The benefits of such an approach is that an analyst can be better prepared when talking to a company representative. This concerns both regulators and companies victimized by rumors. It is faster to contact investors online than by mail or faxes. Investors with large holdings are or should be the first targets for regular online communication. The benefit of online is that it allows for addition and revision of answers immediately without the lag of printing and dissemination.
Marketers use cyberchats frequently in product publicity tours.
It is a matter of time before cyberchats are used in investor relations. If your objective as an IR professional is to get company information out to investors and potential investors quickly and efficiently, then online is a medium you should investigate. If you are an IR professional who focuses on a specific institutional managers and analysts and you have little need for a larger audience, then online is a medium you might defer. Young companies searching for investors will benefit from online more than companies with well-understood investor groups. For many IR professionals, online is an effective addition to investor relations media.