We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Steve Rubel, executive VP for Global Strategy and Insights with Edelman. Edelman is a global public relations firm, well known for being on the forefront of technological change. Click here for more info on Steve and Edelman. In these two clips from his interview, Steve discusses why and how businesses can become their own media company and self-promote. With the dispersal of media authority, audiences are increasingly becoming proactive in seeking out information. A gamut of opinions and facts are a simple Google search away. This is incredibly advantageous to small and medium businesses, those who might not have the capital to hire a PR firm like Edelman. When creating content, it is important to start small. A torrent of information and promotion will not only be expensive, it will likely be a case of sensory overload, so that the audience comes away with a diluted message. Online video is a concise, personal and direct marketing technique, which is becoming increasingly cost effective. One slightly left-field method of video promotion is to host ‘How To’ videos. By creating content that shares expertise in your business’ chosen field, and placing it online somewhere accessible by the public (especially YouTube), you can have your audience seek you out, satisfy a need that they have, while reinforcing your brand as being the experts on the topic. One of the major side effects of this democratisation of information is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to stand out. When everybody can be an expert, then we see a dilution of what ‘expert’ means. The best way to be head and shoulders above the crowd is to be innovative, to present new concepts that address the core needs of your target audience in a new way. By self-promoting in this direction you will not only be viewed as an expert in your field, you will become leaders in it, and more and more people will come to be seeking out your online content. In this way, you will have built your brand and brought in new customers, all without spending a fortune on a big marketing campaign. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BuLeeLNT4I http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INl7dDkaDXk
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