IT'S THE MESSAGE, STUPID!

How many of you remember this phrase? It was a frequently repeated yell in the advertising business "back in the day"and is even more critical to understand and pay attention to now.

The marketing world has truly been transformed in the past decade by the growth of internet marketing and its e-commerce business model. These days, the hot topic is social media and when, where and how it can be used to build a business. Such considerations as how direct to be with a selling message on Face Book versus using a soft, friendly communication to strike up a relationship first, occupy much of the business internet conversation. And, appropriately so, as one must learn how to use the new media effectively.

But selecting the right medium to use is a message issue not just a media one. It needs to reflect one's understanding of the audience being appealed to and their view and feelings about the product or service being offered. In many businesses, a clear, direct selling message is totally appropriate and the potential buyers are open about wanting to know more about the products available to them and their relative benefits. In a new category or one where the prospective user has no experience, a less direct appeal may woo the prospect to your site and be a more effective way for you to communicate successfully. So, the message is that, when considering alternative media to use, one needs to assess the audience being targeted before selecting the medium and to make sure the right type of message will be designed for the medium selected.

In other words, it is still the message first!