Interactive Experts: Podcasting

Podcasting: Get Your Message Heard

2008-11-04T17:29:00.003-05:00

By Dave Evans, The ClickZ Network, Aug 27, 2008
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Podcasting, particularly audio podcasting, is a channel that simply isn't used enough. In the spirit of full disclosure, I cofounded the business podcasting firm, HearThis.com, in 2005. But even without that obvious bias, I'd argue that podcasting will be a much larger part of marketing in the future than it is now. In my column this week, I'll talk about why and focus on an innovative new podcasting tool from Personal Life Media that's perfect for marketing.

Podcasting itself isn't new: Innovators like IBM, Shell, and Ted use audio podcasts for executive thought leadership programs and similar efforts that make tremendous amounts of internal knowledge within these organizations accessible to interested people outside. Simply put, it helps them build their businesses by connecting thought leaders across organizations.

Audio podcasting is almost uniquely suited to this application. Consider that podcast listeners spend tens of minutes -- not tens of seconds -- with your message when delivered through an audio podcast. That means you can develop and convey more than a sound bite.

Unlike traditional and online media, audio podcasting is perfect for a multitasking world. You can listen to an audio podcast while driving -- something I certainly hope you wouldn't do with online video even if you could take it with you in the car. And you can take it with you! You can listen to a lifestyle show or professional development seminar while walking on the beach in California, riding a mountain bike outside Scottsdale, or hiking through Central Park. Deeper content, adapted to multitasking, portable in both time and space. Sounds like a winner to me.

You may be thinking, "Great, but is podcasting a medium that I can use, a medium on which I could advertise?" Consider the following, taken from a Podtrac-TNS Advertising Effectiveness Study, completed between 2006 and 2008:

Advertisements in podcasts and online shows have a threefold ad effectiveness increase over traditional online video and a sevenfold effectiveness increase over television. Unaided ad awareness across two years of studies was 68 percent, compared to industry benchmarks of 21 percent for streaming video and 10 percent for television.

Embedded ad placements are more effective than pre-roll ads across a range of audio and video formats, including varying spot lengths (:10, :15, and :30) and across show formats (produced and host-read).

Advertising in podcasts and online shows is effective in moving users from awareness to consideration to purchase. There is a 73 percent average increase in likelihood to use/buy versus a control group.

Podcast advertising leads to a more favorable opinion of an advertiser after hearing or seeing an ad. Sixty-nine percent of those podcast listeners surveyed had a more favorable view of the advertisers following ad exposure.

That's pretty convincing, and that's why I got really excited when I saw Personal Life Media's new podcast widget. It allows marketers and publishers to quickly and easily place syndicated podcasts on their blogs and social network pages. In other words, it enables you to embed high-quality subscription-based content on your site. This is content that will keep your audience entertained and coming back, all the while providing an advertising channel with the effectiveness and applicability noted in the Podtrac-TNS study. Using the Personal Life Media podcast widget, anyone who can click a mouse and has five minutes to spare can embed up to five separate podcasts into a skinned, customized player than installs onto a Web site, blog, or favorite social network. It just doesn't get any easier than that.

So who's participating? I talked with Al Vitaro, president and CEO of Zen by Design, a furniture maker that specializes in meditative designs. As a furniture maker, the marketing challenge is familiar to anyone who sells or promotes goods or services online: getting potential customers to spend enough time at your site so that they become actual customers. Zen by Design teamed up with Personal Life Media and sponsored audio podcasts -- distributed in part via the new podcast widget -- that are brand-aligned with Zen by Design and its products.

Vitaro put it this way: "Because our markets are very specific, we were delighted to find that our clientele resonates with many of the broadcasts that Personal Life Media offers. It is always beneficial to educate your customer base. We never favored the idea of posting cumbersome articles on our Web site. Personal Life Media has done an amazing job of packaging this information into a format that is very appealing."

Even more to the point of brand-building, on the social Web brand alignment is expanded to include the holistic brand experience. Podcasting -- because it conveys a sense of respect for your customers by directly ceding control over when, where, and how they choose to listen to your message -- is naturally aligned with attitudes and values of Zen by Design and the furniture it makes.

