You ask a question in a meeting and get crickets in return.
You send a message, and in return, you get a meme or emoji that has nothing to do with your message.
You post a serious update on your business social page, and followers start making jokes.
These are all examples of times you might need to rethink your communication.
Want to up your communication game? Check out Cudoo’s Communication Strategies course.
Here are few quick tips to help you plan before sending your next message.
Who is your target audience? Remember that while you might have specific information that’s important to you to get out, the message needs to be all about your audience. You need to know what type of channel to use. What do they like best: verbal, face-to-face, messaging app, social, phone, newsletter, or old-fashioned mail? What channel is your audience using most?
Next, consider messages, tone, and style that resonate with the audience. Do they need a solid call to action like, “Vote! Your freedom depends on it.” Do they respond to humor? Do they need clear information? Would videos and images help them take the action you want? Do they react to formal or informal language?
Research your audience to answer these questions before sending your next message.
After you send the message, evaluate its response and how the audience interprets it.
Thanks to digital communication, gathering information on your messaging is easy.
- Do a survey or poll.
- Check social analytics.
- Check newsletter opens.
- Ask people what they heard and their takeaways if the message was verbal. Check-in on any post-meeting gossip to get an honest response.
Once you have information, try again. Keep tweaking your mix of channels, messages, and style to see what sticks with your audience.
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