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One of the great revolutions in technology came when the web went from mostly a monologue to a conversation. This paradigm shift, often called Web 2.0, relies on readers to post content, photos and comments. From the dawn of this user-generated idea, sites such as MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, and the current favorite, Twitter, were born. Now more than 70 million people use a social networking site every day.

 

Whether you own a small or large business, an author, an entrepreneur, solopreneur, boompreneur or want to help your church or non profit organization get the word out about what you do in a natural way, harnessing the power of social media is a powerful tool.

With so many social media sites out there the key questions to ask is: What is your goal?

a. If you're trying to find the largest global group with unique interests and groups, then Facebook might be your best bet.

b. If you want to build a group of professional advisors who can offer you advice, insight, and professional contacts, then LinkedIn may be a better fit for your needs.

c. If you are looking for a hip, fast, and cutting-edge way to boost brand awareness, then Twitter may be just right.

The key thing is you want to be where your target audience is. Here's how to get more out of the current social media platforms.

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For anyone who doesn't like to read or write but wants to jump on to the new media bandwagon, podcasting may be right for you. Podcasting can be either an audio or video file that is delivered straight to your computer. If you have an iPod you can take this handy format along with you on the go but you don't need an mp3 player to listen or watch. All you need is a high-speed connection to download your file quickly and a computer to listen.

Audio podcasts

Sound is a powerful connection medium and nothing communicates faster than the sound of someone's voice telling a story. If you're a writer, think about telling your own story in your own voice. If you're a consultant, imagine sharing your best tips, interviews with industry leaders or guidance. If you're a nonprofit organization, imagine a first-person story from someone you've helped. All these elements take on a distinctly resonate tone when they are told through the power of tone.

Video podcasts

Using the visual medium is best for individuals who like to show, not just tell. Imagine you are an artist who uses the most unusual materials to create your masterpieces. Or a flute maker and photographer who pairs soulful Native American music with vivid scenes from nature or a bed and breakfast owner who wants to show off the scenic area of your town, there is no limit to what you can use a video podcast for.

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Many business owners and writers who promote their businesses or books online wonder whether a blog makes sense. After all in this Web 2.0 age you already have a website that gets traffic, you produce a well-read e-zine and make connections in social media networks. Why would you still need a blog?

In Technorati's State of the Blogosphere Report (2008), (www.technorati.com), the overwhelming consensus is that blogging is a global phenomenon which has hit mainstream:

• 26.4 million people in the United States have started a blog while globally that number tops 184 million people
• 60.3 million people read blogs in the U.S. while 346 million people read them worldwide
• 77% of all active Internet users read blogs

No doubt, blogging is here to stay. It's an ever-evolving medium that offers tremendous opportunities for the blogger such as:

Raising search engine rankings. The more you blog the higher your rankings on Google and other search engines.

Increasing online visibility. You are part of a community that thrives on linking and connecting. The idea is similar to viral marketing. Your post could be featured on other sites.

Low costs yet high-impact results. Creating a blog is free or is at a minimal cost. But the opportunity to effect your bottomline is significant.

Reaching a global audience in less time. No longer are you relegated to promoting your books one-to-one but promoting one-to-many.

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An e-zine is simply an online newsletter that is sometimes known as an e-newsletter. It's produced in HTML format (with graphics/images) or plain text and is delivered via e-mail at regularly scheduled intervals of time.

While other new media tools attract an audience, an e-zine goes out into the Internet universe and speaks to your audience (your prospects or existing customers) directly in their e-mail inbox. It's an in-your-face marketing tool that is highly effective. According to Jupiter Research (2007), "60 percent of business decision makers said Internet and email are the best ways for advertisers to reach them."

But e-zine marketers should refrain from advertising in a blatant manner. It's not about "buying my widget." It's consistently keeping in touch with your core audience and giving them valuable information. As a result, when you consistently show up with information that addresses your audiences' challenges and needs then you're perceived as an expert in your field.

Your e-zine could be delivered weekly, bi-weekly or monthly. The frequency depends on whether you are using other new media tools in your marketing toolkit. For example, if you blog several times per week, podcast once every two weeks then you may want to send a monthly e-zine. However, if your only point of contact with your audience is with an e-zine you may want to consider producing a weekly e-zine. The idea though is to have a variety of touchpoints where you communicate in different ways.

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A website is the most familiar aspect of online marketing but like a book, once you publish it, you must have an audience in order to flourish.

In the not so distant past, it was enough to have a website that functioned only as an online brochure. You'd get credit just for having an online presence with static information.

But today, with the advent of Web 2.0, everyone is interacting and connecting online. The website is now the official home for all of your online activity. All roads (links) from your other new media tools lead back to your website where you inform, elucidate, and educate your audience on what you offer.

The website has morphed into an active, collaborative medium where you not only speak directly to your audience but you can also interact with them as well as promote and sell your products, books, or services.

Websites now offer Web 2.0 features such as:

Forums and message boards that maintain the flow of conversation and feedback.
Audio and video testimonials that significantly boost the trust and credibility factors.
Interactivity in the form of delivering your message with video and audio that appeal to your audience's various learning styles. Offering them interactive quizzes, polls and assessments.
Transparency in the varied ways that your audience can reach you.
Language that speaks to the core of your audience's challenges rather than using "me-centered" language.

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Lena Claxton and Alison Woo are our guest bloggers during the week of October 16th. If you have any questions for them, add a comment to any of their posts. Here is some more information about How to Say It: Marketing with New Media: A Guide to Promoting Your Small Business Using Websites, E-Zines, Blogs, and Podcasts:

The essential resource for building a global community of customers.

How to Say It®: Marketing with New Media provides business owners with the tools they need to effectively market their company to today’s ever-evolving online community. Packed with power words, content templates, practical steps for getting the word out, and the essentials of speaking to the right audience, this book is the key to building a community of loyal customers online. It also offers quick tips for generating website copy, articles, podcast scripts, and blog posts months in advance, so any small business owner can start an online marketing campaign regardless of limited schedules and budgets.

About Lena Claxton and Alison Woo

Alison Woo (left) and Lena Claxton (right) are business coaches, new media experts for Forbes.com’s premier Business & Financial Network, principals in NewMediaMavens.com and the authors of How to Say It: Marketing with New Media: A Guide to Promoting Your Small Business Using Websites, E-Zines, Blogs, and Podcasts.