April 12th, 2008 Bernie
Bernie - Tampa Bay CEO Lounge - Radio:
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Bernie appeared as a guest on the CEO Lounge radio show on March 29, 2008. Following is an excerpt of the interview.
What is Web 2.0?
Analogy: the world was once considered flat. When the world was discovered to be round the flat world became obsolete. Web 1.0 is like a flat world. Web 2.0 (coined in 2004) is like a round world….In Web 2.0 people can subscribe and get involved in communities. The value to marketers is the collective influence of these communities.
Important for businesses to understand Web 2.0. Marketers can harness the power of the collective influence of communities in Web 2.0.
Blogosphere: You can be a speaker or a listener. Visit or participate or both. People subscribe to blog conversations. blogs are two way conversations. People subscribe to the blog (the conversations).
Podcasting: it is a media file (audio or video). People subscribe to a podcast as a series of episodes. Study: July 2006 Knowledgestorm & Universal McCann surveyed 3900 business and IT professionals. They are increasing using podcasts. 73% listened to business podcasts more than once. More than half want more podcast content for white papers, case studies. Their biggest frustration is scarcity of content.
Post podcasts to a blog with show notes which are indexed by search engines. Post podcasts in podcast directories such as iTunes. Plus the search engine indexing of show notes can drive traffic to your website.
Search engine optimization and Internet Marketing is much more than it was ever before. With the advent of Web 2.0, many more avenues are available. But, it takes more strategy and effort. But, the results can be awesome!
Tags: blogosphere, podcasting, search engine optimization, Tampa Bay CEO Lounge, Web 2.0
Posted in Podcasts, Web 2.0 | No Comments »
March 9th, 2008 Bernie
Standard Podcast:
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Podcasting Basics Show Notes: To listen to the podcast click the play button above, download it or subscribe to our podcasts below to the right.
What is a Podcast?
A podcast is digital file which can be audio or video, that someone can subscribe to, download-able, or listen to on the spot on their computer.
A podcast can be played on a PC or portable MP3 player.
A podcast is time shifted delivery of content similar to a VCR.
Why should marketers care about podcasting?
Podcasts are in the top 10 of most frequently accessed types of online content.
Survey conducted by KnowledgeStorm and Univeral McCann of 3900 B2B professionals summer 2006 (highlights):
32% said they listen to more podcasts than before.
B2B technology buyers are listening to podcasts for business interests.
72% said they have listened to downloaded or subscribed to podcasts on technology topics.
23% said they listen to podcasts on technology topics frequently.
About 60% said they want more content delivered in podcast format, specifically they named white papers and analyst reports.
55% said they would be more likely to consume white papers and analyst reports if delivered in podcast format.
57% said their biggest frustration with podcasts is the scarcity of interesting content (opportunity).
Conclusion: podcasts are not just for entertainment, they are a bonafide business tool!
Podcast strategy considerations for marketers:
Define your marketing objective.
Consider your audience and the topics of interest to them.
Identify the content subjects for podcasting to your audience that meets your objective.
Consider content on tips, trends, thought leadership ideas, case studies, white papers, analyst reports, etc.
The content for podcasting has to be manageable. Not too much in one podcast episode. Segment content into episodes.
Decide on the podcast show format.
Interview style: 2 or 3 people.
Or a solo approach if the personality is appropriate for a solo podcast.
Post your podcasts to a web page or blog post.
Include keyword rich text show notes for search engine optimization (SEO) benefits. Show notes can serve as “spider food.” People can link to your show notes which is also good for SEO.
Offer subscription options to your podcast in directories such as iTunes, and other podcast directories. iTunes is the biggest directory. But, it will only display the top 150 results per keyword phrase, e.g., search on “Web 2.0.”
Track your podcast statistics an episode by episodes basis. Measure which podcast topics have been popular. Track downloads and subscriptions through iTunes. Track podcast blog pages in your web analytics.
Marketing – how much marketing (promotion) can you do in a podcast?
It depends on your audience and topics. Here are some promotional possibilities.
Consider a show sponsor: “This podcast is brought to you by…”
Consider a short commercial at the beginning of the podcast or at the end or both.
Consider a “commercial” break (word from our sponsor) in the middle of the podcast just like a radio show.
Offer your audience a call to action that is only available to the podcast listeners.
Consider a short form for podcasts on topics of high interest that will interest people to fill out the form.
Podcast idea example:
OTA- over the air delivery of broadcasting. Example: iPhone can download music or a podcast or push a podcast out to subscribers.
Consider this scenario: A VP of Sales assembles internal subject matter experts to record a podcast with up to date product and competitive info that needs to be distributed to their glogal salesforce ASAP. They then push out the podcast to their salesforce using OTA. Rather than relying on a long voicemail or email, the podcast is delivered to their sales force quickly because they were previously subscribed to the “sales podcast” for just such occasions. Sales people can listen to the podcast even while traveling and stay up to date on time sensitive information.
There are almost no rules in podcast marketing. Do whatever makes sense for your audience and your content.
Tags: iTunes, podcasting, Podcasts, search engine optimization, SEO, Web 2.0
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