How to Say It: Marketing with New Media: A Guide to Promoting Your Small Business Using Websites, E-zines, Blogs, and Podcasts

238 Pages·2008·2.16 MB·English

by  Lena Claxton

HOW TO SAY IT

Marketing with New Media

A Guide to Promoting Your Small Business

Using Websites, E-zines, Blogs, and Podcasts

LENA CLAXTON and ALISON WOO
Prentice Hall Press
PRENTICE HALL PRESS
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
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While the author has made every effort to provide accurate telephone numbers and Internet addresses at the time of

publication, neither the publisher nor the author assumes any responsibility for errors, or for changes that occur after

publication. Further, the publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author

or third- party websites or their content.

Copyright © 2008 by Lena Claxton and Alison Woo

Please see page 213 for further permissions details.

Text design by Tiffany Estreicher

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No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission.

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Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data

Claxton, Lena.
How to say it : marketing with new media : a guide to promoting your small business
using websites, e-zines, blogs, and podcasts / Lena Claxton and Alison Woo.
p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN: 1-4362-5993-2

1. Internet marketing. 2. Small business—Computer networks. 3. Website development.
4. Internet advertising. I. Woo, Alison. II. Title.
HF5415.1265.C578 2008
658.8'72—dc22 2008015858
This book is for all who summon the entrepreneurial

spirit to explore new frontiers.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Nothing in life happens in a vacuum. The amount of support and encourage­
ment needed to create anything is both humbling and life affirming. This book
would never have been a reality if it weren’t for Sarah Jane Freymann and Jes­
sica Sinsheimer of the Sarah Jane Literary Agency, who discovered, nurtured,
and advocated for the project; and special thanks to Maria Gagliano, our editor
at Penguin/Prentice Hall Press, who saw the potential in our idea, nourished it,
and made it even better. We are forever grateful to Candace Levy, our copyedi­
tor extraordinaire, and the entire production and sales teams at Penguin, who
laid these pages out, designed a smashing cover, and made this book available
around the world.
Thank you to our New Media Mavens clients who were so supportive of
this material when we launched our seminars, which inspired us to write this
book.
Lena: Thanks to Alison, my friend and co author whose positive energy is
contagious! Thanks to my supportive friends—they know who they are. My
siblings, Cissy, Thelma, Bev, and Doug, are my rock! To Mom and Dad: Her-
mine and Walpole Rose, also Victor Rose and Margurite Claxton—I treasure
you forever. To my husband, John, for his love and unwavering support. To my
son Andre for his support and his out-of-the-box thinking. To my son Marc for
his creativity and lovely spirit.
v
Alison: To my dear friend and colleague Lena: I’ve enjoyed every minute
of our adventure. You are an inspiration! Thank you to all of my extraordi­
nary friends—including Doggie, Kat, Kay, Kate, Trish, Regan, Carline, Nancy,
Tony, Sandra, and Sandy—who always encourage me to stretch beyond my
limits. My deepest gratitude goes to my “godmother” Johanna, who opened
the door to a much greater world. But most of all, my heartfelt thanks to my
family—Vera, Joe, and Michael Woo (my mom, dad, and brother), who stead­
fastly believe that “anyone born the year man walked on the moon can achieve
anything.”
vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
CONTENTS

Foreword by Sandra Yancey....................................................................................................................................xi

Part One:

Setting the Stage for New Media Success

1. What Can New Media Do for Your Business?..............................................................3

It’s about Time.............................................................................................................................................................6

It’s about What You Say and How You Say It ..............................................................................7

It’s about Creating Community .................................................................................................................8

2. Finding Your Target Audience......................................................................................................11

How to Find Your Target Audience.....................................................................................................11

Creating Your Marketing Message.......................................................................................................15

Part Two:

Getting Your Message Across . . . With a Website

3. Website Essentials ........................................................................................................................................ 21

Technology Essentials...................................................................................................................................... 22

Core Essentials ......................................................................................................................................................... 27

Create Compelling Content ....................................................................................................................... 30

How to Say It on the Five Standard Pages of a Website .............................................. 36

4. Telling Your Audience about Your Website .............................................................. 52

The Power of Free................................................................................................................................................ 52

Promoting Your Website...............................................................................................................................54

How to Say It on Your Website............................................................................................................... 63

How Not to Say It on Your Website....................................................................................................64

vii
Part Three:

Getting Your Message Across . . . With an E-zine

5. E- zine Essentials ............................................................................................................................................... 69

Creating Symmetry among Your New Media Products...................................71

How to Say It in the Basic Elements of an E-zine ................................................ 73

Selecting Themes.............................................................................................................81

Technology Essentials.....................................................................................................84

Core Essentials ................................................................................................................... 87

Creating Compelling Content...................................................................................... 89

Additional E- zine Elements...........................................................................................90

6. Telling Your Audience about Your E-zine.....................................................................98

Who Is Going to Read Your E-zine? ...........................................................................98

Promoting Your E-zine.................................................................................................. 101

How to Say It with E-zines..........................................................................................103

How Not to Say It with E-zines..................................................................................105

Part Four:

Getting Your Message Across . . . With a Blog

7. Blog Essentials ................................................................................................................................................109

If You Build It They Will Come ....................................................................................112

Creating Symmetry among Your New Media Products................................. 114

Technology Essentials................................................................................................... 118

Core Essentials ................................................................................................................. 121

Creating Compelling Content....................................................................................122

8. Telling Your Audience about Your Blog.......................................................................132

Make Use of Blog-Distribution Tools ......................................................................132

Gain Exposure with Your Blog...................................................................................138

How to Say It with Your Blog .....................................................................................144

How Not to Say It with Your Blog ............................................................................145

viii CONTENTS