New PR: Become Your Own Publisher

I was interviewed a few days ago by a reporter writing a story on "How to Connect With Gen Y." She writes for a trade magazine, and was basically looking for tips on how small and mid sized companies can connect with younger buyers.

Over the course of the conversation two things occurred to me. A) I'm closer to middle age than youth, and B) How much the communications business has changed since I started.

Print PR is still fantastic. In fact, a story in a major paper is one of the best hits a marketer can get. However now you can be your own publisher. Start a company blog. Create a monthly newsletter or magazine and send it via email to your database with links going back to your consistently updated website. The client now controls the message, which is fantastic and terrifying at the same time. There's a lot of risk there.

Done correctly, a program like this can result in boosted Search Engine Optimization, fantastic customer feedback, viral spread of your marketing message and boosted sales. Done poorly, you can irritate your potential customer base and create a negative message that is permanently cached on the internet for all eternity. So how do you avoid the latter? As I told the reporter, tread slowly. Don't try to do everything yourself. Be open, honest and transparent. They will respect you for it and business will follow. Most importantly, be consistent. Nothing is worse than clicking on a blog or facebook page that hasn't been updated in six months.

Here are a few of my favorites you might find interesting. It's a mix of corporate, new media and traditional media takes on the digital publishing game.

Southwest Airlines Corp. Blog

The findingDulcinea Blog

LA Times Up to Speed

and of course my daily haunt, Autoblog

Let me know if you have any questions: Dan@KahnMedia.com