ZimmComm – New Media, LLC

I’m a subscriber to Blogger & Podcaster magazine and thought you might be interested as well.

The cool thing about what they’re doing it making it available in an electronic version for free and an audio version for free.

Of course you can purchase the good old printed copy too.

Their website also contains fresh daily news and information about these new media subjects.

So if you want to learn more and keep up with what’s going on they give this one a try.

The current issue has stories on video podcasting and how to become a podcast consultant.

One of our latest projects is the re-design and build of a member website for the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council. EPIC had a static web page site that was password protected so that no one could enter without logging in. You could see a home page but not any other pages. It was also very difficult to update and required going through several steps each time new information needed to be placed on it.

So what we’re in the final processes of creating is an organizational membership blog which is open so that prospective members can see what they would have access to if they were members. All files are password protected. This way none of the content can be accessed without membership but it’s there for anyone to see. I think that makes membership more enticing.

I’ll be doing some staff training on how to manage the site. EPIC staff will be able to upload their own files that include pictures and documents. They’ll be able to posts announcements and other member information themselves and do it from wherever they are.

Another benefit will be the fact that the site is search engine optimized so after posting for a while it will be more easily found in keyword searches. The site also has the comment feature enabled so members or prospective members can ask questions, pose ideas and provide feedback. Members will know that the organization cares and with quick responses they’ll be treated much more personally than otherwise.

I think this is a great example of how blogging can be incorporated into an overall communications strategy.

Since the National Agri-Marketing Association convention Aaron Gilbertie, Truffle Media Networks, (standing) and I have been making presentations to agencies and companies who would like to consider a new media project.

We’ve been receiving lots of interest in sponsorship opportunities for our own properties as well as creating custom-tailored blog sites and podcasts.

Neither one of us was out doing this two years ago. Now I’ve actually made reference to the “traditional” way to blog or create a podcast.

Working with John Deere agency, BCS Communications, we’ve developed what I think is a showcase new media website called Precision Pays. This website is in the form of a blog and includes a podcast.

Welcome to PrecisionPays.com, a site specifically designed to bring you the latest information and resources on guidance and other precision technology for agriculture. In fields across the country, more growers are making precision farming a way of life, no matter how large or small their operation, no matter what the crop. With increased input costs and the pressure to do more with less, growers are continually looking for ways to improve farming efficiencies, production and profitability. PrecisionPays.com was created with this in mind.

ZimmComm’s own Cindy Zimmerman posts regular content onto the site. I think John Deere has taken a bold step here at joining the online conversation and realizes that their customers are using the internet no differently than the regular public. Even farmers without broadband access can enjoy Precision Pays since it’s built to be very fast loading without a lot of high resolution graphics for example. We use lots of images but they’re saved specifically for the web.

It’s too early to call the site a success but measurement tools are in place to keep track of visitors and audio file downloads.

The latest National Agri-Marketing Association Conference & Trade Show is now history and it was a busy week for ZimmComm New Media. I managed our booth along with Ned Arthur and Aaron Gilbertie, Truffle Media Networks, and we talked to a lot of people who are very interested in new media tools. In fact, we’ve got several client presentations and proposals in the works as a result of our exhibit there.

This week Aaron and I will be making some of those presentations in Memphis, St. Louis, Des Moines and Kansas City. Can you say road time?

If you’d like to see what was going on then check out my AgWired site using this category to call up all my posts from the Conference.

This week ZimmComm New Media will be exhibiting at the National Agri-Marketing Association annual convention and trade show in Dallas, TX.

I’ll be blogging the conference on AgWired and also on the NAMA Blog. Keep up with our agricultural marketing efforts as we work with Truffle Media Networks to help spread the new media bug to many more communication professionals.

Most of the activities kick off on Wednesday but since some of us get in there early so the Truffle guys and I are inviting our friends to stop by and say hello on Tuesday afternoon. We’ll be hanging out in Monduel’s, the Hyatt Regency atrium bar and we’ll buy you a drink. We being yours truly, Ned Arthur and Aaron Gilbertie. (Aaron’s buying, right Aaron?). It’s easy to find. Just come in the lobby entrance and look up since it’s up a level by escalator.

When you stop by we’ll give you a card to bring by our booth at the Trade Show so you can enter to win an iPhone. Get in on your chance to win the coolest phone of the decade. You’ll also be able to listen to sample podcasts on our listening stations in the booth just in case you’re not already subscribing to one of our podcasts.

Once again Robert has done an awesome job designing and building the “corporate” ZimmComm New Media blog. I’ve been posting very lightly here in anticipation of this day.

ZimmComm New Media is celebrating 3 years in business and over 2 years of helping companies find their way in this new online communications world we live in. Starting today I’ll be posting more regularly about our projects and gathering information for you to help you join the online conversation.

Please feel free to comment or email me if you have any questions or world like to schedule a consultation or training session.

If you’re not a regular reader of eMarketer I highly recommend it. Theirs is one of the only daily e-newsletters I subscribe to and actually read. They also send out an eMarketer FYI on timely subjects. The latest is on a GoToMeeting webinar on the Top Ten Webinar Best Practices. I’ve had a number of clients asking about webinars lately and thought you might want to check this out if you’re thinking about conducting one for your company or client.

Webinars are an increasingly important channel for sharing a wide variety of useful content and broadening the reach of any size organization. Learn how leading innovators have mastered the key aspects of Webinar planning, delivery and analysis to boost revenue, reduce costs and drive productivity in their organizations.

This webinar will take place on April 11 at 10am-pdt or 1pm-edt. The speakers will be Michael Osterman, Founder, Osterman Research and Eric Choi, Product Marketing Manager, Citrix Online. Here’s where you register.

Another webinar you might want to check out is on blogging and being offered by PR Newswire. It’s called “Blogging: Get in? Get out? or Get out of the way?” You can probably guess what my answer is.

PR Newswire has brought together a panel of online veterans to discuss blogging as it pertains to the PR professional and the news reporter. Learn how blogging has changed journalism, how it has opened new lines of communication outside the traditional press and how PR professionals should (or shouldn’t) react to the trend.

This webinar takes place on April 12 at 2pm-edt. Here’s where you register.