Did you know the average person receives over 700 messages a day? Since there is no possible way for us to devote the same level of attention to each of these messages, we are drawn to the messages that mean something to us. Those that are relevant and may meet a current or future need.

A critical part of every marketing communications strategy is knowing the most effective methods for sending meaningful messages. When it comes to marketing, organizations find that though it is easy to create the same types of collateral over and over again—because that is what has been done in the past, what the audience expects, and what is comfortable for the organization—it rarely results in the crucial change in behavior they seek.

Could the message have been better said in a different way? As the business world and technology evolve so do consumers, investors, vendors, and employees. Determining the message and the audience before developing the communications allows for more insightful and creative marketing communications that reach audiences with more impact.

When developing communications consider the following:

• Who is the audience?
• What is the message to be shared with this audience?
• What are their demographics and pyschographics?
• What is the audience’s preferred way to receive communications?
• Have they heard from you before?
• What is the relevance of the message to the audience?

Once the audience and the message have been established, determine the most appropriate communication vehicle.  If the audience is the technology companies, it may be an e-blast; if the audience is interior decorators, it may be a a branded tape measure. There are so many ways to send a message—a little foresight and a little creativity can go a long way to make your communications stand out from the crowd.