What is Marketing Communications?
- Newsletters
- Brochures
- Marketing Collateral
Everyone has a story to tell…but is the narrative enough to bring customers to your door?
The truth is that just because you either operate or are part of a business does not warrant media coverage. What is the “hook” that will draw interest for your business and the people that make it functional? Just saying your company works proves nothing to an audience—let alone excites them. There must be a strategy involved to generate the type of positive feedback that makes a company appear to be proactive, an industry leader and on top of what they are selling.
Take the following example as a guide:
Your company has an event in which the proceeds goes to a local food bank or some non-profit organization. That premise is a good start, but where does it go from there? Without a clear strategy in letting people know about the event, the cause, the mission and “the ask”—(a donation, volunteering, etc.), then nothing gets accomplished. Before proceeding, ask these questions:
- Where is this information going?
- What groups are being targeted?
- Which mainstream media outlets are going to be used? How far will the reach be for this event? (Local, state, regional or national?)
- Will social media outlets be part of the strategy, and if so, then which ones will be the primary providers?
- What is the end game for the company and for the event? (What is the company ultimately trying to accomplish and how will they measure their success or failure?)
The message can be sent to any number of places, but in order to get the most exposure, the best way of achieving that is through the local channels. That said, using the local media only one component toward gaining positive exposure. Attending networking meetings, chamber events or other networking groups can bring the message to other people one hopes to attract.
Remember: the idea of marketing communications means reaching those people that do not know your company or service exists. The more a company puts their name out will be seen as proactive. Think of it this way: How will your company or its event get noticed from the sidelines? It makes no sense to have an event and not let people know. Get the word out as early and often as possible to ensure that the message gets heard loud and clear.
Ask yourself this the next time there is an event, service or product that needs to be promoted by your company. How will your strategy be implemented and executed so that the most number of people see the message and react accordingly?
If your company can answer that question, then you will have passed the first step in staging a successful marketing communications campaign.