‘You should use Twitter more,’ said Patrick, a social media consultant I was chatting to at a networking event for creative and digital businesses. He told me about several of his clients who’d increased sales through effective use of Facebook, Twitter and other social media channels. In his enthusiasm he was encouraging everyone to join the party and benefit from the new social media revolution. The only trouble was that Patrick hadn’t first asked me what my business objectives were, who were my target customers, and what were the messages I want to convey to them. In my view, the benefits of any particular medium can only be evaluated in relation to target markets and the particular messages to be communicated with them. Twitter might or might not be the best medium to use in any particular circumstance. Anyone who tries to sell you a medium without first asking about your markets and messages isn’t worth listening to. Even if the medium they are selling is a ‘sexy’ one. I switched off and politely moved on.

Working with media businesses, I often hear discussions about the merits of certain media for marketing communications. It may be enthusiasm about online video, blogs, social media, TV advertising or eBooks. These discussions are meaningless outside the context of a particular business, its products, and its markets. Only then can we assess the pros and cons of any particular medium. It all depends on how appropriate they are in conveying a particular message to a particular audience.

We can only ever have a meaningful conversation about the pros and cons of any particular medium if we have a clear marketing strategy.

Key Points

The pros and cons of any medium can only be evaluated in the context of the business objectives, prioritisation of markets and key messages.

What to do next