Are you looking for ways to market your business more effectively? If so, you should consider using digital publishing as a tool. Publishing—whether books, videos, podcasts, or other medium— can help you reach a wider audience and generate more buzz for your business.
Digital publishing, or online publishing, isn’t just referring to books! In this article, we will discuss 5 types of publishing that can benefit businesses: blogging, book publishing, podcasts, video, and webinars. We’ll explain how each type of publishing can help you reach new customers and grow your business.
Ready? Then put on your publisher’s cap and keep reading!
What is digital publishing?
Digital publishing is the process of publishing digital content, such as articles, blogs, books, podcasts, videos, and webinars on an online digital publishing platform. An example of a digital publishing platform is YouTube for video publishing, WordPress for blogs, or Zoom for Webinars.
Digital publishing allows businesses to reach a wider audience and generate more buzz for their products or services than the publishing industry of yesteryear did. It is a key component of a modern digital marketing strategy and allows businesses to act as their own publicists and publishing agents.
With the advent of digital publishing, a person is no longer at the mercy of the traditional gatekeepers—i.e., publishing houses, radio and TV stations, magazine editors—but can act on their own accord, publishing content as they see fit.
In the broadest sense, online publishing of any consumable media is considered digital publishing. For this article, however, we’re talking about digital publishing as a form of marketing a business.

What's the best way to market through publishing?
There are many ways to publish online, but here are the most popular methods to consider:
Blogging
A blog is a website or an online journal that contains information about a certain topic. Businesses can use blogs to share company news, announce new products, share their expertise, virtually anything their target audience would want to read about, while simultaneously increasing their website SEO.
Podcasts
Podcasts are digital audio files that businesses can create and share on various online platforms. They are similar to radio shows and can be used to entertain, educate, or discuss.
Video
Businesses can create informational and how-to videos to share on their website, blog, or social media channels. They can also create a YouTube channel around their area of expertise.
Book Publishing
Businesses can use digital book publishing to share how-to guides, their company story, or any other type of information that would be beneficial to their target readers (i.e., new and potential customers.) Traditional publishing methods are what most people think of when they hear “publishing” but digital publishing is where it’s happening in today’s market.
Webinars
A webinar is a digital seminar or workshop that businesses can use to share their knowledge and expertise with a larger audience. They are usually presented live, however, they can also be recorded and shared at a later time.
Let’s take a closer look at these five methods of publishing and discover how each method works and how each can help a business grow.
1. Blogging
A blog is a website or an online platform where individuals or businesses can share their thoughts, experiences, and knowledge on a given topic. Blogging is a great way to connect with potential and current customers. It allows you to show your expertise in your industry and build trust with your audience.

