4 Media Communication Practices that can Improve Your Marketing Strategies

As a journalism student, I often get asked why I chose the profession. Personally, I enjoy it because I’m contributing to the growth and development of how people get their information, which affects how they lead their day to day lives. And although journalism majors don’t attract every crowd, the media communication skills acquired are not only universally applicable but also universally interesting — especially since new forms of media communication arise every day. As such, I’d like to share how the following four journalism skills can be related to business media communication.

1. Universal Appeal

Whether you consume information via newspapers, blogs, books, newscasts or apps, the number of today’s media outlets is extensive. The best part is there’s a communication medium to appeal to every audience. Some still prefer to have the paper delivered to their door every morning while others get news notifications pushed to their mobile devices. I remember waiting for school closings on the morning news each winter. Even though I could easily look it up on the Internet, for me, that sense of anticipation somehow beats the immediate gratification. Whether in ink or on a screen, the possibility of consuming information is virtually endless.

2. Instant Answers

The phrase “Google it!” has become a phenomenon that reflects the instantaneous nature of 21st-century communication. Writing college research papers no longer requires book citations because primary sources can be found online easily by just typing a few keywords. Of course, printed work is likely more reliable, but today’s tech-savvy users don’t want to sift through pages just to find one quote. We can now get millions of answers at our fingertips — instantly.

3. Connection to the Unknown

We can also use social media platforms like YouTube and Facebook to access videos, photos and life histories of total strangers in seconds. Human nature urges us to roam unknown territory and discover something new. Media communication allows us to connect with foreign entities and provides a sense of community and security. We don’t have to meet someone face to face to get to know them. An autobiography or a daily tweet is capable of uniting people across the globe. In one way or another, we all share at least one thing in common with MySpace Tom: our fascination with connecting to the unknown.

4. Jack of All Trades

At one point, writers and other communicators had to be authorities on a subject before they could write a book, create a website or anchor a newscast. People’s opinions got ignored if they weren’t recognized as a credible source. This is no longer the case. The desire to access unknown opinions inspires another interesting characteristic of media communication; you don’t have to be an expert to have an opinion and share it with the world. Comments, blogs and “likes” all play a part in shaping media communication by expressing our sentiments on particular subjects.

The next time you’re developing a new marketing strategy, consider how you could improve your efforts by utilizing these new communication models.