquirers of the company.

The Wit Agency, a digital marketing service, focuses on and builds a Marketing Communications Strategy for ourselves and each of our clients. To simplify things a bit more: Loosely defined, Marketing Communication (MarComm) can be described as all the messages and media you deploy to communicate with the market. MarComm includes advertising, direct marketing, branding, packaging, your online presence, printed materials, PR activities, sales presentations, sponsorships, trade show appearances, and more. Once you have figured out the “Why” of this strategy, we then move on to the “How”.

This requires us to analyze 4 things:

1. Understand your Audience(s).
2. Craft a curated Message for this audience.
3. Select the Media you want this message to be seen/heard/read on.
4. Select the Messenger you want to carry this message.

Step 1: Who is your Audience?

• Your audience is the specific people you want your content/brand to reach. These are your “Choice Consumers” and your “Target audience.”
• Is this audience every person on the planet? Is this everyone in Pune or Mumbai? Is it people in a particular age group? Is it people who love makeup, but only organic makeup? The questions can go on and on.
• What’s confusing is that often there are multiple audiences you want to communicate with.
• So, refer to your strategy: Are you trying to reach potential customers or potential investors and acquirers? These are very different audiences, each requires its own messages, media, and messengers.

Step 2: What’s the Message?

• Messages are what you deliver to the audience(s) you’ve selected.
• Messages answer three questions:

1. Why should the audience care?
2. What are you offering?
3. What’s the call to action?

• The answer to the first question can come directly from your Audience Market Analysis – What are their pains and what can they gain from your product/service?
• “What are you offering?” can be answered with the solution you are providing, be it at lesser rates or various offers.
• Once you have answered these questions, and your customer clicks on your ad – then what? What’s the call to action? Do you want them to download a demo, schedule a sales call, visit a physical store location or a website, download an app, click for more information, give you their email address, etc.? Your message needs to include a specific call to action.

Step 3: What form of media are you employing?

• Media means the type of communication media each audience member reads/listens to/watches. It could be print (newspapers/magazines), Internet (website, podcasts, etc.), broadcast (TV, radio, etc.), or social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.)
• During your Market Research and Customer discovery (Step 1), you will get a gauge of what medium you can make the most of. For example: if your target audience is younger, it makes more sense to invest more in Social Media and Digital Marketing. The opposite could be the case for older audiences – print media and radio could be the way to go.
• Typically, you pick several media to reach each audience. It’s likely that each audience reads different media (potential customers read something very different than potential investors.) You’ll need a media strategy – a plan that describes the mix of media and how you will use it. This plan should include the category of media; print, internet, broadcast, and then identify specific sites, blogs, magazines, etc.

Step 4: Who are your Messengers?

• Messengers are the well-placed and highly leveraged individuals who have influence over your audience(s). Messengers convey and amplify your message to your audience through the media you’ve chosen.
• Are you working with influencers to get your product out? Are you employing industry to spread the word in their communities?

Understanding your audience(s) is important for not just startups, but for companies already selling products. It helps you stay current with customers, get ideas for other needs to fill and to create new products.

In addition, the audience > message > media > messenger cycle seamlessly moves this learning into getting, keeping and growing customers.

The Wit Agency, a digital marketing service, has perfected this process, and we are here to help you grow into all you can be!