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The Message or the Medium

by | Dec 20, 2016 | Communication

Send Your Message in an Appropriate Medium

In 1964, Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase “the medium is the message.” Due to a publisher’s error, his follow-up book became The Medium Is the Massage. Being writers, we certainly can understand typos. But when they are so right-on — as McLuhan thought when he saw the mistake — they must deliver some underlying, deeper truth.

And as true as both sentiments were in the 1960s, so they remain valid today. The medium you use to send your message has just as much to do with its acceptance as the words you use to convey your ideas. As a matter of fact, the medium you choose may have even more to do with the validity of your message today than it did back in the day.

Hands using cellphone to send your message

The Medium Speaks

McLuhan posited that the means by which you deliver a message becomes embedded in the actual sentiment. In 1964, marketers chose between radio, TV and print. Which one they used to put out their word actually shaped (or massaged) the way it was ultimately perceived. Imagine if the Canadian philosopher and public theorist saw the way consumers communicate today.

He’d probably take solace, knowing that he was so very right. And it’s this question of “what comes first: the message or the massage?” that keeps marketers up at night. And to get a handle on the entire concept, you may need to boost your market analysis to find out the level of importance your target market places on how you send your message — and what your medium says about you and your company. As an extreme example, what would you think of a company that sent out marketing materials by fax?

Who Are You Talking To?

Call a Millennial from your landline to invite him to your launch party, and you’ll probably never see that guy at any of your company events (nor see his name come across your desk as a new client). But send your message in a tweet or a post on a hot community Facebook page, and he very well might show up with all his friends in tow.

Tweet that you have a special going on for seniors — and have fun sitting all alone at your business. But if you send an email or leave a voicemail message about how much you appreciate his previous business and want to show your appreciation with a sale just for him, and you better make sure you have plenty on hand. You’ll be swamped.

How You Send Your Message Says a Lot About You

So not only do you have to consider the message your prospective target sees, but you also must take into consideration just what your choice of medium says about you and your trend savviness. Ask a Millennial, for example, to call you back with her RSVP, and she may just roll her eyes and say, “No thank you, dinosaur.” Ask a Baby Boomer to post her RSVP on Facebook, and she’ll just pretend she didn’t hear you and wonder about your trustworthiness.

The medium you choose tells the world whether you’re hip and with-it or old-school and ready for retirement. So what’s a business owner to do when you want to reach a diverse audience of all ages, but don’t want to come off as a Luddite? Consider the facts:

  • All generations use email.
  • Email is one of the most trusted sources of contact for Millennials, Gen Xers and Baby Boomers.
  • Consumers over 65 use email, but still prefer postal mail.
  • Mobile apps, text messages and social media are strong media for reaching Millennials, but drop off drastically as the media of choice for everyone else.

Texting is one medium for sending your message

Basically, email is the safest medium to use when you want to reach the most people. You also can’t go wrong with a high-quality website and interesting blogs to send your message. Consider:

  • 87 percent of all adults use the Internet.
  • 97 percent of consumers 18–30 use the Internet.
  • 67 percent of those over the age of 65 use the Internet.

The Moral of the Story

The point of all this is to:

  • Applaud your use of the Internet to reach the most people.
  • Remind you that you’re being judged by your constituents in ways you may never have even considered, so listen closely to their feedback.
  • Be nice, use the appropriate medium for your message and surprise: you’ll make money.

If you’re having trouble coming up with a new topic or engaging content to fill your tweets, posts and blogs, contact Ray Access. The writers and editors of Ray Access are poised to come to the rescue. Whether you want to reach Millennials who prefer communicating through emoji’s rather than talking on the phone or the high-end Baby Boomers looking for more ways to spend their money, Ray Access can pointedly reach your audience with just the right amount of savvy. We can speak the language of your readers, no matter who they are.

Our medium is the message, and we know how to massage the written word, yo. So relax, sis, chill and veg-out. It’s all good, cool — lit. And it’ll be very much to your liking, sir, right up your alley and smooth as silk stockings.

Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.