Unless you live under a rock, in the last few months, you've probably heard the words blogs, MySpace and Podcasts more times than you care to remember. Because some of these new Web tools have gained popularity so fast, lots of folks are jumping on the bandwagon, implementing them into both their personal and business lives without a solid strategy behind it.

While there's no harm done if you're cruising MySpace for a date or blogging about the day to day trials of raising twins, there can be plenty of harm done when you incorporate them into your business without a broad base of knowledge and research into who you're trying to reach, what you're talking about and why you're even using these technologies.

That said, there are lots of important reasons to make these Web 2.0 tools a part of your public relations arsenal with a solid base of research and strategy backing up your plan.

Reach Reporters
One of the biggest reasons I have begun offering Web PR as part of my company's services is to engage journalists in a new way in an effort to secure media coverage for my clients. While much of these new tools have not gained mainstream acceptance outside of the younger set, journalists are one group of professionals who have embraced these tools to search for information and ideas for articles.

Many journalists subscribe to RSS Feeds, which are a handy way to scour all the information you need from different sites all in one place. By setting up your company news releases as RSS Feeds, for example, you allow journalists to subscribe to your news by choice instead of sending it to them unsolicited. They can also review it along with all their other chosen news in one place.

Plenty of journalists are also reading blogs to get story ideas. By pitching bloggers and getting them to cover your news, your Charleston tour company, for example, may also be reaching that reporter at the Wall Street Journal who's doing research on the most interesting ghost tours in the U.S.

Zero in on Your Target
Blogs, Podcasts, MySpace and others offer ways to really zero in and target a specific demographic and subset of people. If you specialize in hats for dogs, find the Podcast that talks about people who love to dress up their pets and you can bet you've got a loyal set of 100 or so listeners who will truly be interested in your product.

One downside, of course, is that you're not reaching the huge numbers that newspapers, magazines, radio and TV offer; however, at the same time, you're bypassing all those people who are never going to be interested in your product no matter how many times they see your ad.

Also, there has been much talk of late about the decline of traditional media. Newspapers are being displaced a bit by online news sites; radio is feeling the pinch thanks to satellite radio and the popularity of MP3 players; TV is losing some advertisers due to DVRs and the ability of folks to fast forward through the commercials. Blogs are an alternative media source and certainly should be factored into any PR plan.

Another complaint I hear often about blogs is that they are uncontrollable and less trusted. That is definitely true - it's all about free speech, but they do have a format for response should you need to clarify any incorrect information about your company. I also suggest going to sites like Technorati.com to find the highest ranked blogs in your industry/topic, because if they have a large following, they're likely more legit and certainly able to reach a wider crowd.

How do you pitch a blogger? And will they really consider your PR pitch? The answer is: If you approach them the right way. I simply ask them politely if they would like me to add them to my news distribution list for a particular client, and about 90% have responded yes, noting that they have to produce a lot of content (some multiple times per day) and need any and all ideas I can send their way. Of course, as with any PR pitch, you want to present usable/newsworthy information, not blatantly promotional ideas.

Get an Inside Perspective
Blogs also provide another useful service for businesses. They give you insight into what the general public is saying about your company. It's like being able to listen in to your audience's conversations.

I encourage all businesses to monitor blogs regularly for mention of their name, so they can stay on top of the "chatter" and address anything negative as soon as possible. A benefit of having a blog specifically for your business, written by an executive or employee, is that it provides a forum for people to post negative comments about your company or product. Why would I want to hear that, you say? Because, it's much easier to address and manage criticism on your own blog than it is to try to find and manage it elsewhere on the Web -- and in the world.

When you find negative information on other blogs; however, you should address it as best you can, clarifying any misunderstandings or inaccuracies. If the talk is all good, leave it alone and let the chatter continue.

Another reason to monitor blogs is because many of them come up high in the search engines rankings. For example, when you search for the company name of one of my clients, several blogs who have written about them come up in the top 10 list on Google. So, you'd better pay attention to what these guys are saying, because you can bet potential customers are reading them when they search for you. If the comments are negative, at least your post clarifying the issue will appear below and potential customers can read your side, as well.

Building a Buzz
Finally, when you put some of these Web 2.0 tools into your public relations plan, they serve as a great complement to other tactics such as media coverage, community relations and advertising. And in fact they all feed off one another, creating an Internet buzz that will likely raise you in the search engine rankings and drive people to your Web site (of course, your site had better be engaging and appealing once they arrive there, but that's another article).

Newspapers and magazines are increasingly publishing more of their content on the Web, and when you receive coverage, particularly national, bloggers often use that content for their own stories, and as we mentioned earlier, journalists do the same with bloggers. This creates a loop of journalists and bloggers feeding off one another, putting more and more content about you on the Web. The more links to your site and the more people who go there, the higher up you appear in the search engines, and the bigger buzz you generate. Plus, when your potential or current clients search for you, they're likely to see all that media coverage and "talk," providing you with automatic credibility.

The most important point to take home here is not to write a blog, just for the sake of writing a blog, or post a page on MySpace just because everyone else is. Get to know these tools, sign up for accounts, make them a part of your daily life and learn the etiquette and environments they operate in. Then, take that information and come up with innovative and informative ways to use them to increase awareness about your company among an audience you'd like to target. I think you'll find, if you take the time, the results can be pretty amazing and can give you an edge on the competition in a way that never existed even just six months ago.