In an era of reduced attention spans, finding mediums or communication channels to reach your target audience has become more crucial than ever. Imagine, you are trying to say something to your audience and they are not even listening. All your marketing efforts go in vain. Also, it seems like there is a new communication channel introduced every second day.

With so much clutter in the marketplace, how do you know where your customers are, what they’re listening to and what they’re looking at?

Thus, in order to be focused and aligned with your marketing efforts, it is vital to choose the right marketing medium that will strike the right chords in the target group, create an impact and drive inquiries and leads for your brand.

Marketers can no longer expect a radio jingle to reach a millennial as they’re more likely to respond to something that they can relate to. Millennials have moved on from traditional radio to something like audio advertising.

Steps to Select the Right Communication Channel

If you feel like a brand you’re not doing enough to reach your target audience, we’ve rounded up a fool-proof recipe that will help you choose the right communication mediums for your marketing message.

• Know your audience: The first step is to determine who you are trying to reach. Research is the most effective and authenticated method for determining your target audience. Keenly observe your competitors and the type of customers they serve. Apart from this, you can also conduct online surveys, do field research and see the kind of hashtags your potential target audience If their interests lie in something you offer, there you’ve found your target audience.
• Which channel is best for your brand: Selecting the right communication channel is as important as the content you share. It’s not always about what you say; it is how and where you say it.  The last few years have brought us an array of options when it comes to choosing a marketing medium. Also, more options mean more responsibility for brands.

If you want your marketing message to be delivered to your audience as per their preferred communication vehicle, you must know where they ‘hang out. For example, if your audience is a group of college students, paper cup branding will work as they’re likely to spend most of their time in the canteen. This is the time when you can entice them as they sip their favourite beverage.

• Is this your customer’s preferred media: When you are selecting a marketing medium, it’s not always about what you think and want? Remember, you are doing this for your customers. And, of course, you want yourself to be heard and seen in the best possible way. To determine the right channel fit, ask yourself these questions:
• Does your chosen channel reach your intended audience?
• Does the channel align with your overall marketing budget?
• Is the channel well-received by your target audience?
• Will the channel allow you to deliver your intended message?
• Will you be able to measure the success of the channel?
• Calculating the budget: Budget is an important factor to consider when choosing a communication channel. Effective marketing does not always have to be expensive. You can still gain traction with lower marketing spending. Instead of blowing up your budget on a TV or radio spot, consider distributing your budget across a myriad of channels. Doing this can work wonders for your brand. For example, if you own a food-tech app and want to reach out to college students, you can allocate your budget to different channels such as social media, flyers, brochures, paper cup ads, direct mail and email marketing. By placing your message in niche publications your audience interacts with, you won’t end up going overboard or exceeding your budget.
• Finalizing the marketing medium: Before finalizing a communication channel that suits your target audience and message, review the performance of the channels that you are currently using. This will help you address the loopholes and find a channel that will be a perfect market and custom fit and yield potential returns. You could also experiment with a new channel before committing to using it regularly. Once you feel like the selected channel will give you the desired ROI, go ahead, finalise it and put out an engaging and authentic message in front of your audience to stay ahead of your competitors.

An increase in the number of communication channels today has placed increased importance on a brand’s preferred medium. Don’t let the vastness intimidate you. Instead, go out there and find something that will help you reach, retain and grow your customers.

If you’re on the lookout for an innovative, cost-effective and engaging communication medium that puts your marketing message right under the customer’s nose, drop an email to contact@www.gingercup.com.

The post How to Choose the Best Media Channel to Reach Your Audience? first appeared on Ginger Media Group.