If you have a new business and you want to attract venture capital, you have to embrace new media, a California technologist and futurist told business leaders Wednesday.

"You have to show them you know how to use all the tools out there to promote yourself," Ken Rutkowski said during a session at the Innovacorp technology centre in Dartmouth. "If you can’t do that, they’re not going to be too interested."

The tools he believes should be common use in business today include websites, blogs, the posting of photos and videos, using Facebook and networking on other social media platforms.

"Blogs are important. If they have the right content and include photos and links to articles and other sites, search engines will find them," he said. "If you can find your way to the top five of any search in your area of expertise, you’re in heaven. People with money will take notice."

Although 76,000 blogs are created every day, he said businesses can get theirs recognized by updating it three or four times a week and making sure the content is important.

"Don’t write about your cat."

He urged the business leaders to find their competition and offer something better, make sure they are telling their corporate story at every opportunity and ask people for help when they need it.

"People really love helping out others," he said, noting many advertisers are now sponsoring contests that end up with their customers doing their advertising for them...

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