News: It's what's trending

 Alright, my friends! This is a safe space! Let's all be honest. Who else falls down the TikTok, and Instagram Reels rabbit hole daily? It can't be just me. I start mindlessly scrolling while eating my morning bowl of cereal, scroll a little at lunch, watch a video someone sends me at break, and then fall down the rabbit hole as I wind down for the night. It's easy to do! We get caught up in a video, then go to the creator's page to see more of their content, we see people they create content with, we go to their page, and then before we know it it has been 2 hours and we are 8 creators deep watching someone restock their refrigerator. You may ask, "Savannah, what does this have to do with strategic communication?" Well, I am glad you asked.

The way we consume our information has drastically changed over the years. I can still remember my parents waking up every morning and turning on the morning news while they got ready. We would all sit in the kitchen and listen to the daily forecast and hear some snippets of upcoming news stories while eating breakfast before the school bus came. Every evening my father would sit at the dinner table and read the newspaper. He would always tell us some of the news so we could impress our teachers with our knowledge of current events the next day at school. This scenario seems so antiquated now, but it was how most people learned about what was happening in the world around them. Newspapers broke major headlines, we got more details on the 5 o'clock news, and by 10 o'clock everyone thought they were an expert. Communicators knew that they had time, limited but still time, to do a little research before reporting on the news.

Today, almost 86 percent of Americans get their news via their smartphone or tablet. This means that people are not sitting around listening to news broadcasts or reading the newspaper at the dinner table anymore. Now, major news organizations have to be strategic with how they communicate the news to consumers. Some news organizations have created their own apps which allows them to have the capability to send out push notifications. This is beneficial for reaching pre-existing consumers, but how do they reach potential consumers? Well, this is where social media comes in. 

Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok are quickly becoming major sources for news. From reels, posts, videos, and tweets, the options are endless when it comes to content creation. This is not just specific to news organizations either. Government agencies, local police and fire departments, and even businesses are all joining social media platforms to get their messages out to a broader audience. Even TV personalities are becoming "influencers" and have their own following. A local Alabama meteorologist, James Spann, has become nationally known thanks to the power of social media. So, how are these organizations using social media to strategically communicate their messages? 

For one, each social media platform has its own niche. Curating content to fit those niches enhances viewership. For example, X is used for quick updates such as traffic conditions, amber alerts, and weather advisories. For more in-depth stories, an ideal site would be Facebook. A local police station in my state streamed a highly anticipated press conference on Facebook this past summer knowing that they would get the message out to more people due to comments and shares amongst friends. Knowing what message goes where and how that message would be communicated is strategic.

Another way this communication is strategic is by knowing your target demographic for a particular message. While TikTok will reach a younger demographic, Facebook or traditional newscasts will reach an older demographic. To that same point, the younger generation wants their news delivered quickly and simply. Knowing the preferences of your target audience adds a level of strategy as well.

Lastly, organizations are being strategic with who delivers news. Influencers are quickly taking over the scene. While influencers are commonly seen as just promoting products, this is not always the case. For example, James Spann, a meteorologist out of Birmingham, Alabama, has quickly become seen as an influencer. More often than not, I see posts stating "I'll believe it is true when James Spann posts about it". He has become a person of authority, an influencer if you will. Using these notable public figures as spokespeople adds a level of strategy to communicating messages, especially if the public figure is highly regarded and trustworthy.

Strategic communication, at its core, is communicating the best message, through the correct channels to reach the right audience. By using social media platforms to disseminate your message, you have the potential to reach a broader audience in a much shorter time. I personally have found myself searching Facebook when I hear that something has happened versus turning on my local news station. While traditional newscasts are still highly relevant and beneficial, it never hurts to have more tools in your toolkit to use when needed. Strategic communication is about evolving your methods to ensure success.