Podcasting for your Business: Interview with Chuck Palm

Podcast interview with Chuck Palm recorded live from Barcamp Tampa at the University of South Florida.

Chuck Palm is the Chief Podcasting Officer at the Internet Podcasting Network, aka IPN. If you’re new to the Find and Convert podcast you may not know that Chuck was my co-host for the first year of my podcasts and IPN actually hosted my podcasts during the first year of my show.

In addition to helping businesses create great podcasts as part of their marketing strategy, Chuck also hosts a show called Podcasting for your Business.  This show is for people who want to learn about how podcasting can be a valuable communication medium for almost any business (Chuck would argue that podcasting is great for any business).

State of Podcasting Industry

There is limited data available (that doesn’t cost a mortgage payment) on the size of the podcasting industry. But, we know it is growing in popularity as evidenced by growth in popular podcasting networks such as BlogTalkRadio and PersonalLifeMedia. If you have more current stats on the podcasting industry, please share them in the comments below. But, we definitely know that the podcasting industry is evolving. There are more new podcast shows posted every day. However, the low barrier to entry has produced many low quality podcast shows. The secret sauce to successful podcasting is quality content and quality audio.  After all would you listen to a radio show that either doesn’t interest you, or the audio quality is so poor that it makes the listening experience a painful one?

The Strategic Value of Podcasts

I asked Chuck what is the strategic value of a podcast show to any business? His answer: “It’s all about building a fan base!” I agree…Building a fan base is not only measurable, it’s also very valuable to a business. A good podcast show will reach a very targeted audience and engage them. It will give them a connection to you. Why wouldn’t any business want that?

How Do You Monetize a Podcast?

There are many ways to monetize a podcast.  One way is the value of relationships built through your fan base. If you want more tangible methods consider what products you have to sell. You can make offers on your products available only to your podcast audience by offering a coupon or discount code. Regardless of how you monetize a podcast show, focus on creating quality content consistently, share it and distribute it through your social channels and syndicate it through RSS. The biggest distribution channel for podcast shows is still iTunes. But, remember that the content in your podcast becomes your marketing. Calls to action are great. But, you must have quality content for a successful podcast show. BTW, I make an offer in this podcast not included in this blog post. To learn about it, listen to the podcast.

Other Reasons to Podcast

While most businesses podcast to market their company’s products and services, there are many other reasons to podcast. Organizations such as churches, associations, entertainers and user groups podcast just to get out their message. Podcasting is an effective way to broadcast a message with broad reach and word of mouth (WOM) potential. Even if your target audience is local, the global reach through online syndication can have a very positive impact on your message.

Educate, Enlighten, Entertain

As I point out in my book, Marketing 2,.0 a good content marketing strategy should strive to achieve the three E’s. Podcast content is a medium that allows any marketer to deliver on any of these three E’s. And, anyone can do it. Every business has much to talk about. Think about how your business or organization can deliver on the three E’s. But, many businesses are intimidated by the notion of podcasting. The best advice is to just be real. Be yourself. Tell stories. Deliver on the three E’s and you’ll create fans.

Podcasting Strategy Process

Chuck shared his secret sauce to creating a successful podcast strategy. Here it is…..Write down the top 20 things that are interesting about your business. Then, create a show around the top 5 or 10. Tell stories about them.  That’s it. It’s not rocket science. But, it’s very important to commit to a podcast as a series of shows, not just one. A podcast show should be a  minimum of 6 shows. Make it a series. Break it up into multiple parts. You’ll engage your audience by breaking it up. And, you’ll start to create a fan base.

Measuring Podcast Analytics

This isn’t one of Chuck’s favorite topics. He points out that too many marketers want instant results. While some podcasts can provide instant results in one way or another, it’s usually not the point. A good podcast show takes time to build an  audience and build a relationship with them. If you have good content and quality audio, and you give your podcast show at least 6 or 10 events, you will be able to measure analytics that track meaningful data about your show. Some of the analytics tools to consider using include PodPress, Blubrry and Volomedia.

Targeted Audience

People listen to your podcast because they want to. Most podcasts are summarized in a blog post which is index-able by search engines. For example the stats in my WordPress blog tell me which podcasts are the most popular. These stats are important but should not be overshadowed by the value of building a fan base and the impact on your brand.

Podcast Consumption

The global phenomenon of smart mobile devices allows people to download and consume audio and video content anywhere. The iPhone and the Google Android devices are just two examples of mobile devices that allow people to consume podcasts (audio and video). It’s believed (depending on the research you read) that most people still consume podcasts on their computer by clicking the play button (as you can do in this blog post). When you consider how we all multitask, that’s very easy to believe.

Want More on Podcasting?

This blog post summary doesn’t capture the entire interview with Chuck Palm. Are you going to click the play button or download it or subscribe to it in iTunes?

You can connect with Chuck Palm on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn by his name as well as at his podcasting company at IPN, The Internet Podcasting Network.

P.S. Take the Marketing 2.0 Challenge.

Podcasting Tips From Master Host Susan Bratton

Podcast Interview with Susan Bratton, CEO of Personal Life Media.

As a podcaster, I have long been a fan of a handful of other podcasts that cover the topics that I cover, namely web marketing, new media, online marketing, and all related topics. One of my favorite podcasts is produced by Susan Bratton, called DishyMix, a podcast show where Susan interviews interesting and accomplished guests in and around marketing, advertising and new media. So, I invited Susan to be interviewed for my podcast and she graciously accepted…Boy was it fun!

Susan has many attributes I enjoy and I will share them with you in this blog post. But, you should listen to the entire podcast to learn how Susan is making an impact in our economy and how you can too by following her tips. No matter your industry, Susan’s advice can be applied with measurable results.

