We’re all conditioned by mass culture to get information from a glowing screen, whether it’s a television, movie or computer. The visionary publisher Allen Neuharth, founder of USA Today, had this fact in mind when he insisted that the vending machines for his newspaper resemble the design of a TV.

Regardless, print still carries plenty of clout. You can use online communications to facilitate your message, without sacrificing the persuasiveness of the written word.

For example, this month’s issue of Aviation Maintenance features a Q&A between David Evans, former editor-in-chief of this magazine, and Kevin Michaels, principal and co-founder of AeroStrategy, an aviation consulting firm in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The interview is an excerpt of an enlightening and entertaining conversation that originally took place as an online podcast.

The Evans-Michaels interview is a far-reaching discussion about trends and growth prospects in the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) business, with a focus on commercial MRO. A related story looks at ways MROs can reduce maintenance costs.

Evans and Michaels are smart, articulate and often witty guys who possess a wealth of industry knowledge. You’ll enjoy their spontaneous but deeply informed give-and-take. You can listen to an archived recording of the entire 20-minute conversation on our web site: www.AviationToday.com. Just go to the “Podcast” section within the left-hand navigation bar.

A quick tutorial: a podcast is recorded audio material, in the form of music, an interview or a show. A webinar is just as the hybrid term implies — it’s a “seminar” initially conducted live and on the web, with a moderator and panel of speakers, and with visual graphics such as charts. Webinars and podcasts are accessed via hyperlinks; they’re archived and remain accessible on-demand, anytime.
A key strength of podcasts and webinars is that they give your marketing message a patina of editorial credibility, because they’re timely and, if done right, increase the audience’s knowledge.

People nowadays are bombarded with marketing pitches and they’ve gotten into the habit of tuning out paid messages. However, when your message is couched as inherently useful editorial, in the form of a podcast or webinar, the information cuts through the white noise and bypasses the mind’s protective barriers. It’s a great way to grab your audience’s mind share and to portray yourself as a “thought leader” in your respective market.

Aviation Today’s podcasts and webinars are doubly effective, because they typically are hosted by our trusted editors, who are brand name gurus in their markets. These industry niches can be passionate and parochial, to the point of resembling a subculture. Our editors have earned enormous reader affinity within these subcultures, because of the integrity of their print-based coverage.

So, online communications can give you the best of both worlds: the efficacy of the Internet combined with the prestige of print. Moreover, people who access podcasts and webinars tend to be among the most influential decision makers within their companies. (For information about our next aviation webinar, see the banner atop Aviation Today’s home page.)

The Human Voice

Today’s hyperlinked 24/7 economy has turned markets into conversations, conducted in a human voice. They’re no longer a top-down monologue. Put podcasts and webinars into your marketing mix, and your communications will be immediate, relevant and in a human voice that’s genuine and persuasive.

They allow you to increase and intensify the frequency of your message. They work best as a marketing tool that communicates, educates and drives listeners to action in situations when you need to intensify the frequency and intimacy of the message. Podcasts and webinars serve as a force-multiplier for your print-based message.

Maybe you don’t think of yourself as an early adopter of new communications methods, but consider the groundbreaking efforts of Al Neuharth. When he first introduced his color-splashed, entertainment oriented newspaper in 1982, he was ridiculed by the journalistic establishment.

No one is laughing anymore. Once dismissed as “McPaper,” USA Today has become the nation’s largest daily newspaper with a circulation of nearly 2.3 million. If you’re staying in a hotel as you read this column, you’ll probably find USA Today sitting outside your room every morning, which goes to show, you can’t hide from technological change. It comes directly to your door.

John Persinos is publisher and editorial director of AviationToday.com. You can reach him at: 301-385-7211, or jpersinos@accessintel.com.