The appropriate communication channels to engage successfully with the priority audiences and deliver your objectives
Now you’ve identified who you need to talk to and what you need to say, deciding the channels you’ll use should be straightforward.
You need to get in front of people where they are and where they’ll be open to your communications. So you’ll need to consider which channels do your target audiences typically use and which channels, due to their typical content, tone and consumption patterns, suit your messages and likely content.
Try not to get drawn just to the new and the shiny and forget about the obvious. For instance, if your audience segmentation is strongly location-based, printed posters and leaflets might still have an important role to play.
Paid, Earned, Shared, Owned (PESO)
Using the PESO model can be a useful way to understand the available channels.
Paid is any channel where you pay to reach your audience, such as social media ads, Google Ads, sponsored content or influencer partnerships.
Earned is the exposure gained from press coverage, mentions and word-of-mouth referrals. Which newspapers, tv and radio programmes, websites, blogs etc are you targeting for media coverage?
Shared focuses on social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and LinkedIn, where brands and audiences interact directly.
Owned includes all channels your brand fully controls, like your website, blog, podcasts and email newsletters.
Existing communities
Don’t presume that just because your target audience is on a particular channel, they’ll expect you there too. What channels best suit the personality of your brand? If you turn up on a channel that doesn’t suit your authentic voice, it’s a bit like gate crashing someone else’s party.
But perhaps you can find a party where you’re welcome and find some new friends. Your channels strategy should include identifying existing communities that will be good places to spread your message and gain supporters.
Channel mapping audiences and objectives
Once you’ve decided what channels you’ll be active on, map each channel to the audience group(s) they can reach and the objectives they’ll help deliver. For instance, it might be appropriate to use a channel strategy to reach different audiences with tailored messages – maybe Instagram for potential volunteers, Facebook and email for financial supporters, X for specialist political and media audiences and so on.
Reading and resources
- Make it Matter, Barrell, J (2014). Chapter 7: Channel planning