SolveYourProblem
Internet Marketing Series
Vlogs and Wikis and Podcast Marketing
Perhaps you've heard about blogs - the hottest
communication story of last year. Commentators from Newsweek
to the Wall Street Journal, from CNN to PBS have devoted
time to the phenomenon. Blogs are just one of the new technologies
that are changing the way politicians communicate with voters
and businesses communicate with customers.
For marketers, these changes mean more direct interaction
with customers and potential customers. By speaking and listening
directly with the customer marketers are able to reduce the
expense for public relations and advertising. Of course,
these developments are worrying some in the pr and advertising
industries, as well as the news media.
Many things about marketing communication won't change,
of course: you still need to have something to say. And the
best way to apply all these technologies is still within
a business niche. With that said, here are some of the other
ways communication is changing:
1.
Podcasting is the hottest idea on the internet. Starting in 2004, people began downloading homebrewed
radio shows
to their iPods. So instead of "broadcasts" they're "podcasts".
Unlike streaming audio, podcasts require the file to be downloaded.
The advantage of podcasts versus streaming is that you can
take it with you when you're not on the net. The disadvantage
is that streaming audio is much easier for a customer to
play at his or her computer. The solution is to do both -
create an audio file for streaming, and an mp3 for podcasting.
The same recording can be used for both.
2.
A vlog is a video blog. Unlike podcasting, vlogging can
refer to either streaming video or downloadable shows. Combined
with the rapid development of internet video delivery, vlogging
seems poised to take off. As with audio, you can prepare
your video file in both streaming and downloadable formats.
Also like audio, you can begin with very low-cost tools and
work your way up to full blown professional equipment. Remember
that people like good production quality, but they like watching
something interesting even more.
3.
Wikis are websites that are editable by the site users. Content becomes part of a dialogue among the users, instead
of something fixed. This interaction can build strong communities,
and produce large sites with enormous information. Up until
recently, wikis have been difficult to use, and limited to
techs. New approaches to wikis are making them easier to
use, and reinforcing the next trend:
4.
Social software. Community sites that encourage sharing
and conversation are springing up in many areas. Photography
and music have been drivers of this trend, in addition to
political activism. Interaction builds community, and community
is where the market is.
5.
Almost all of these tools involve RSS,
a technology for feeding information to people who want
it. Unlike email,
which is "pushed" by the sender, rss feeds have
to be "pulled" by the user. While still not completely
mainstream, rss is a rapidly growing delivery system.
For the small marketer, the price of reaching customers
directly has dropped. Large corporations, though, are picking
up on these technologies rapidly. To truly gain an edge,
the small business person needs to develop a strategy for
these channels before the big companies figure them out.
