Advanced technology and the social media revolution have led to a rise in media technology that is evolving on a daily basis. Every organization is faced with the challenge of getting on board with this social media revolution if they are to remain viable and reach their target audience. Determining the target audience(s) is one of the key elements in effective communication. Once the audience is known, the most appropriate medium to communicate with such an audience can be determined. Although there are numerous forms of media technology, this paper discusses print media, web conferencing, smartphones, and blogs.
Print media
Advanced technology and society’s quest to “go green” are driving the increasing demand for online print media and the decreasing demand for actual print media such as newspapers and magazines. The advantages of online media are numerous including the savings which can be realized without the costs related to paper, printing and distribution that are required by print media. Print media such as magazines and newspapers are now available online as well as in hard copy print. There are many benefits of the online publications to consumers including being readily accessible from anywhere, at anytime, the reader can quickly search for a particular topic of interest, and providing instant access to advertiser’s websites. The online version of magazines and newspapers appeals to a younger audience who is interested in being informed, has limited time, and commonly depends on Internet access through their smartphone or tablet. Online publications reach a larger target audience whereas distribution in hard copy print would be cost prohibitive to that many. Older adults who do not have Internet access, or have not come to rely on electronic communications as their sole source of information, still prefer the hard copy print and continue to purchase magazines and the newspaper. In an interview with Duncan Riley, an article in TechCrunch quotes him as saying, “Newspapers do have a future…but we are yet to see a major consolidation of print in the United States. Declining revenues will ultimately force consolidation across print media in the United States, and many of those that fail to embrace change will be on borrowed time.”
Web conferencing
Web conferencing offers several tools such as online meetings, webinars and online training which help to maximize the efficiency of today’s busy professionals. As much of today’s workforce is working outside of the office, web conferencing technology allows individuals the advantage of participating in meetings and training whether in the office or not. These are web-based services which allow a participant may watch from a computer, tablet, Iphone, Blackberry or other mobile device. GoToMeeting promotes easy web conferencing including online meetings so that a participant may collaborate with a team on a small group project, webinars providing presentations and workshops to large groups, and online interactive training that can also facilitate training materials and tests online. As an example, webinars have become very popular with companies faced with budget constraints and learning to do more with less. A webinar is an online seminar or presentation, which can be expanded to reach a large audience at a much reduced cost. Webinars are being used to train a large group of people or to generate sales leads. A webinar with teleconferencing features allows the presenter to interact with the audience, both answering and asking questions. Another benefit of a webinar is that it may be recorded and played back at a later time, when most convenient for the viewer. Communique’s conferencing website lists multiple benefits of using webinars to provide for the use of power point presentations, whiteboard with annotations, text chat for live question and answer sessions, polls and surveys, and screen sharing.
Smartphones
Advanced technology and the social media revolution have paved the way for the use of smartphone technology. Users have become completely reliant on their smartphones for common daily activities - everything from locating the nearest gas station, and keeping a calorie count in a diary of foods eaten each day, to posting daily updates on Facebook and Twitter. How did we survive before the invention of smartphones? They do virtually everything, and at the ease of our fingertips. Smartphone technology provides the ability to send and receive emails, instant messaging, Internet access, the ability to play music, watch videos, take pictures and record video. They also provide features such as a calculator and calendar. It is no wonder that smartphones have become known as a commodity in most households and are relied on for personal as well as business use. They have a strong appeal with a young audience mainly interested in using them for their social benefits and the ability to stay connected with others. Smartphones are used by many working adults, especially those who travel, as a way to conduct business on the go while they are away from their office and computer. The website www.phonetvinternet.com explains that professionals are now using smartphone technology as a way to attract the attention of their customers interested in the information posted about the services provided by their business. You want to keep your business on the minds of your customers. Post updates that provide the very best impression of your company. Whether using smartphone technology to post updates on Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In or other social media site, it is important to post updates that will capture an audience and keep their attention. You want to keep your business on the minds of your customers, and call them to action.
Blogs
Although many people believe that blogging is just for personal use, information on the website www.a1technology.com reports ten true benefits of blogging: real time discussion preventing delays in sharing information, back links to locate business partners and others with similar interests, regular readership of your blogs through permanent subscription, boost traffic to your website through positive and regular updates with context that shows up in useful searches, powerful tool to collect aggregate research work, cheap marketing, easy web publishing solution, blogs as intranet, and blogs as content management systems used to upload video, photos, files, etc. that need to be stored. For those who are interested in keeping a daily journal or diary, blogging has become the new media technology to replace the archaic form of a handwritten journal. Blogging is simply a way of communicating anything you want. The primary difference between blogging and keeping an individual diary is that blogging exposes you to a large audience of potential readers, whereas a diary is more personal and often records your thoughts and daily activities, but is not read by anyone else. The target audience for blogs is anyone who has an interest in what you may have to say. Readers are particularly interested in reading blogs of entertainers, athletes and celebrities. Various blogging platforms are available, these include: hosted weblog providers such as Blogger, stand-along blogging software such as Wordpress, and combination tools such as Blogspot and Blogger. Design is an important consideration when creating a blog and attracting readers. Providing timely blog posts, in an easy-to-read format with simple navigation is as important as keeping your target audience in mind when designing a blog that will attract and audience and keep them returning.
The best form of media technology can be chosen once the target audience has been determined. Most organizations will utilize multiple forms of media technology in order to reach every target audience that they want to communicate with and influence a call to action regarding a product or service provided.
References:
Seiden, H. (2011). What is the benefit to having a smartphone. Retrieved August 12, 2011
Wash, J. (2008). Print media vs online media. Who will win? Retrieved August 14, 2011 from
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