How to create a blog
• Choose a topic
The first step to starting a blog is to choose a topic that you are passionate about and that your target audience would find interesting. For example, if you are a landscaper, you could blog about tips for choosing the right plants for your yard or how to create a beautiful garden.
• Register a domain name
Register a new domain name or host the blog on your website. A domain name is the address of your website (i.e., mysite.com). If you already have a business website, your blog will just be a new section of your website, so no need for a new domain name. Ask your web designer how to add a blog to your already established website.
• Find the right web hosting service
Once you have registered your domain name, you will need to find a web hosting service. A web hosting service is a company that provides the technology and services needed for your website or blog to be viewed on the internet. Again, if you are wanting to host the blog on your already established website, you will not need a new hosting service since you’re already using a hosting service for your website.
• Install WordPress
If you are starting a blog from scratch the next step after registering your domain and choosing a hosting service is to download WordPress to build your blog. If you have a website already, no need to install WordPress. Chances are your website already runs on WordPress, but if not, that’s okay too. Simply use whichever blog builder your website infrastructure supports. Again, if you’re not sure how to do this, check with whoever built your website.
• Select a template
After you have installed WordPress, it’s time to select a WordPress template for your blog. A template is the design and layout of your blog. It’s important to choose a template that is simple and easy to navigate. You want your readers to be able to easily find the information they are looking for.
• Start writing content
The final step is to start writing content for your blog. Be sure to write quality content that is interesting and informative. No one wants to read boring sales pitches!
• Add visual elements
You’ll want to be sure your blog isn’t just words-only. Add photos, videos, infographics, and other visual elements that support your blog post content. There are many software programs to help you do this including AI design software that makes creating visual content fast and easy.
• Stay consistent
Search engines love updated websites and new content. It’s not enough to post a few blogs and then hope for the best. You need to have a consistent schedule for posting new content, and the discipline to carry out the task or hire out for it.
• Promote your blog
The final step is to promote your blog. You can promote your blog by sharing it on social media, guest blogging, or through paid advertising. You can also invest in AI blogging software and SEO tools that will help bring readers to your blog organically.
2. Book Publishing
Having a book published is much easier and more accessible these days. E-book publishing can also be an important part of a business’s digital publishing plan. By publishing a book, businesses can share their knowledge and expertise with a larger audience. They can also use their book to build trust with potential and current customers.
There are two ways businesses can publish a book: electronically or via print media. Both options have their benefits and drawbacks. For example, printed books can seem more prestigious than e-books, whereas e-books are typically more profitable. E-books are also more conducive to sharing and since the whole point of digital publishing is to increase your business’s exposure, the more sharing, the better!
The print publishing process varies depending on which book publishing method you use (traditional publishing, self-publishing, or a hybrid of the two.) While hardcopy print publishing isn’t technically a part of a digital publishing plan, it still can play an important role in a business’s overall marketing strategy.

Print books:
Pros:
- Can be used as a content marketing tool
- Customers can physically hold the book and read it at their leisure
- Print media builds credibility and trust with potential and current customers
Cons:
- More expensive to produce than digital books
- Takes longer to print and ship
- The book cover needs to be designed for both print and e-books.
Electronic Books:
Pros:
- Cheaper and faster to produce than print media
- Can be distributed more easily to a larger audience
- Easier publishing process
Cons:
- They may be difficult to market effectively
- Customers may not trust e-books as much as printed books
Even though there are pros and cons to each method of book publishing, most business authors choose to provide both formats to their audience. Providing both formats makes good business sense, too, because it allows businesses to reach the largest audience possible for their title.
3. Podcasts
Publishing a podcast can be a smart addition to your business’s digital marketing plan. Podcasts can function as a way to share your knowledge and expertise with a larger audience. They can establish your business as an authority in the industry and build trust with your listeners. A podcast can entertain or educate your audience, or both.
Publishing a podcast is cheaper and faster than publishing a book, and it can be distributed more easily to a larger audience. Once you get the hang of podcasting you’ll find each new episode is fairly easy to produce. Having audio-only, no video, makes the editing process simpler, too.

How to create and publish a podcast
- Choose what you want to talk about on your podcast
- Record your podcast with a microphone or digital recorder
- Edit your podcast with software like GarageBand or Audacity
- Upload your podcast to a hosting site like Libsyn or SoundCloud
- Share your podcasts on popular podcast channels, your website, and/or your social media platforms.
4. Videos
Publishing videos is cheaper and faster than publishing a book, and your viewers can share them more easily. Most videos can be shot with your smartphone or DSLR camera. You’ll want a good microphone for audio clarity. You can buy reasonably good-quality microphones for under $100. You might also want to invest in a video editing program for a more professional result.
Video marketing is a great way to connect with potential and current customers. Videos can entertain, educate, or both. They can also help build trust and establish your business as an authority in the industry especially if you create a dedicated YouTube channel and you post consistently.

