Social Media for Web Communicators
”Hitting the Narrow-Stream Media Channels”
 

It only seems several months since people were first talking about the impact of web blogging and podcasts. 

Today, there are other 100,000 new blogs (online diaries) created EVERY day with nearly 60 million live blogs already in existence.  Podcasts are growing at a phenomenal level, not just music, but also personalized content – news, information, finance reports and copies of radio programmes.

With over half of the UK population with home access to the internet - most of those on high-speed broadband – the stage is set for Web TV, online television, by small organizations and communities..  One example, YouTube was the fastest-growing internet brand in  – up 500 per cent to more than 50 million users.

Of particular note to web 2.0 Communicators is the following little known gem.  A third of British internet users watch LESS mainstream TV once they have broadband, while 27 pert cent read fewer national newspapers.  Almost a fifth switch OFF their radio.

International research demonstrates a very similar picture across Europe, Asia and here in America. 

Reaching audiences who don’t access mainstream media – TV, radio and press – has been a growing pr/marketing issues in recent years, particularly for commercial TV stations reliance on advertising based on audience. Now there is evidence that developing media technology is set to increase that figure even further – and faster.

Of further note, research indicates a narrowing of the key mainstream audience:  Audiences once most likely to access the TV News and read a national newspaper, are now also turning to alternative and more varied channels offered via the internet and multi-channel TV.

This raises interesting challenges for Communicators who could once rely on  “block booking” principles,  often via advertising agencies, to reach their key audiences across a number of  traditional TV and Press platforms.

Now, there are a multitude of content channels catering to a wider number of audiences. Where do young teenagers read the news?  How about platforms for minority communities?  And not just young audiences either.  Surfers aged 50 and over - so called “silver surfers” – are now the fastest growing number of internet users in the UK – and spend more of their time on the web.

In short, people can quickly and easily choose from a wide number of content platforms catering to their particular tastes, fads and profiles, many of which may be run either by enthusiastic individuals or small groups, for the benefit of a small and specialized audience.

Web blogs, podcasts, community websites and even Web TV are quick, easy and relatively inexpensive to set up, forging a concept now widely recognized as Citizen Journalism or Consumer Branding, ie individuals reviewing and engaging audiences with their own own reports and reviews.

In fact, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the UK has even established a Code of Practice for the new breed of Citizen Journalists.

But, there is one startling fact about these emerging platforms – from blogging, web TV, personal podcasts and community website – which traditional Communicators need to take special note.

These minority channels are often viewed as MORE credible and trustworthy, and certainly LESS official or overtly marketing-driven, then more commercial streams, including organisation’s own official publications and website. 

What can Communicators do?

Organisations, large and small, can set up their own channels geared to their target audiences or better still, use new techniques to engage with and help to influence existing established and credible sources. 

There are a lot of painful changes along the way while traditional PR evolves to ePR, or Web 2.0.

Hitting the narrow stream media channels, while relatively inexpensive, requires careful planning and consideration to maximize Communicator’s time and ensure a even and positive spread across key audience platforms.

Your once worst enemy could now be your best supporter, helping to spread the marketing message for you, by simply recognizing their “blog” or website, and ensuring they are on the circulation list to receive your latest “good” news.

Copyright Patrick Brooke
Area5, England.
www.area5.co.uk
2007



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