"New Media"

Inside our industry, over the past year or so, THE topic of discussion has been how to better utilize "New Media" for our clients. You know the topic is a hot one when the concept starts bleeding over into our clients' worlds and you start hearing "What's this 'new media' all about?" So, I thought I would dedicate this month's topic to the topic of new media... what it is, examples of, and how to utilize to your advantage.

Wikipedia defines New Media as:

"a term describing media that can only be created or used with the aid of computer processing power. It is a form of media that includes some aspect of interactivity for its audience and is usually in digital form. "

So, to paraphrase...if you are using your computer to market your business, you are probably utilizing one or more forms of New Media. For simplicity sake, let's limit our scope to marketing that utilizes the Internet as the medium of choice. But, let's not just limit your New Media arsenal to your company's website. There are plenty of other tools you can use to boost your image and increase sales. Here are just a few:

1. Permission-Based Email Marketing: This newsletter is a great example. You send information to existing clients, prospects, partners on a regular basis. Much more cost-effective and eco-friendlier than traditional paper mailings. Technology allows you to monitor the readership and effectiveness of an email program. A real no-brainer for many businesses.

2. Social Networking Sites: You've heard of them before. Myspace...Facebook.... Did you know that you can use them to draw traffic to your company's website? Any time you have a website outside of your company's site pointing (linking) to your site...that's a very good thing. Why not use Myspace or Facebook to create mini-websites promoting your business? If your product appeals to young people, this is a real no-brainer.

3. Discussion Forums: This one is probably the least obvious of the bunch. I guarantee you one thing: whatever your company provides...I don't care what the product or service is...there is a discussion going on about it right now in a forum somewhere on the web. Why not take part in the discussion and be the expert? Do you think that would result in questions or hits to your website that would result in business?

4. Blogs: Blogging is huge. Anybody with a computer can start up a free site and share with the world the thoughts on their mind. Savvy marketers use Blogs to demonstrate their expertise, generate discussions, and drive traffic to their main company website. Remember, the more outside references to your main website...the better.

5. Podcasting: How's this for cool? If you have a computer and a microphone...you can have your own radio show! You get to blab and blab all about whatever is on your mind, post it on the web, and let the world listen in. Thanks to Apple and Itunes, the world of Podcasting has taken off. Great opportunity to really go in depth about your business and demonstrate your knowledge.

As you may be able to tell already, all of the above tools aren't effective if you don't have a website for prospects to visit. They read your blog, listen to your podcast, see your forum post...and you have their interest. What's the next step? Pick up the phone and call? Not likely. In order for you to be legitimate in the eyes of your prospects and clients, you need a modern, stylish, informative website. The website should be seen as the foundation of your New Media "campaign". All you do should build on the site itself.

Confused? No problem. Give us a call, and we'd be happy to help you navigate the murky New Media waters.

Perspective is Everything in Marketing

As marketing professionals, we meet with clients who want to reach out to prospective buyers and entice them to spend their hard-earned money. With that as a goal, you would think that more thought would go into actually getting inside of the prospect's mind to find out what THEY are experiencing day-to-day and how YOUR product/service can help them. Unfortunately, most businesses feel that they have it all figured out... More often than not, they are way off.

It's not what you think the client's needs and goals are...it's what the client feels, right now, that decides whether or not your product is right for them.

Let's take a hard left turn and look at this from a completely different point of view. Remember 9/11? Of course you do. Remember the sinking, awful feeling we all had when the tragedy hit NYC and later DC? What if in the midst of all that awful chaos somebody walked up to you and asked "Wanna buy a timeshare in Florida?" You'd probably ignore them, scream at them, or just stare in disbelief. But on 9/10, your perspective at the time was completely different...and you very well may have been one of hundreds of people buying a time share that day.

Okay, that was an extreme example, but let's look at it from a business perspective. Let's say you sell a special kind of widget. It's made of rare form of wood found only in South America. For years, you've been selling these widgets wholesale to dealers all over the country. What you don't know is that small portion of the dealer community is getting a lot of negative feedback from environmental groups. They want to save the trees that the wood comes from, and have been asking for versions of the widget in a cheaper kind of wood and/or plastic. Although it's a relatively small number of dealers having problems...word is spreading quickly...and orders for the fancy wood widget have gone down considerably. What to do??

