Internet Media 101: Nine Essential Mediums To Increase Your Exposure

With the Internet becoming more versatile in how information is presented and circulated, knowing which method(s) works best for you or your business can become more of an adventure than one would like. To help ease the process of you having to do your own homework, we have gathered up a glossary of potential avenues available to take (and, no doubt, may have already taken) to market you and your company in a way that can be a step in the right direction towards gaining maximum exposure in whatever your niche might be.

Website = A collection of Web pages, images, videos and other digital assets that is hosted on one or several Web server(s), usually accessible via the Internet, cell phone, or a LAN.

+ Anyone can start a simple website with available softwares, like Macromedia Dreamweaver, that are on the market. With the internet now being the first place most people search for information, having a professional-looking website has become increasingly more necessary to make an impression on visitors.

Blog = A website where entries are written in chronological order and commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. “Blog” can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.

+ Blogs require persistent management and frequent updating. Though most of the managing is done for you by the whichever service you choose, both are necessary to keep readers coming back. It has been said that one entry a day goes a long way. Professional Blogs are a great way to showcase your expertise and can help generate traffic to your site.

ePostcard = Similar to a postcard or greeting card, with the primary difference being it is created using digital media instead of paper or other traditional materials. E-cards are made available by publishers usually on various Internet sites, where they can be sent to a recipient, usually via e-mail. Sometimes, this is known as “HTML eMail”. This form of email opens as a site would, but in the email browser instead, offering the recipient a more graphic display than the common email.

eNewsletter = A regularly distributed publication generally about one main topic that is of interest to its subscribers via HTML e-mail. This like the ePost card with the exception that its articles link to the site they are hosted on.

Microsite = An Internet web design term referring to an individual web page or cluster of pages which are meant to function as an auxiliary supplement to a primary website. This is also known as a minisite or weblet. This is a great way to expand an existing site or create a feature focused on a specific product or service.

Podcast = A digital media file, or a series of such files, that is distributed over the Internet using syndication feeds for playback on portable media players and personal computers. Like the eCard and eNewsletter, these are being used professionally as a means of establishing credibility and expertise.

Internet Forum = A web application for holding discussions and posting user generated content. They are also commonly referred to as web forums, message boards, discussion boards, (electronic) discussion groups, discussion forums, bulletin boards, fora (the Latin plural) or simply forums. Generally, these are subject related. They are often used as a help tool where people can post questions or answer questions posted by the community.

Chatroom = A term used primarily by mass media to describe any form of synchronous conferencing, occasionally even asynchronous conferencing. This is typically less formal than the forum. While chatrooms often have a theme or area of interest, conversation frequently wanders.

Virtual Life = A computer-based, simulated environment intended for its users to inhabit and interact via avatars. This habitation usually is represented in the form of two or three-dimensional graphical representations of humanoids (or other graphical or text-based avatars).

+ There has been talk in the media as of late about corporations trying their luck at “virtual advertising” within these environments without much success. Here at Image Cog, we understand that this is because user dynamics change when applied to acting in a virtual world. With over eight million users registered at Second Life alone, this is a huge opportunity for those who reach these ever increasing populations.

Using these avenues simultaneously and wisely will result in reaching a broader audience. Having trouble getting started or are uncertain about how to properly execute your information into interactive media? We recommend getting in touch with a digital media company that will be able to suit your needs. Look for one that understands how these various points of media work in unison. Knowing that they are highly experienced individuals that understand user dynamics and how to effectively communicate the message you need to deliver is a must have. You definitely want a team that pays attention to the comparative nature of websites and how to out position your competition. This won’t be just any company, but a company like Image Cog that knows how to build up to a shameless plug. ^_–

Terms were sourced/paraphrased from Wikipedia

Tags: blog, business media, chatroom, e-newsletter, e-postcard, image, image cog, internet, media, microsite, podcast, virtual life, website