Heraclitus probably didn't have the Web in mind when he made this remark. Nevertheless, it's an extremely useful one to remember when considering your next steps in the thorny field of online media and marketing.
The most important question you need to ask is not necessarily "Should we be Twittering?" but "How can my business get the best from all of the new tools on offer, whatever they happen to be this month?"
We've chosen a selection of interviewees to tell you how their businesses are responding to new media, as well as examining the use of tools such as online forums and communities, blogs, mobile, and not forgetting the ubiquitous Twitter. Many point out that new media means new attitudes: a greater flexibility and openness to different ideas, and of course the views of customers.
With best wishes from the team at Knowledge Peers
|
Carol Savage, whom you may also have seen emerging victorious from the Dragon's Den, is the founder of MyDish.co.uk, a thriving online community. Her honest admission that "When we first started the business, what I thought then has been completely disproved" is a great illustration of the fact that you may need to try a variety of different tactics before finding the one that works with your target audience. Click to watch |
|
Simon Hopkins and Justin Spooner of Double Shot Consulting warn against the misperception that you should only allow customers a voice online if they have nice things to say about you. Click to watch |
|
Jim Prior of The Partners talks about adapting to the frequently-changing trends in online media. "Two years ago everyone was talking about Second Life and why it was important to have a presence on Second Life. Now no-one has a presence on Second Life, now everyone's talking about Twitter …" Click to watch |
|
Jim Prior has doubts about Twitter's longevity, but Brad Martin of Thin Martian explains its' many uses in business communication today. It's not just about showing off, you can also use Twitter to sell more doughnuts! Click to watch |
|
Alex Meisl of Sponge Group explains that a mobile presence gives you access to a huge additional audience who are accessing content on the move. But don't make the mistake of thinking that it's a simple case of "mobilizing" your website – it's not. Click to watch |
|
What's in a blog? Not a press release, that's for sure. James Cridland of Media UK stresses the importance of engaging your customers in conversation rather than simply broadcasting information to them. Click to watch |
|
Deloitte's Paul Lee outlines some of the benefits of digitising your written content – and the longer term ramifications, which could spell danger when dealing with a consumer audience. Click to watch |
