Media refers to a vehicle or means of message delivery system to carry an ad message to a target audience. Media such as TV, Radio, Print, Out-of-Home, and Internet are instruments to convey the advertising message to the public. The main goal of media partners is to select the media channel best suited to their product. Let’s proceed to the below article to find out the 4 types of media.
So, what are the 4 types of media?
In general, you can classify media into four types:
- Print Media (Magazines, Newspapers)
- Broadcast Media (TV, Radio)
- Out of Home (OOH) Media
- Internet
What are the 4 types of media?
Print Media
This type of media used to be the only way to convey information to the public. For the generations of the 80s and 90s, print media was the only medium of entertainment. In fact, they learned everything from newspapers or magazines: recipes, celebrity lives, weather, business, politics, and more. Print media includes:
- Newspapers are a major source of information for a large number of audiences. They may be daily or weekly, national, or local. Newspapers include news related to sports, politics, technology, science, cooking, national/ international news, as well as entertainment news. Our parents grew up with this type of print media.
- Magazines are specialized advertising media that are printed on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual basis. They serve information about education, finance, food, lifestyle, fashion, sports, etc.
- Books focus on a particular topic or subject, giving the reader a chance to spread their knowledge about their favorite topic.
- Banners advertise a company’s services and products, hung on easily-noticed sights to attract people’s attention.
- Billboards are huge advertisements on the street to attract people passing by.
- Brochures are a type of booklet that introduces everything about one company.
- Flyers are used mostly by small companies due to the low cost of advertising. They serve the basic information about a company, its name, logo, service or product, and contact information, and they are distributed in public areas.
Print Media
Broadcast Media
Broadcast media describe the traditional media that include television and radio.
- Television is a principal source of information. It is one of the most authoritative and influential media as it can reach millions of viewers. There are hundreds of TV channels sharing various types of content to choose from: news, drama, movies, sports, animation, nature, travel, politics, cartoon, and more. It’s the best broadcasting media in terms of audience reach.
- Radio uses radio waves to transmit entertainment, information, and educational content to the public. This media is commonly used to promote products and services due to its wide reach of audience. Considerably, Radio is one of the most powerful media in the US. It reaches approximately 90% of the audience weekly. For this reason, there are over 15,500 radio stations in the U.S., all competing for a slice of this vast market. This is why radio is still a social media that greatly influence audiences’ thoughts and habits.
- Movies include movies, motion pictures, screenplays, motion pictures, or worldwide movies. This is the best type of mass media to promote cultures and spread social awareness. Movies have always played an important role in the entertainment world.
Broadcast Media
Internet Media
The invention of the Internet allowed breaking news to reach the globe within minutes. This rapid development of instant, decentralized communication is often seen as having the potential to change the mass media and its relationship with society.
- Social networking media include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Pinterest, etc. In fact, everyone has a social account. While we can find any news there, they can be misleading given the lack of regulations on the shared content.
- Online forums such as Quora, Reddit, are online websites where the community can comment on, text, or discuss a particular topic. Forums allow us to share knowledge with others who have similar interests. That is why it is considered the best platform for seeking support and help.
- Podcasts – a series of sounds focused on a particular topic or theme. We can listen to them on computers or cell phones. This is a platform that allows people to share their knowledge and communicate with the world.
Internet Media
Out of Home (OOH) Media
Out-of-home (OOH) media, also known as Outdoor Advertising, is advertising media that display outside of your home. Approximately, OOH represents spending of about $29 billion across key markets around the world. In fact, some of the world’s biggest firms, such as McDonald’s, Apple, Amazon, HBO, and Coca-Cola spend millions on this type of marketing in their campaigns.
- Traditional Out of Home: Billboards (static & digital, and wallscapes), Posters (the billboards little brother, also static and digital), Buses (sides, backs, wraps, interiors), Commuter Rail & Subway (media at entrances, on platforms, and in the trains), Transit Shelters & Street Furniture (Bus stops, street kiosk, informational pillars), Airport Media, Taxis
- Non-Traditional OOH: Mall Advertising, Fitness clubs, Cinema, Gas Stations/Convenience, Stores, Truckside Advertising, Salon Advertising, Laundromat Advertising, Pizza Boxes, Coffee Cups, Pharmacy Bags, etc.
- Experiential / Event Media / Mobile OOH: Street Teams, Scooters, Segways, Branded Food Trucks, Mobile Billboards, Pop-up Stores, Projection Media, Video Trucks, Wrapped Vehicles, Custom Tour Buses, 3D Projection Mapping
OOH (Out-of-home) media
What is the best type of media?
Today, the Internet is a hotspot for marketing, no matter what type of business you run. Due to this, it’s important to use digital marketing as the right strategy.
However, some people prefer offline for more types of direct marketing. Therefore, you need to do your homework and learn effective strategies or get overwhelmed by the competition.
We hope you use this guide as a starting point. Most importantly, one of our best advice: don’t limit yourself to just one type of media. Some of the best business approaches come from drawing on the best techniques for your company.