"We chose this form of marketing because it sends a progressive message to our customers," said Vitaro. "Perhaps it gives our viewers something they haven't seen before on a Web site or at the very least, subtly communicates to our customers that we greatly appreciate the time they are spending with us." On the social Web, that is the kind of genuinely respectful marketing that gets talked about and shared with others.

If you haven't looked at podcasting as a component of your marketing program, you ought to. It's an effective channel, and one that's incredibly easy to use. It's also still new enough that you'll get the credit for stepping out to try something. Check out Personal Life Media's new widgets, spend a few minutes with Zen by Design. You'll be glad you did.

zencast.com

2008-07-21T17:57:00.002-04:00

ZENcast is the ultimate source for free IPTV channels, video blogs and podcasts on the Internet. It provides quick and easy access to a wide range of interesting and entertaining video and audio content online.

Launch

EA Podcast

2008-07-21T17:43:00.005-04:00

EA podcast have interviews with game designers, athletes and musicians; information about current or upcoming EA titles; and news and features about the world of EA games, events and lifestyle.

Launch

WhiteRoofRadio

2008-07-21T17:06:00.003-04:00

WhiteRoofRadio.com is a podcast for owners, want to be owners and fans of the MINI Cooper.
there are news about MINI cooper every week!

Lanuch

CNET Podcast Central

2008-06-12T14:21:00.004-04:00

There are links about various CNet Podcasts.

From Buzz Out Loud, a daily digest of tech news that's relevant, hard-hitting, or just plain goofy, to help and how-to, to the latest in auto tech, you'll find it all here.

Launch

Wholefoods Podcasts

2008-06-02T17:06:00.006-04:00

There are three kinds of Podcasts in Wholefoods.

Secret Ingredient Videocast
Add a pinch of culinary zing to your weeknight dinners with our Secret Ingredient Video Blog. Each week we'll post a new episode featuring simple, tasty recipes made using "secret" ingredients that can change a dish from good to great.

Whole Foods Market Podcast
In this podcast we explore the world of natural, organic foods, one podcast at a time. Every few weeks, we'll update you on seasonal foods, teach you something, and offer up a new recipe or two.

Be Good To Your Whole Body Podcast
A podcast that's all about natural body care and supplements. We'll interview experts on everything from great herbs that heal, to why natural personal care is a better choice. Join us and learn how to Be Good To Your Whole Body.

Launch

Adobe Creative Suite Video Podcast with Terry White

2008-05-09T09:55:00.005-04:00

Here is the Adobe Creative Suite Podcast with tips and tutorials by Terry White. Learn how to unlock the power and potential of the Creative Suite with the visual examples here. He covers all the products evenly.

Launch

The Dual Mandate of PodCamp

2008-05-08T14:08:00.003-04:00

by Christopher S. Penn

PodCamp NYC was yet another fantastic success in the ever growing lineups of PodCamps around the world, and I’m very pleased to have been a part of it. I wanted to take a moment as co-founder and Executive Director of the PodCamp Foundation to very clearly lay out what the vision and mission of PodCamp is:

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Why podcasting is failing

2008-05-08T13:59:00.003-04:00

by Ian Lamont

Last week, I said something in a Slashdot posting that rubbed people the wrong way. I compared Twitter to podcasting, asking whether Twitter's competition and revenue-related challenges would relegate the service to the Internet sidelines, much like podcasting had failed to live up to early hype. I referenced the Twitter profile that was published in The Industry Standard as part of our special feature, "10 'Net services that will succeed, and 10 that will probably fail."

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How-To: 10 Tips for Launching a Solid Podcast

2008-05-08T13:54:00.002-04:00

Campaign studies by Podtrac and TNS found podcast advertising is three times as effective as "traditional" online advertising, and seven times more so than TV ads.

In 2007, podcasts served 18.5 million users in the US — a figure projected to rise to 65 million by 2012 (eMarketer).

These tips for launching an engaging podcast will help you build a loyal and responsive brand audience.

Energy Star Podcast

2008-05-08T10:40:00.005-04:00

The ENERGY STAR podcast is a collection of conversations about energy efficiency. EPA staff talk with a variety of business analysts, technology experts, policymakers, and media. These recordings cover market trends, consumer preferences, energy reduction solutions, new products and efficiency standards, and even some retail training information.

