Messaging is probably the most important element to any marketing and communications campaign, as it represents the core of your PR strategy.
Building the right message is easier said than done in the era of social media, when so much is shared and often times distorted.
Growing up in Athens, my grade school friends and I used to play a game called “broken telephone,” where the first in line would whisper a word to the person next to them and so on. By the time the communication reached the last person, usually with 6-8 kids playing, the word had changed completely!
It’s a similar concept with messaging for a business. You want to ensure the proper channels are in place to carry the message forward by keeping it intact:
- Strategize by prioritizing what properties of your message you are willing to lose as the message is shared, and shared again. With FB and Tw, you expect anything you post to be fair game and go viral. Know in advance what you want people/fans/followers to talk about and what types of conversations you would like to see on social media.
- Choose the right media for your message. This is a no brainer, especially when you know what social networks work best for you. Take the time to research if LinkedIn or Facebook or YouTube is best. They may all work, or only one. Maybe even none. You need to make sure before you send posts out to the digital space
- Choose the right professionals to build your message. Message builds content these days. Period. If you don’t have content, you can’t share it, no one can talk about it, and web traffic dwindles. Keep the buzz going with the best professionals who understand your industry and know how to manage your expectations.
- Expect that social media will keep changing, and so your message has to be multifaceted. Keep several angles attached to your message so you can refresh it with new contect and conversations. The more angles you can come up with, the better story you will be able to share with the right people.
It’s important to know that building a message takes time and is a strategic communications process that will evolve with the objectives and goals of your client’s business. Being flexible as a PR person and making changes where necessary is helpful and can lead to success in the long term. Since messaging enhances branding, it makes sense to invest in a long term approach that will yield high ROR and ROI.