If you're like most...you'll chalk up the lower demand to the economy or some other large-scale factor effecting all business. But, if you're smart...you simply call up a group of dealers and ASK them what is up. It's amazing what great things come out of a small focus group. You'll uncover things that you would have never dreamed of. You'll now see things from their own perspective.

For our make believe wood widget company, they may very well find that the environmental concerns are unfounded. A simple direct mail campaign to all of the dealers would educate them about how the wood is not a rare species, and in fact...your company has been planting two trees for every one it cuts down. The design and print of a booklet is a heck of a lot cheaper than creating a new product from scratch or dumping the business completely.

Perspective is everything. From where your clients and prospects sit, the world is a completely different place than yours. Take time to put yourself in their shoes, and it can do wonders for your marketing efforts.

The Future of Media

Who knows what the future holds for marketing and the various forms of media we use? In just the last few years, we have seen the marketing and media landscape change completely. The advent of the internet has changed the way people present their company and reach out to prospective customers...and technology will forever change the way we look at traditional media.

What's in store for us in the near future? Well, if there's one thing I have...it's an opinion...and I've been known to share it with anyone who will listen. Here is what I feel will happen to the world of marketing and media as we know it:

Newspaper: Sorry crossword puzzle fans... your old friend the newspaper is going away. Before we get all nostalgic and take to the streets in protest, toss aside emotion and think of it as what it is: a form of media meant to inform the masses about the local and world news. First, the second the information is printed on the dead tress...it's old news! I can go to cnn.com, read a story, wait five minutes, hit "refresh" and there are at least one or two new stories. The world doesn't sit still. Second, the form of distribution is ridiculously old. They kill trees, flatten it out into pulp, put ink on it, roll them up, put them in the mail and put them on your front step or at the local newsstand. For that privilege, you pay over a dollar a day. The alternative? Free news on thousands of websites and blogs..up to date... in living color...with video. Game over, newspapers!

Yellow Pages: Oh boy. This is bad. So much money is being spent on yellow page listings and advertisements...and I have no clue why. Every time one of those large books shows up at my door, it either goes in the trash or becomes a door stop. People just don't read them anymore. Sure, *somebody* does...but not enough to warrant spending any good amount of money on an ad. Instead, go for the online version. It will boost your Google ranking and drive traffic to your website. People research you on the web...not in the large yellow disaster know as the Yellow Pages.There is zero future for the paper yellow pages.

Outdoor Advertising: Now, your knee-jerk reaction may be "those old signs are going to go away!"....but not so fast. It just makes too much sense to place your message in a place where thousands and thousands of people can see it every day. Billboards and signage ain't going anywhere. BUT...they are going to change. The message will be much more dynamic. Laws will become less restrictive and motion will be incorporated. In fact, don't be surprised to see customized outdoor signage. You walk down the street and a sign on the side of the building changes and says "Hey Ralph! How do you like those new Nikes? Maybe it's time for a pair of Nike sweatpants?!" Sound far-fetched? Not really....do a search for RFID. The technology has been around forever and is being incorporated into our credit cards. Scary, yet very neat stuff.

Direct Mail: I don't really see this changing much. Email marketing is more restrictive than ever (thanks to laws like the CANSPAM act). Look for direct mail to be more customized to the recipient. Everyone in the neighborhood gets the direct mail piece, but each is a little different based on their demographics, tastes, etc. Variable Data is already used and is getting easier and cheaper to do.

Radio: Another dying breed. Hello iPod, goodbye broadcast radio. Why would I wait to hear what the radio station decides to play for me, when I can download the content and I want and send it easily to my portable player (or integrated car stereo). Look for radio to try and combat the iPod world by creating more and more unique content. Unfortunately, it'll be too little, too late.

TV: This one is along the same lines as radio. But, we are seeing the future of TV right now. Heard of the DVR? Advertisers HATE the DVR. People can easily record and very quickly skip past advertisements? Yep. Look for more product placements and advertising incorporated directly in the programming. We're already seeing more of this. It can be done seemlessly...after all, real life is one big advertisement (I say as I drink my Diet Pepsi). Along with DVR, the world of "download and enjoy at any time" has caught up with TV, as well. On Demand, Apple TV...there are many many options out there that will further tear you away from the old broadcast dinosaur.