5 Ways to Boost Your Business Using New Media

Business owners and managers can take their companies to a new level of success by using new technology to develop a deeper bond with customers. Podcasts, blogs, mp3 audio, web video, a company's website -- all should be used to create a two-way relationship with the public. Ken Gullette, media relations coach, has five creative ideas to use the "new" media for your business and career success.

(PRWEB) November 13, 2006 -- Your company can get its messages out and develop evangelist customers by using some of the newest technology and social media in the right way. The evolution of mp3 files, podcasts, blogs, web video, email auto-responders, and other technology gives savvy businesses an arsenal of inexpensive promotional tools to open a dialogue with the public and achieve greater business success.

"We no longer have to rely on the news media or the expensive shotgun approach of advertising in newspapers or on radio and TV," says Ken Gullette, media relations coach. "Businesses can save many thousands of dollars by using the new media creatively."

One of the best things you can do for a customer, no matter what your business, is to let them know that you can make a difference in their lives

Gullette offers five strategies for reaching your target customers:
1.     Produce video commercials or business features for your website. "The videos should be short," Gullette says. "No longer than 90 seconds, and they should focus on the benefits to the customer. Ideally, it would be a video feature story focusing on a satisfied customer and how your product or service solved a problem or enhanced their life. By putting the video on your website, you can bypass expensive TV advertising and run it free, forever, to a targeted audience—your website visitors.
2.     Produce an e-book or e-pamphlet of valuable tips and offer it free on your website. Visitors opt in with their name and email address to get the download, and you can follow up with other emails every few days offering more tips along with special incentives to convert the visitor into a customer. "When a visitor comes to your site, you should offer them something of value to build their trust," Gullette says. "For example, a real estate agent might offer a PDF file of 10 Ways to Prepare Your Home for Sale. When the customer opts in, the real estate agent follows up regularly with helpful tips that build trust, along with encouragement for the visitor to list their home with that real estate agent."
3.     Start a blog that allows customers to ask questions and comment on your company, products, or services. "It's very easy to start a blog, but your spokesperson should be willing to tolerate the critical comments along with the good ones," Gullette advises. "Be helpful and resolve the problems outlined by critics, and you'll develop more evangelists for your company. This is one of the best ways to position yourself as an expert, an industry leader, and a company that cares."
4.     If you have a news release, record short "sound bites" and create mp3 files. Email those files to area radio stations that do local news. "You can include the mp3 file when you email a news release, and give the radio reporter permission to either use the sound bite or call for an interview," Gullette says. He spent 22 years in news, part of that time in radio. He also recommends putting the news release and the mp3 audio on your website's news page. Your comments on the web page can be longer than the sound bites that you would send to a radio station (those should be no longer than 15 seconds each).
5.     Produce podcasts featuring experts in your company, each week offering another valuable piece of advice for customers. Put the podcasts on your website and email the link to customers. "One of the best things you can do for a customer, no matter what your business, is to let them know that you can make a difference in their lives," Gullette says. "Imagine you're a news person, and each week you're going to write a story that your customers will hear and walk away with information that can help them use your products or services. This can't be hard sell -— it has to be informative, interesting, and entertaining. Do this for your customers, and include other incentives such as special discounts or freebies, and your business will grow."

Ken Gullette coaches business owners, nonprofit managers, and public relations and marketing professionals to boost their media relations skills for business and career success. His website offers a free 3-part e-course titled How to Write the Perfect Pitch Letter, for people who want to pitch story ideas to the news media. Each person that finishes the e-course gets free, personal one-on-one coaching of their own story pitch.

Gullette is a 32-year veteran of the news industry and media relations, and just last month placed stories in national media that resulted in a circulation of more than 114 million. Last year, the potential audience impressions from his media relations efforts totaled close to one billion. His coaching is aimed at helping anyone develop effective media relations skills. One section of the Media Relations Coach website is called News of the Day, in which Gullette scans the news each day and offers advice to his members on how they can quickly get thousands of dollars worth of news coverage—today. The site also offers interviews with journalists and PR professionals, audio and PDF coaching sessions, and video tutorials on media relations issues, including how to start a blog, how to produce a podcast, how to use video, and how to research reporters before issuing a news release.

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