Successful use of new media to build your business or organization requires engagement with others online using a constantly changing set of communication tools that deliver great content.
Some of these tools and networks are standalones, but most work together to enhance traditional marketing and advertising.
The success of any new media marketing plan for a business or organization trying to position itself in the marketplace depends heavily on a well-developed, well-optimized, serviceable website that can serve as a hub for all the company’s new media tools. Websites today must serve as the workhorses for marketing, advertising, public relations and all other organizational communications.
Today, they should no longer be about aesthetics and “cool” features such as Flash, but instead emphasize function and search engine optimization (how easily the website can be found when viewers use keywords to do a search in a browser program). This is a different website than the awe-inspiring, feature-filled ones we were all enamored by just a couple of years ago. New media facts to embrace:
— New media enhances traditional marketing and other vital corporate communication by building a brand using fresh, new networks and efforts such as viral marketing.
— New media efforts should in no way be considered a “campaign” but an ongoing dialogue that builds relationships over time. It requires keen writing skills, continual nurturing, daily management, updated tool sets and plenty of patience and perseverance.
— New media is not just social media, but it does include it.
— Building fruitful relationships with both current members and potential customers through new media requires transparency and authenticity of the highest order.
The old days of harboring “corporate secrets,” painting a rosy picture of things that aren’t, sweeping problems under the rug, sharing only parts of any given problem and obscuring the truth are gone, kaput. New media communication requires a special, highly authentic “voice” making it more like public relations than advertising.
— New media is much less expensive than traditional media, but not altogether free.
The tools and tactics of new media change or are updated continually, so small investments must be made along the way to stay current and relevant. The talent and know-how to manage new media also requires an investment in staffing.
Paige Henson is a new media consultant and certified inbound marketer.
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