If you’ve been listening to how the mainstream (mass) media is defining “new media” … forget everything you’ve heard. They don’t have a clue on what it is, never mind how to harness it’s power. And unfortunately, it’s the same story with most advertising firms and marketing gurus.

My partner and I are big believers in the interactive marketing and persuasion power of the New Media (which basically means customer or consumer generated media created with blogs, podcasts, wikis, vlogs, and online communities.) And I love the freedom and connection this new communication revolution is bringing to business owners, sales professionals, and marketers both online and offline. That’s why I’ve been really struggling with keeping the focus here at Advanced Business Blogging primarily on blogging. Now, finally, I’ve decided to expand our focus here to better help you grow your business in the marketplace of the new millennium.

I have to be honest that the primary reason is that it’s too small a world, and has become boring for me. (Part of the reason you’ve seen posts slow down here over the last few months. :))

But coming in a very close second, is the fact that there’s a much bigger picture business owners, sales professionals, and marketers need to understand. It’s a contextual understanding that’s vital for your business and marketing success in the rapidly evolving New Media Marketplace.

Who helped bring this big picture focus together

I’d been doing a lot of research on the New Media over the last year. That’s been to help our business coaching clients with consulting and planning, and to help us in our speaking and presentations. I wasn’t sharing it here at Advanced Business Blogging because I didn’t feel I had a clear map and strategic action plan that I could use to help it all make sense.

But it was on our recent trip to the mainland that everything really gelled for me. The needs, thoughts, and culture of three unique groups of business people came together for me in a powerful way. It all clicked so strongly for me that I wrote almost non-stop for the 9-hour flight home, developing the contextual New Media Marketing Matrix we’ll be focusing on here from now on.

First … the business owners and sales people

While presenting at the Publishing 4 Profits conference in Ann Arbor I had the opportunity to speak intimately with several dozen business owners. They shared with me what they really wanted and needed when it came to marketing in the 21st Century marketplace. They wanted a broader, more contextual picture of marketing with New Media than just blogging, podcasting, or any other individual ‘tools.’

As I listened to their comments and feedback it became clear to me how I needed to expand the focus here at Advanced Business Blogging. It also showed me how our core business of helping business owners, sales pros, and marketers achieve peak performance through persuasion and influence links directly to marketing with the new-media.

As you see the topical expansion take place here in the coming weeks and months you’ll see how the context of New Media marketing Matrix will help grow your business.

Next … the marketing pros

After our speaking engagement we stopped off in New York City for some meetings. During those sessions I heard experienced marketers and public relations experts talking about nothing but communicating with ‘consumers’ (their word) through one-way channels. When ever I mentioned using dialog for persuasion and influence instead of traditional marketing, their faces just went blank.

Maybe it’s from living on the most remote island chain in the world, and relying so heavily on the Internet for marketing and networking. I grew up in the NYC metro area, so I know how confining the East Coast mindset is for many. Still, these are supposed to be top professionals in their field. Yet these well educated individuals with lots of experience, MBA’s, an a ton of ambition were locked into a traditional marketing mindset.

Any talk of customer participation and interactive marketing fell on deaf ears. Their view of the new media was focused primarily on the tools that they could exploit as delivery channels for old-school marketing strategies. (Like the ridiculous idea that an interactive banner ad is including the customer in marketing.)

Armed with what you’ll be learning here at Advanced Business Blogging, you’ll be able to discern between the good, the bad, and the ugly of marketing. And you’ll learn how to take what will work in the marketplace of the new millennium and put it to work for you.

Finally … the Mainstream Media

It’s really amazing how off-base (and out to lunch) the ancient Mainstream media is. Their thinking is like people driving Model-Ts who, when they see the Jetsons fly overhead, shudder in fear calling their flight “demonic.”

Mainstream media gets hit upside the head by bloggers knocking yet another one out of the ball park and they cry “new media” foul. They really do see bloggers as just a bunch of people using some cool new software and the internet to spread undocumented news stories. (Like the LA or NY Times has any good record in that area.)

Similar to marketing gurus and big advertising companies, the Mainstream media mistakenly sees the “technology” as the New Media. As you follow along with us here at Advanced Business Blogging, you’ll see why that view is flawed.

As you read articles and posts here, participate in teleclinics we offer, and step up to higher levels of expertise with coaching or home study courses — you’ll learn how participation and persuasion are the keys to success in the New Media Marketplace. Not technology.

The correct view of the New Media marketplace

The new media is not simply blogs, podcasts, wikis, and other new technologies. It’s an interlaced matrix of interactive tools that has customer control as it’s nuclear power supply.

Psychology, participation, and natural human needs are what’s powering new media. And that human nature is what’s making this an unstoppable movement — not the technology!

The new media movement powered by blogs, podcasts, wikis, and several other easy-to-use tools first made its presence known to the mainstream media in the arena of politics. And now the mainstream media’s ability to manipulate stories and “tell” people from “on high” what to think is diminishing day by day.

The news of the world is no longer held captive by the self-appointed elite in the mainstream media and political parties. The face of politics and news reporting has irrevocably and transformed.

Now that same transformation is slowly becoming evident in the general marketplace. The process of successfully marketing and selling is being transformed right before our eyes. It’s the proactive business owner, sales professional, and marketer that will grasp the big picture of the New Media Marketplace. And it’s the women and men with that contextual understanding who will master this marketplace of the new millennium.

The success and mastery will NOT come by wholesale abandonment of proven marketing strategies. (As some blogging evangelists and fans of consumer generated media suggest.) But rather a strategic combination of proven direct-response principles and New Media marketing held together with the power of participation and persuasion.

That’s the new expanded focus we’re going to cover here at Advanced Business Blogging. Welcome on board! We know you’re going to have fun while you profit!

Copyright © RPM Success Group Inc. 2002-2006. All full copyright rights are reserved by RPM Success Group inc. Other bloggers and journalists are allowed to excerpt and link to posts (as is common with bloggers,) as full credit/attribution is given to AdvancedBusinessBlogging.com and RPM Success Group Inc.

Learn how to unleash the maximum marketing power of business blogs, podcasts, and RSS (in any industry, profession, or niche) with Marketing With Business Blogs™.

John-Paul is a published author and weekly columnist for the Honolulu Star Bulletin. As a Business Coach he helps small business owners market, manage, and sell more with self-influence and persuasion. You can reach J.P. directly via [communicationcommando@gmail.com].