Susan is the co- founder and CEO of Personal Life Media, a media publishing company for people on the leading edge of culture. Susan is a Silicon Valley exec who knows everybody in new media, advertising and anything marketing. Susan is widely adored and recognized as a “super connector” among interesting and influential people in the web 2.0 and new media world.

PLM is about helping people change their lives. Susan calls it edutainment. Each one of Susan’s DishyMix podcasts make me a little smarter.  She interviews fabulously interesting people. In each of her interviews she seeks to bring her audience “brain science,” personal growth and leadership examples. She brings her guest’s deep expertise to her audience while also about allowing you to get to know each of them as a human being. This combination of professional expertise and human interest makes DishyMix a very engaging podcast show!

From 16 to 40 and Counting

Susan launched Personal Life Media with 16 shows. Now PLM is comprised of 40 shows and growing. Susan recognized that podcasting is a communication platform that allows anyone who views herself as a publisher of content (an individual or a business), to do just that. Publishers have always produced a profit through paid sponsors, paid advertisers and paid subscribers. That’s exactly how Personal Life Media exists in our eco system. Susan has transferred this economic model to the podcasting medium with success that isn’t slowing down.

In addition to the 40 shows PLM is launching a new category called “online information products.” These will comprise ebooks that offer their target audience multiple benefits through a combination of audio lessons, video lessons and text based content. PLM has 15 information products in the hopper!

Podcasting as a Business

In December 2008 Lee Odden created a list of the top podcasts. DishyMix came in first in social media podcasts and my Find and Convert podcast came in third in the fan voting (Susan referred to it as a bake-off).

Susan is quick to point out that podcasting is a medium for marketers to get their message out to a target audience. Susan’s advice to businesses is to consider podcasting when one or more people in their business are comfortable in front a microphone and/or camera and a commitment can be made to producing regular podcast shows. Most businesses have plenty of content which can be re-purposed into a podcast. Interviewing interesting guests is a common approach in any industry. While monetizing podcasts can be achieved through advertising, sponsorships and a subscription model, most often a business can monetize their podcasts by using it as an effective way to communicate to their customers and surrounding community. In short, podcasting is an effective medium to build relationships with your customers and differentiate your business.

Susan’s advice on business podcasting includes the suggestion that a podcast can be better than a blog if the podcaster is one who doesn’t like to write but likes to speak. “You must love it. If you like to talk rather than write and you can sustainably do it, it’s a great communication medium,” says Susan.

Any business can tap into an existing or new audience through iTunes, which is a free distribution channel for podcasts. Businesses who create a podcast show are using new media as a corporate communications vehicle.

Talk Show Tips: 72 Secrets “Master Host” Techniques

Susan’s new e-book was inspired by her rapid success in podcasting. She humbly realized that her success qualifies her as a “master host” and she set out to create a package of information sharing tips. And boy did she ever! Talk Show Tips is packed with audio, video and text based tips that will make any podcaster, no matter how experienced, a more effective show host.

Talk show Tips provides podcast show hosts practical ways to organize a show. It offers awesome preparation tips for each interview so that your guest sees how prepared you are for the interview with killer questions and background. It also offers communication guidelines with your guest so they feel prepared for your interview. The ebook also shows how to conduct and promote a flawless podcast interview.

I suggested that Susan come back on my show in the future after I have finished consuming all the content in Talk Show Tips. I was truly blown away by all the content in her ebook but I didn’t finish it in time for this interview. She agreed to come back to see the difference (before and after)…

Measuring Results

I asked Susan how she measures results for all PLM shows, including DishyMix. Susan uses a service from VoloMedia. This service measures how many people have downloaded a show with ads in it. It measures completed downloads, not just clicks on a podcast file. Their numbers are reliable allowing her to measure the penetration of her shows.  Volomedia allows Susan to say that there are about 1 million downloads per month of her 40 shows on Personal Life Media. Of course, the ultimate measurement is the revenue she produces through her advertisers and soon from subscription sales and online information products.

Memorable Show Guests on DishyMix

I asked Susan to name some memorable guests from her DishyMix show. That’s a tough question with sooooo many fabulous guests. But, here is a short list she mentioned:  Sir Ken Robinson, author of The Element; Dacher Keltner, author of The Science of a Meaningful Life; Linda Resnik, author of a new book, “Rubies in the Orchard: How to Uncover Hidden Gems in Your Business” is half marketing genius and half auto-biography of an amazing billionaires.  Other notable guests include Steve Wosniak, Marcus Buckingham and Bert Decker.

A Memorable Speaking Experience

Susan emceed a conference called Happiness and Its Causes. Susan was a little nervous before the event due to the anxiety from some of the organizers.   A friend advised her to imagine a golden chord extending from her body as a tap root anchored into the earth. She advised Susan to take a deep breath and blow it through the grounding-chord to relieve all the stress. It worked and Susan went on to emcee a very successful event, which is a common occurrence for her.

Susan’s Three Pillars of Social Media Marketing in Business

Listening: The most popular action in social media among businesses. You can learn a lot about your customers, your market, your competitors and your employees by listening.

Appvertising: As Susan explains “Brands who create useful aps or sponsor useful aps for their target consumers are brilliant players at a high-level of sophistication in the social influence marketing sphere.” She cites examples such as ClearSpring, Gigya and RockYou! as well as SocialMedia.com and ContextOptional.

Participation: Facebook fan pages such as the Find and Convert fan page and the DishyMix Fan Club where Susan gives away all kinds of goodies to her listeners (I could learn something from this – huh).  Susan also cites consumer generated content experiences like HP on YouTube described in an interview with Daina Middleton as well corporate Twitter accounts like Personal Life Media’s Twitter account.

Inspiration, