Choosing the Right Medium and Format for Your Message

You have a message you want to share with the world. It’s very important to take your time when choosing the right medium and format to get your message heard.

The medium is the way you will deliver your message, such as a written document, a video, or an in-person presentation. The format is the way your message is organized and presented, such as a report, a proposal, or a blog post.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing the right medium and format for your message:

Audience

Who are you trying to reach with your message? What are their interests and needs? Where are they most likely to find you and follow what you have to say? The medium and format you choose should be appropriate for getting the attention of the audience you want to reach.

For example, you need to train a group of new employees, do you plan an in-person presentation, run a webinar, or is providing instructional videos sufficient? That choice matters. If you plan to personally meet that audience and get immediate interaction and questions, you may choose the in-person method. Interaction is still available via webinar, yet can provide greater control over time and location. Maybe all you need is to have instructional videos or even a printed manual available. Ultimately, you need to choose the method that will get the response you want from your audience.

Message

What do you want to say? What do you want your audience to learn or do?

Some information is more easily expressed through certain media. If you are sharing data with your audience, visuals will support your communication better. However if it’s information to be referenced later, having printed material passes along the information more effectively. In that case, using email or other written material would be more useful than only visuals or speech.

It all depends on the intent of your message, you need to choose a medium that will maximize communication.

Budget

How much money do you have to spend on your message? Choosing the right medium should ultimately be affordable.

For print, there are methods such as writing a book, placing a newspaper ad, or publishing a journal. In addition there are audio podcasts and radio presentations as options. Many companies use social media to connect with target consumers or employees through advertisements and promotions. Video content is also a major force in today’s market. Each method has their own price point, and that is up to you to fit what works for your content within your budget.

Time

When do you need to get your message out? Consider the importance (!!) of your message and the speed of response that you would like from your target audience.

Let’s say you need to contact a colleague outside of normal business hours for something urgent. You could email them with the entire issue, but maybe a call or a text alerting them to the urgency of the matter might be more suitable and efficient.

Recap

• Be clear about your goals. What do you want to achieve with your message? Do you want to inform, persuade, or entertain your audience?
• Know your audience. Who are you trying to reach? What are their interests and needs?
• Choose a medium that is appropriate for your message. A formal report is not the right medium for a casual blog post, and a video is not the right medium for a long and detailed proposal.

As with any type of presentation, make sure to follow our rules:

1. Make sure your message is easy to read or watch and gets to the point quickly. People are busy and have short attention spans.
2. Use visuals to engage your audience. Images, charts, and graphs can help to break up your text and make your message more visually appealing.
3. Proofread carefully before you publish or share your message. Typos and grammatical errors will make your message look unprofessional.

The best medium and format for your message will depend on the specific situation. By considering the audience, the message, the budget, and the time constraints, you will make the right decision about how to get your message out into the world.

Image by 51581 from Pixabay

Other Resources:

How do you choose the best communication channel for your audience? (LinkedIn)

How to Choose the Right Medium for your Message (Forbes)