Launch

Amazing Ad Recall Rates from Podcasts, Online Video Shows

2008-05-05T11:44:00.010-04:00

Ads in podcasts are three times as effective as "traditional" online video ads, and seven times more so than television ads, according to four campaign studies conducted by Podtrac and TNS, MarketingCharts writes.

Compared with industry benchmarks of 21 percent for streaming video and 10 percent for television, unaided ad awareness for podcasts was an impressive 68 percent on average; aided recall was even higher, at 89 percent on average. Embedded ads in online video shows are also highly effective, the study found.

HP audio and video podcasts

2008-04-21T17:57:00.004-04:00

Podcasts are audio and video files that you can play on your computer, digital audio player or handheld with video capabilities. If you have a portable MP3 player, such as an HP iPAQ or Apple iPod from HP, you can listen to the audio podcasts whenever, wherever you want. Our video podcasts are available in Windows Media files for HP iPAQs and mp4 for Apple Video iPODs.

Launch

Narrowcasting, Kitchen-Sink ID3, End to End Podcast & Audio Search Optimization!

2008-04-21T17:54:00.005-04:00

by Charlene Jaszewski

Did you know that you can shove the entire transcript of a podcast into the ID3 tag of a media file? Need an immediate full-contact tutorial on podcast production and SEO? These and other powerful tools were divulged in Podcast & Audio Search Optimization during Search Engine Strategies New York....

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Internet Marketing Voodoo

2008-04-21T17:30:00.004-04:00

Dedicated to the discussion of internet marketing techniques and technologies. Join host Paul Lewis each week as he explores subjects including search engine marketing, consumer generated media, email marketing, podcasting, blogs, loyalty programs, affiliate networks, online communities, traffic building, generation y, analytics and more. Each episode features an industry expert guest or panel including Fortune 500 Brand Managers, online marketing thought leaders and world renowned authors.

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Greenpeace Podcasts

2008-04-17T13:52:00.003-04:00

Here's the complete contents of the Greenpeace Audio & Video podcast. To subscribe to the Greenpeace Podcast via iTunes and your iPod device, just open iTunes and click on...

Launch

Do you think Starbucks Podcast is good? or not?

2008-04-01T09:52:00.002-04:00

Why do it just for one month? If it was around a promotion or something I could understand, but it’s not.
“Coffee College”? What? I love coffee, but do I really want to learn more about it? I don’t think so.
The sound of the promo is pretty laid back and cool which I like. But, the sounds at the beginning and the end sound fake. I think they’d have a much richer experience if they actually recorded the podcasts in the corner of a store while it was opening and running. Truly capture the moment. The sounds. The everything.

Starbucks Podcast

2008-04-01T09:06:00.003-04:00

Starbucks Podcast is not service now.
They tried to give the information of coffee.

Launch

Ewww…What’s That Smell? It’s MyStarbucksIdea.com

2008-03-28T16:37:00.006-04:00

Granted, it’s way too easy to dump on Starbucks these days, but I was taken aback when I started to Google the name of the coffee chain’s so-called social networking site on Monday and discovered the glee people seemed to take in dumping on MyStarbucksIdea.com....

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The Interactive Experts: H&M Video Podcast

2008-03-03T15:49:00.007-05:00

H&M (Hennes & Mauritz), is a Swedish clothing company known for its inexpensive, yet incredibly stylish clothing for women, men, and children. H&M's first store opened in Sweden in 1964, with their much publicized and anticipated US opening (on New York's fashionable 5th Avenue) following almost 36 later, in 2000. Since their humble beginnings back in the 60's, they have grown tremendously, with more than 1,500 stores, in 28 countries, with over 60,000 employees.

H&M is planning to launch podcasts in conjunction with their new advertising campaign.
Which will consist mostly of runway shows, the latest fashion news and trends, as well as insider tips from the industry. Updated on a monthly basis, they will use the podcasts to introduce new products, get insights from experts and broadcast interviews with the latest fashionistas.

This will also provide a great platform, for charitable causes like “Fashion Against AIDS” to get much needed exposure and support.

Launch