A point should be made about the popularity of videos. Over the years, consumer preferences for how they like to consume information have changed. In the past, people preferred reading information and content. Today, however, people are more likely to prefer watching a video. This is because videos are more entertaining and engaging than text. They also allow customers to see and hear the information instead of just reading it. This makes video marketing a very effective way to connect with potential and current customers!
Creating a video marketing strategy
A well-executed video marketing strategy can help businesses achieve their marketing and sales goals. A business should map out its video marketing strategy so that they’re not just posting random videos that don’t have an aim or purpose.
Understand the digital publishing platforms you want to host your videos on. How-to and informational videos are especially popular on YouTube, which is great for businesses because YouTube is the number one video-sharing platform in the world! They are so large they have their own search engine algorithm that marketers optimize for.
How to create a video marketing plan.
- Choose what you want to talk about in your videos
- Record your videos with a microphone or digital recorder
- Edit your videos with software like iMovie or Premiere Pro
- Upload your videos to a hosting site like YouTube or Vimeo
- Share your videos on popular video channels, on your website, and/or on social media platforms
5. Webinars
Webinars are a great way to connect with potential and current customers. They can help build trust and establish your business as an authority in your market.
Webinars are essentially live presentations that are streamed over the internet. Viewers can ask questions of the presenter in real-time or watch a replay of the webinar at their convenience. This makes webinars a very effective way to connect with potential and current customers.

Webinars are an excellent way to increase your business sales because they are the perfect format to help the viewer with a problem while also pitching them your products or services. A call-to-action offer or special invitation is typically offered at the end of the webinar.
How to create a webinar
Creating a good business webinar can be a daunting task. You need to have a well-thought-out plan and structure for your presentation. You also need to have interesting and engaging content.
Here are some tips on how to create a webinar:
- Planning is key; take the time to map out your presentation.
- Webinars should be structured like a story—they should have a beginning, middle, and end.
- Webinars should be focused on solving a problem for the viewer.
- Create slides or visuals to accompany your presentation.
- Practice beforehand so you are comfortable with the material and delivery.
- Rehearse with any co-presenters or panelists.
- Use webinar software like GoToWebinar or Zoom to host your webinar.
- Choose a date.
- Advertise your webinar on social media, your website, and/or paid channels.

This step is particularly important: “Webinars should be focused on solving a problem for the viewer.”
For example, a company that builds websites can create a webinar helping the viewer to understand what it takes to build a website. The viewer learns how to choose a domain, what to consider when choosing a web-hosting company, how to download WordPress, and a recommendation of which web building tool to use to build the site.
The beauty of a webinar is that both parties’ interests are served. The viewer learns the broadly defined steps on what it will take to build a website and the web-building business gets a prospective customer who may not want to hassle with DIY’ing their website.
Webinars are also a great way of gathering emails or other contact information from prospective customers.
Which publishing method is best for your business?
When deciding which publishing method is best, a new digital publisher needs to consider a variety of factors. Factors such as their company’s goals and objectives, its target audience, and its budget.
If your goal is to reach a large number of people, then you may want to consider using video or podcasting. These methods are both very effective at reaching a wide audience, are easy to do, and have a low-cost investment point.
If your business goal is to build trust with your target audience, then you may want to consider using webinars or blogs. Webinars are great for building trust because they allow potential and current customers to interact with you or your company representative in real-time. Blogs are also great for building trust because they allow a company to show its expertise on a given topic.
If time and budget allow, businesses should try using multiple publishing methods to reach a larger number of people with their message. Additionally, using multiple methods can help businesses build trust and credibility as consumers are exposed to the company as they read the company’s blog, watch their video channel, and listen to their podcast, for example.
Conclusion and next steps
So, what’s the best way to publish your business? The answer depends on a variety of factors, including your company’s goals and objectives, its target audience, and its budget. While using multiple publishing methods can help businesses reach a larger number of people, each method comes with a budget and time cost consideration, too, so you’ll want to factor those in when devising your marketing and publishing plan.
Where to find more specifics about how to publish via each method?
The best way to learn exactly how to create a podcast, publish an ebook, or any other publishing effort is to simply google your question. “How to create a podcast”, for example. Google will populate your search results pages with the most relevant and popular blogs and video channels to answer this very question. And of course, you can always hire an expert to consult with or to do the job for you.
To learn more about the publishing process, here are some good resources:
The best digital publishing platforms (Read)
Building a publishing strategy (Read)
Digital channels for video (Read)