The age of turning on the television or flipping open a newspaper is quickly coming to an end, as online media is starting to pop up in every way, shape and form every time you turn your head. The question is, how can online media benefit you and your business? Here's a look.
What It Is
First and foremost, let's talk about what exactly online media entails. Online media is any kind of digital informational resource that includes photos, videos and music, all of which are distributed over the Internet.
What It Does
Online media can be a powerful tool for both everyday use and use in your business. For the everyday user, you can now go online for access to your favorite newspapers, magazines, video clips, music and even TV shows. With a simple click of the mouse, you have access to all the information you need without having to go through piles of printed resources.
The Benefits
For you: The main point here is that online media helps keep you organized and de-cluttered. You don't have to run outside every cold winter morning to check for the newspaper, and you won't have stacks of old newspapers and magazines that you have yet to go through every morning. Now that we're in the digital age, you can simply wake up, jump on your computer, go to your favorite news Web sites, watch some current events videos, and see photos of what's going on around the world. All without the paper mess.
Online magazines are also becoming increasingly popular. Again, the main benefit here is the organizational aspect, as well as the time it saves you from having to run to the magazine stand or grocery store to pick up what you love to read. It's fast, it's convenient, and it's easy!
For your business: Here's the good stuff. Online media can dramatically increase the productivity of your business' Web site. Including photos and video on your site will not only enhance its look, but will also help your site become more prominent in search engines. Consumers will be more drawn to your site if it has certain multimedia features, and you can keep your audience engaged with informational videos and/or photos. The more visually appealing your site is, the more people will want to stay and even come back for another visit.
You can also use videos posted on your Web site to broadcast your business using social media tools. YouTube is the best example of this, where you can upload a digital commercial for your business at no cost. You can also post a promotional video on Facebook or link to your video on Twitter to help increase your online traffic.
Aside from video, using online media for your business makes it easy to send out newsletters to your customers and social media reach, keeping them the most up to date with your business as you can.
For the environment: With the ease of online media now, it's obvious why people would latch on to the concept and begin use of it. What many people don't realize, though, is that online media not only makes finding information convenient, but it also benefits the environment. Think about how many newspapers are thrown away or recycled every day. Think about how many magazines end up in the trash at the end of every month. Think about how much paper printing a daily newspaper uses. Or how many materials are used to package each of these traditional print resources. All of these factors are eliminated with online media. There is no longer any use for paper whatsoever, really. That should make you and the environment smile.
So jump on the online media bandwagon and get to work! You'll help yourself, your business and the environment by making the switch from traditional to online media. What are you waiting for?
Laura Green is a freelance writer who focuses on making the world a greener place. She works mainly with journalism experts to help direct people into the world of online information and help revolutionize the digital and online media movement.