The road your message travels

Mission, audience, medium ¶ 

If the mission is your starting place, then medium is the bridge to your audience. ¶ 

Marry these three and your message will be compelling and true.

Mission you know. Or do you? How well? When was the last time your outfit refreshed its purposes and values?

At best, this is an executive-and-board-level task that informs everybody's work.

Audience (usually, audiences) should be at the heart of your communications project. The better you know them, the more effective you can be.

Question: How do you know them, and how well? Member surveys can be worth the expense if professionally executed, but you can learn a great deal by just talking to people.

If this is not possible, at least flesh out profiles for your target audiences. What is most important to them? How old are they? Where do they like to get their information? What social media do they follow?

Medium brings to your efforts constraints and opportunities. Each communications project has its own personality, strengths, and limitations.

Customs and expectations on social media differ widely.

Each platform has its best practices. 

Know these. No one form fits all needs, and you cannot be everywhere.

Synthesis

Base your choice of platform on your editorial purpose and knowledge of your audience.

You'll want to know what you can offer that they value, what social media they frequent, and whether they get information on their phones, desktops, or the pages of books and magazines.

Then create and design accordingly.

News writing is suitable for the web and, often, for other writing as well.

A good rule of thumb might be to use AP style for the web and a manual like Chicago for print.

Long-form content may be paragraphed and organized differently in print and online. PDFs make poor web pages.

I once created a reprint series available (1) in print, (2) downloadable (and printable) as PDFs, and (3) readable on html-based web pages.

Want to punch through the e-clutter? Today, print can be a distinctive choice, if slower than email.

Magazines and newsletters

Consider also the periodical space as a platform.

Whether in print or by email, each issue of a regular publication is a promise fulfilled in service to your mission. 

A periodical that is consistent, timely, and relevant to readers builds relationships with members, stakeholders, and others.

photo: Полина Андреева/Pixabay