It is important to truly know if your audiences use digital communications.

Digital communication has exploded in popularity and effectiveness over the past decade so that many companies and audiences use digital communications regularly.  Companies and individuals have jumped on the bandwagon that allows them to advertise and communicate well in the digital space.  While this has been effective in reshaping the way the public communicates, organizations must slow down and examine their audiences to figure out if their audiences use digital communications enough to make it a viable marketing tool.

Over the past decade digital communication has changed multiple time-honored traditions including invitations, quality time, and marketing.  Many wedding and event invitations are now sent through email instead of through formal hand written invitations; people spend time with one another differently now because of the ever-demanding social media presence; and, advertising and marketing professionals are relying more and more on digital communication instead of strictly using traditional means of marketing.

Social media and digital communication has truly changed the way we see the world, but should it change the way we do everything else?  The statistics say that 72% of U.S. online adults are using social media, but what about the other 28% and the rest of the world? Companies that are trying to reach those people need to sit down and evaluate if digital communications is effective for them.  While social media can still be helpful, it should not be the cornerstone of a company’s campaign that has multiple audiences that digital communication does not reach.

Your audience should be at the center of whatever communication strategy you use.  So it is essential to check and see if your audiences use digital communications.  This means research.  It is important to do research on your target audience before starting to craft a campaign.  For example, a nonprofit organization that builds water wells in places of need will communicate with their donors and volunteers through digital communication like e-mail, their website, and social media.  They probably won’t communicate with the communities they assist in the same way because their audience there does not likely have access to digital communication.

It is a simple step that makes all the difference.  Before starting to plan a digital campaign, think about how your audience would receive it.  It can make all the difference between a successful campaign and one that flops.