So what exactly is a “vlog” and what does it have to do with you? Can you really use podcasts to promote your products? And just how do you get your business on Facebook?

“New media” is packed with amazing new promotional possibilities. But the choices are bewildering and the questions seem endless.

So let's take a whirlwind tour of new media possibilities – and the opportunities they offer you right now:

• Blogs (Weblogs). A blog is a web site focused primarily on commentary, activities or a stream of information about a particular subject. The writing is usually colloquial, and most blogs offer the opportunity for comment. Some blogs use specialty formats, such as video blogs (or “vlogs”) which feature up-to-date videos. Use a blog when … you want to share ideas, opinions and events with your audience. Learn more: http://technorati.com
• E-Zines. Sort of an online periodical, but much shorter. Some may be only a few paragraphs long. E-zines are usually focused on a particular topic or organization, and usually contain links to other resources. Use an e-zine when … you want to deliver short, punchy news to an already-interested audience. Learn more: http://ezines.nettop20.com
• Folksonomies. These are visitor-defined “bottom up” tags or “descriptors” that define the content of internet sites or postings. Folksonomies can encompass blogs, albums, social network sites, or virtually any Web site that gives the opportunity to attach keywords or labels. Use folksonomies when … you want to organize or classify content for later retrieval. Learn more: http://ontologyonline.org/visualisation/c/Directory/Folksonomy/
• Forums. They come in many shapes and sizes, from “threaded” discussions on specific topics to free-ranging posting opportunities. Some forums are moderated and come with rules, others are open-ended. Use a forum when … you want to encourage discussion with, and between, customers or constituents. Learn more: http://www.forumvirus.com/
• Micro-Messaging. Bursts of short single-topic messages sent in bulk to members or followers. A good example: The “Twitter” phenomenon. Micro-messages provide fast-breaking information and updates. Use micro-messaging when … you want to keep passionately interested friends, customers or fans up to date on a moment's notice. Learn more: http://twitter.com
• Podcast. Digital media, usually audio or video, that's downloaded to users. What's unique about podcasts is that they're syndicated and streamed to users shortly after creation. Users “catch” the podcast with a special web device or application. Use podcasts when … you want to deliver lectures, performances, art or other materials to your audience. Podcasts are ideal for users who might listen “on the go.” Learn more: http://www.podcastdirectory.com
• RSS. Really Simple Syndication. A web utility that lets producers distribute content quickly and easily to subscribers – and lets those subscribers collect a number of feeds in one place. Great for bloggers. Use RSS when … you want to give customers or visitors the opportunity to automatically receive content whenever you post it. Learn more: http://www.whatisrss.com/
• Social Network. A user-driven “community” permitting members to post interactive comments, photos, audio, video, and even full blogs. Best known social networks: MySpace and Facebook. Businesses and other organizations can create “pages” within existing social networks or use Web-based utilities to create their own custom networks. Use social networks when … you want to develop a cohesive user community and foster extensive interaction among members. Learn more: http://www.facebook.com
• Video Sharing. Video often captures the interest and imagination of readers (including customers) more effectively than ordinary words. And what's great about today's emerging video-sharing standards is that informal video is considered more “authentic” than slick, “professional” video. Use video sharing when … you want to display an activity or product visually and dynamically, or when you have something unique or unusual to share. Learn more: http://www.youtube.com
• Virtual Worlds. A more elaborate form of new media, virtual worlds allow customers or prospects to simulate a product's uses or even play out hypothetical business scenarios with others in a “pretend” environment. Customers or users typically create “avatars” – or characters – representing themselves. A good example: Second Life, used for personal and business purposes. Use virtual worlds when … a simulated environment will help educate or motivate others. Learn more: http://secondlife.com
• Wiki. A user-generated body of knowledge. A wiki can cover broad subject matter, such as “Wikipedia,” which bills itself as the world's biggest citizen-written encyclopedia. Or it can focus on a specific subject, with content driven by customers or members. Use a wiki when … you want to encourage customers or constituents to publicly share data, case studies, experiences and other useful information. Learn more: http://www.wikipedia.org

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NEW MEDIA: WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT

New media includes a variety of interactive communication tools. New media …

• … includes constantly changing content.
• is hypermedia . In other words, it's “link-based,” permitting users to move within – and outside of – core content in whatever manner they choose, at the click of the mouse.
• … often contains specialized software applications embedded in the media, permitting visitors to create, post, or take action.
• … is open. Virtually anyone can join in.
• … gives all participants authoring rights.
• … relies on the community of visitors for knowledge, not simply the perspectives of editors.
• … includes content that's user-tagable. Members of the user community can self-organize content by attaching attach retrieval or classification descriptors, to content.
• … gives visitors, customers and other members of the user community freedom – even to post critical or contrarian content.
• … often embodies search utilities, giving users vast capabilities to classify and retrieve content in their own way.
• … often carries signaling capabilities, alerting users to updated information or posts.