Identifying Channels for Your Communications Plan

Every tactic in your plan needs to be delivered to your audience. Understanding which channels are useful and available to you will help you decide how to deliver your message effectively. Let’s talk about some of the different types of media channels.

Owned Media

Owned media refers to all of the media properties where you control published content. This includes your websites, blogs, printed publications, YouTube channel, and other social media accounts.

Paid Media

Paid media describes media that you need to pay to be featured in, all paid advertising falls under this category, for example: FB ads, Google Ads, sponsored content in magazines and newspapers, sponsored IG posts, and traditional commercials.

Earned Media

Earned media refers to any other media attention that you neither own or paid for. For example, if a journalist chooses to report on an event you are hosting, or an influencer writes about your product. The key to earning media coverage is to tell a compelling story that is relevant to the audience of the decision making individual. By telling a compelling story you can often earn TV, radio, blog features, and podcast spots.

The channels you choose to use will depend on your objectives, audience, and budget. Paid media can be highly effective for reaching large amounts of people, but it isn’t necessary for every communications plan. Ask yourself what the best ways to reach your audience are, then align those channels with your objectives and tactics.

What channels have you had success with? Share stories of your campaigns and strategies with us.