{"id":275,"date":"2018-04-27T15:22:40","date_gmt":"2018-04-27T13:22:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sortlist.com\/blog\/?p=275"},"modified":"2025-10-22T00:25:18","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T22:25:18","slug":"communication-channels-find-your-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sortlist.com\/blog\/communication-channels-find-your-way\/","title":{"rendered":"Media or Non Media: Your A-Z Guide to Communication Channels"},"content":{"rendered":"

You’ve got to communicate for a company that wishes to launch a new product or for a new company seeking notoriety. To use the jargon, your options for getting your message out there<\/strong> are media and nontraditional (non media) channels<\/em>.<\/p>\n

However, communication is a whole art, a whole universe. Given what is at stake, it is essential to know how to convey your messages to the right people through the proper means<\/strong>: the famous communication channels. <\/em>But what is the difference? Which is the most effective? For beginners, it can be straightforward to feel lost. So read on.<\/p>\n

Determine Your Communication Channel<\/h2>\n

Definition of a Communication Channel<\/h3>\n

In marketing, a communication channel is an approach used by a company to disseminate or exchange information<\/em>. In other words, it is the system through which the message was sent to reach its target.<\/p>\n

Identifying the Target Audience<\/h3>\n

\"target<\/p>\n

Before even thinking about a communication channel, a company must first determine its target audience<\/strong>. Are they young people, active women, or seniors\u2026 once you have that clear, you can choose a channel along with its related action plans.<\/p>\n

One thing that is crystal clear is that the same strategy does not work for every target group<\/strong>. To facilitate this, it is recommended to create a communication map<\/strong>, i.e., a description of the target audiences with a list of the communication channels likely to interest them, to determine the best medium.<\/p>\n

Establishing a crossover table<\/strong> between the target audience and each communication channel is also possible and can be a handy tool.<\/p>\n

Determining Where to Communicate<\/h3>\n

Depending on the target audience, the place of communication differs.<\/p>\n

Schools and universities are undoubtedly the perfect places to raise student awareness. To capture working people, businesses, restaurants, and public transportation are amongst the best places to find this niche of people. Or a less formal approach can also be used through social networks, shopping malls, etc.<\/p>\n

The nature of the message or campaign must be taken into account<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In brief, identifying the real or virtual location and the precise moment when you are most likely to meet as many of your target audience as possible is crucial to your media strategy.<\/p>\n

Budgeting Your Communication<\/h3>\n

Communication, whether through media or non media channels, always involves budgetary constraints.<\/p>\n

So before embarking on a campaign, it’s essential to ask yourself:<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cDo I have the financial means to support this campaign<\/strong> via the selected communication channels?”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

If the answer is no, then cheaper communication channels should be sought. Seeking outside support<\/a> is another avenue to explore.<\/p>\n

Media Channels<\/h2>\n

What Is Communication via Media Channels?<\/h3>\n

Before the democratization of the Internet (i.e., the ’90s), communication via the media was aimed globally at a group of people sharing the same interests. The most common means were the <\/strong>press, billboards, cinema, television, and radio<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

These were and are still referred to today as nontraditional advertising<\/strong> mediums.<\/p>\n

Nowadays, the web offers the possibility to personalize communication in media<\/strong>: sending personal notes directly in email boxes via email marketing<\/a>, on social networks\u2026 The success is such that it has become the sixth advertising medium and by far the most effective.<\/p>\n

Traditional Media Channels<\/h3>\n

Print Media<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"printAlthough increasingly abandoned in favor of digital media<\/a>, many companies still use the written press<\/i>\u00a0for their advertising campaigns alongside current news.<\/p>\n

Convenience and accessibility<\/strong> are the main reasons, especially for older generations who have little or no understanding of how the Internet works or do not have access to the web. By targeting a specific audience, newspapers, magazines, and journals remain very effective.<\/p>\n

It is the best way to support a B2B communication, product launch, or an event closely affecting a company<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Radio<\/strong><\/h4>\n

With audio content booming<\/a>, being heard on the radio is valuable no matter the channel<\/strong>. Just like with any means, knowing how far you want your message to be heard is essential.<\/p>\n

Companies can use both national and regional radio<\/a> to achieve their objectives. This a great example of geographic targeting in communication <\/strong>– where different content or ads are offered to consumers based on their location<\/em>. It’s a concept familiar to the age of being ‘online,’ but one that’s been around for decades in more traditional media.<\/p>\n

Event announcements, product launches\u2026 in short, all local actions can be conveyed via radio<\/a>. Its<\/strong> local flavor can significantly impact ROI when used in conjunction with the right product.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the negative point remains the absence of images, which means that the public may quickly forget what they have heard if the word is not particularly striking. That’s why they make those jingles that stick in your head!<\/p>\n

Television<\/strong><\/h4>\n

TV programs and pages play a significant role in the advertising landscape: able to be both general. As a mass medium, it targets national and international markets<\/em> through cable channels and satellites.<\/p>\n

It can also address a specific target on thematic channels<\/strong>. It is a support of choice in the presentation of a new product: mode of use\u2026 The major disadvantage of television is its high cost, making it difficultly accessible to all companies.<\/p>\n

Cinema<\/strong><\/h4>\n

To target the 15-50 age group, cinema is a promising channel. Advertising spaces in the cinema are generally efficient<\/strong>, mainly because the viewer has no choice: no remote control to change channels, no mouse to click away, and a three hundred and sixty degrees booming sound system where you can convey your message.<\/p>\n

With the size of the projection screen, the comfortable seats, and the inactivity\u2026 it’s the perfect recipe for a receptive audience<\/em>. However, its high cost and the heterogeneous nature of the public count against it.<\/p>\n

Display<\/strong><\/h4>\n

In the city, billboards are a part of the landscape. <\/strong><\/p>\n

They offer multiple choices for businesses. Between the giant posters, the luminous panels<\/a>, and the markings on the ground\u2026 the possibilities are endless, even for placement: highways, bus shelters, buildings\u2026 However, its cost, and limited field of action are its main handicaps. Indeed, they are only accessible to large companies. However, it remains a mass advertisement that reaches a broad audience.<\/p>\n

Internet Web Media<\/h3>\n

In the digital age, the Internet is unquestionably the communication channel of excellence<\/em>. Indeed, given the ever-increasing number of online press and advertising community platforms (blogs, social networks, forums\u2026), the phenomenon is undeniable.\"internet<\/p>\n

Any newspaper that hopes to have a large audience or a brand that wants to make a name for itself, or keep its notoriety, must be present online<\/strong>. The strong point of the Internet is the saving of time.<\/p>\n

In a few minutes, a brand can create a Google AdWords<\/a> advertising campaign and a page on good old social networks (Facebook, Twitter\u2026) to promote its products and communicate with its customers\u2026 generally, the space is affordable. But the Internet is not infallible.<\/p>\n

Its use requires the greatest vigilance because<\/strong>, with the slightest deviation (false advertising, promise not kept, etc.), the company’s reputation is at risk of being tainted.<\/p>\n

Non Media (Nontraditional Media) Communication<\/h2>\n

What Is Communication via Non media Channels?<\/h3>\n

In 2013, nearly 2\/3 of French companies used nontraditional media communication for their campaigns. This figure shows how important the direct approach is to optimize its advertising<\/p>\n

messages since, by definition, nontraditional media communication is:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

direct marketing, where the company reaches its target audiences.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

‘Traditional’ Non media Channels<\/h3>\n

It is the cheapest communication channel<\/em>, so SMBs and VSEs often use it. Traditional nontraditional media includes:<\/p>\n