The message must be right for the medium – and vice versa.

The message and the medium must be in harmony.

The “3 Ms of Marketing” are the Market, the Message and the Medium (in that order!). In other words, firstly be clear about the Market you are targeting, secondly decide the precise message for that particular market segment or customer type, and thirdly, select the medium which is the best vehicle for delivering that message.

It’s common sense, really. There needs to be a harmony between the target market, message and medium for any marketing campaign to be effective.And so the message must be right for the medium too.

Having selected a medium, the ‘style’ of the message must be appropriate to it. We all know that email allows a different ‘etiquette’ or writing style than a printed letter. Similarly, social networking media tend to be very laid back and informal. The message might be the same but its style should fit the medium.

For example, my photo on my website is different from the one I use for my Facebook profile. They are both true images of me, to show people how I look, but the one in facebook shows me bathing in the hot volcanic waters of the Blue Lagoon in Iceland. (Not a photo I would have chosen for my official website!)

Graphic Designer Leanda Ryan uses an informal photo for social networking purposes, and in a separate article she discusses the benefits of social networking for business, using the informality of social networking to make business contacts. See Online Social Networking for Business.