BoardroomArts.com

Web Sites As Media

There is little doubt that the Internet presents one of the most attractive platforms ever devised for promoters. Here is a worldwide forum directly accessible to promoters at little cost and without the need to have messages filtered through traditional media. In fact, a close look at the Internet shows a number of substantial advantages.

Cost. A basic Web site can be built for several hundred dollars. If you don't know how to do it, high school and college students can place a site online at reasonable cost.
Exposure. A Web site can reach millions of people worldwide, an audience which is available 24-hours-a-day, every day.
Content. It's your Web site, so you get to decide what to post. Items not appropriate for general media circulation, such as a background report or product catalog, can be posted on the Web.
Currency. You can update a Web site constantly -- and you should.
Cross-Promotion. A Web site can be cross-promoted by featuring your Web address (http://www. your-name.com) on stationery, packaging, business cards, products, news releases, and advertisements.

And while the term "Web" is typically a code expression for having an Internet site, being "online" should be seen doing more than building a Web location. As examples, you can be active with various "news groups" and on message boards. You can be a speaker at online conferences. And, most importantly, you can make a point of checking e-mail one or more times a day and responding to all the mail you receive.

Peter G. Miller is an image, marketing, and public relations consultant whose clients include selected national corporations, associations, and web sites. Mr. Miller can be reached at peter@boardroomarts.com