[Mannes on Marketing] Getting on Board with New Media

So now that you have mastered e-mail and successfully (or stressfully) launched your company’s Web site, you can sit back and feel confident in your online prowess, right? Not quite. Although the Web initially served as a one-way channel for companies to distribute information to their customers and stakeholders, today’s World Wide Web is an ever-evolving marketing tool.

Whether you are utilizing the Web as a customer, an investor, a consumer, an employee or even an employer, it is critical to note that the new Web destinations are more than a mere place to point and click. The Internet today is a place where information and opinions are shared, exchanged, reproduced and publicized instantly — creating the potential for businesses and products to soar in popularity or sink in negative buzz.

In the marketing world, we call these new Internet outlets “new media.” Here is a quick glance at the world of new media and some suggestions for delving in:

BLOGGING. A blog (short for Web log) is similar to an online diary where anyone can publish their commentary, thoughts and advice on a particular topic, popular news article or trend. More and more companies are choosing to blog. Corporate bloggers open a virtual door into their companies for current and potential clients and stakeholders. These blogs are designed to create connections with company leaders and their opinions on industry and topical trends.

Tip: Feeling overwhelmed or unsure where to even start navigating the thousands of blogs posted daily? Consider visiting technorati.com, which serves as a search engine for blogs. Type in pest-related search terms such as pest management, bugs, pest control, etc., and see who is blogging and what they’re saying. Once you are ready to jump into your own blog, sites such as blogger.com or wordpress.com can help get you started.

PODCASTING. At its most basic form, a podcast (a portmanteau merged from the terms “broadcast” and “iPod”) is a digital audio file that can either be listened to from your computer or downloaded and played on a portable media player such as an iPod. In addition to audio, podcasts can include video and pictures.

As the popularity of portable media players has increased, so has the popularity of podcasts. Producing a podcast can be as simple as plugging a microphone into your computer, recording your voice and uploading it to one of the many free podcast directories available online. Similar to blogging, you can podcast about anything and give your customers, employees and stakeholders immediate information and content relevant to your company.

Tip: Visit an online podcast directory such as podcast.com and navigate podcasts organized by categories. The site also will help you upload and post your own podcasts. Consider taking your blog to the next level by delivering it in the form of a podcast.

WIKIPEDIA. Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia where anyone freely can create and edit information. Search for the pests our industry combats, the chemicals we work with and various pest management companies and you have the power to add to, delete and create content on those topics. The articles published on this powerful tool get high marks in the search engine world — type in any search term on Google and a Wikipedia article is more than likely within the top five returned sites.

Tip: As more journalists and consumers turn to Wikipedia as a source of information, consider adding your company as a resource on various topics and linking the article back to your Web site.

FINAL THOUGHTS. The Web can be an overwhelming place, but marketing in the new media niche is well worth the learning curve. The best part? Most user-generated Web sites are free. Using them can give you an opportunity to interact with your customers and company stakeholders in new ways that position your company as in tune with technology and experts in the field. A greater Web presence will lead to increased traffic on your company Web site, increased awareness of your products and services and ultimately an increased customer base.

The Web sites highlighted in this article are a small snapshot of the online resources available to anyone with Internet access and an opinion or information to share. At the national level, the Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA) — the industry’s consumer outreach arm — monitors many of these sites to keep abreast of what industry influencers are saying.

Have fun exploring and discovering new media opportunities. I encourage you to keep your content consistent, but to be creative in how you deliver it. Good luck getting on board and smooth sailing!

Editor’s note: To hear a podcast with Cindy Mannes, visit www.pctonline.com and click on the podcast logo on the upper right-hand part of the page.

The author is vice president of public affairs, National Pest Management Association/executive director, Professional Pest Management Alliance.