Step-by-Step Guide
Step 2: Determine your communication methods
There are a number of ways to get your message out. Beyond determining how best to reach your audience given your budget and your timeline, there are certain methods that are best for specific purposes.
| Method | Best for |
| Ad/ Poster/ Banner Arts, Sciences, Prof Programs (ad)
|
- Brief, simple message
- Creating a 'call to action'
- Events
- General audiences, and/or publication-specific audiences
- Shorter timeline to develop
|
| Brochure/Catalog |
- Broad overviews or detailed messages
- Direct delivery to target audience
- Long-lasting messages
- Longer timeline to develop
|
| Postcard/Mailer/e-Mailer/Flier |
- Brief, simple messages
- Creating a 'call to action'
- Events
- Direct delivery to target audiences
- Lower-cost advertising
- Shorter timeline to develop
|
| Merchandising/ Premiums/ Giveaways/ Promotional Collateral |
- Attention-getting
- Brief, general message - primarily logo - URL
- Emphasis on visuals
- Helps create awareness and loyalty
- Often requires special distribution (e.g. hand delivery, online/campus store)
- Relatively quick to produce, though timeline varies by complexity, quantity, and distribution methods
|
PowerPoint
PP-Mission-Vision
PP-NextGeneration-BSU
PP-Pine-Students
|
- Broad overviews or detailed messages
- Information best conveyed via multimedia (e.g. charts, graphics, videos, bulleted lists)
- Information in a linear form
- Information that needs updating frequently
- Direct delivery to target audiences
- Development timeline depends on complexity of message and presentation
|
| Online (website, web page, e-mailer) |
- Broad overviews or detailed messages
- Information that needs updating frequently
- Reaching younger audiences
- Longer timeline (for websites) to develop
- Interactivity is desired
|
| Campaign |
- Important message(s)
- Creating broad awareness, change of attitude, perception, or behavior
- Longer timeline to develop and implement
|