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How To Communicate Your Brand Message Consistently Across Various Channels

We live in an age of communication overload. Just consider how many modes of communication exist on your phone. Aside from even the phone itself and the ability to make calls and send texts, we’re able to communicate with one another via Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, Instagram messages, Twitter, Snapchat, LinkedIn, and more and more are … Continued
Anne Huntington Sharma

Anne Huntington Sharma

3 Min Read

We live in an age of communication overload. Just consider how many modes of communication exist on your phone. Aside from even the phone itself and the ability to make calls and send texts, we’re able to communicate with one another via Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, Instagram messages, Twitter, Snapchat, LinkedIn, and more and more are cropping up everyday. As a result, brands and companies today have to think more critically than ever about how they tell their message and where they tell it in order to reach their customer base and generate a connection. 

When my parents launched Huntington Learning Center in 1977, they took to the typical modes of communication at the time to get the word out: word of mouth, direct mail and newspaper ads. Over time as the media landscape evolved, so did their communication strategy – they began to weave radio and television ads into their messaging, too. Since I’ve taken on my role as VP of Business Development, we’ve also added more into the mix such as Instagram Stories and LinkedIn, and are even preparing to launch a podcast. Despite all this change over the years, what hasn’t changed is the mission that we share with the world throughout every mode of communication: to give every student the best education possible. Through this process, I’ve learned key lessons that can be applied to legacy and new brands. 

Telling a consistent story that resonates with consumers on every platform is the key to seeing tangible growth and building a positive relationship with your customers. So how do we do that? 

  • Think about your audience. Who is the typical consumer you’re trying to reach on Instagram, or via email marketing, etc.? Always have an individual, or persona, in mind when you craft your communications, and speak to that person. 
  • Boil down your message to your key points. What is the biggest takeaway that you want your customers to see when they interact with your message? You often have only a few seconds to make an impression, so make those seconds count. 
  • Think about a call to action. What do you want your consumer to do as a result of your message? Is it visit your website, download a podcast episode, share your message with others, etc.? Think about what you’d like them to do, and make it easy for them to do it.
  • Remember that how the message is delivered is often just as important as the message itself. For a visual medium like Instagram, for example, weaving in eye-catching imagery that corresponds to your message will lead people to engage with the content. 
  • Be authentic. As a legacy brand, traditional modes of communication have been a great resource for us to communicate with a variety of audiences. When we made the strategic decision to invest in new forms such as social media and a podcast we took our time to ensure our messaging and delivery would be effectively received on the new platforms. 

If you keep your audience in mind and stay true to your message throughout – no matter which platform you’re using to communicate – you’ll no doubt be able to build a successful communications strategy that can strengthen your brand’s reputation and foster relationships and connections with current customers and new customers alike.

Author(s)

  • Anne Huntington Sharma

    President and Board Member, Huntington Learning Center

    https://huntingtonhelps.com/

    Anne Huntington Sharma is the President and a Board Member of Huntington Learning Center, the nation's leading tutoring and test prep provider. Anne oversees business strategy and growth initiatives, including partnerships, marketing, digital and technological transformation, and franchise development.  Anne is involved in the arts as a collector, producer, philanthropist, curator, and founder of AMH Industries, a creative agency for contemporary art and culture. She is an associate producer on the Emmy-nominated HBO documentary, 'The Price of Everything’ and an associate producer on the documentary ‘The Art of Making It’. To date, Anne has curated more than 30 exhibits across the country and raised over $30 million for various philanthropic causes. Additionally, Anne is active with arts, education, and business organizations. She is a board member for the Learning Disabilities Association of America, Art Advisory Board member for NYC’s Coalition for the Homeless, member of the Women’s Franchise Committee for the International Franchise Association, member of the International Director’s Council at the Guggenheim Museum, and a founding member of the Future Leadership Council at the Whitney Museum. For her service, Anne has been recognized by SmartCEO, Apollo Magazine, and Moves Magazine. She has also been honored as a Woman of Wonder by Franchise Dictionary Magazine, named to the NJBIZ Education Top 50 list, as well as the NJBIZ 40 under 40. Most recently, Anne was named one of NJBIZ’s Best 50 Women in Business and was awarded the Silver distinction for the American Business Awards, Maverick category. Anne received her BA from Colgate University.