If you think it is too costly to use multimedia publishing services, you should take a look at their return on investment. By using a multimedia publishing company, you will be able to use a combination of online and print media to reach a broader audience.

There are many advantages to using multimedia services. Multimedia particularly stands out with online venues where text-based, online and search-engine optimized (SEO) writing are geared toward grabbing customer interest as quickly as possible. Books, CD-ROMS, DVDs, magazines, videos, and other media formats have their place, but combining with one or more online formats will increase your market base. Consider the following while searching for a multimedia publishing group:

1. Select the services best able to reach your targeted audience.

2. Do the work and request quotes and consultations from multimedia production companies.

3. Find ways to take advantage of multimedia Web publishing, new media and mixed media.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Seek out a multimedia publisher that will get your message to the largest audience

When you inquire about options and services with multimedia publishers, make sure to ask questions about all possible options. You may think you offer the most current content, but there could be something new that will help you deliver your message to your audience in a manner better suited to your product or service.

I recommend: SAGE Publications produces top quality journals, books, and electronic media. Nybor, LLC, is a multimedia publisher for targeted advertising and marketing needs on the web. BookWire offers a listing of various multimedia publishers covering many subject areas.

Use multimedia and CD-Rom publishing to reach a broad audience

Multimedia CD-ROMs are great for delivering interactive products, mixed media, and PDF documents to a broad base of customers where you want to control the distribution.

I recommend: Under Watercolours focuses on publishing multimedia for ocean-related products and markets including the dive, travel and marine industries. Websters Media develops, designs, and packages e-commerce business solutions content for CD-ROM delivery. For something different, select from various shaped and sized CDs through Multishape CDR-M to promote your products.

Do it yourself with multimedia publishing software and applications

If your budget is tight and you have some software savvy and a little ingenuity and creativity, you can keep costs low by using multimedia publishing software in-house. You may decide that the value of multimedia distribution is worth using multimedia applications which will allow you to have your own internal multimedia publishing company.

I recommend: You can download a free trial of Desktop Author, an e-publishing software application used to produce e-books, e-brochures, e-catalogs and multimedia presentations. VISTA's author2reader applications cover a variety of product types including books, e-books, videos, CDs and custom publications.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you only want CD-ROM deliverable, you should still look for multimedia production services. It'll give you a few marketing options if you want to convert your message into another media format at a later date.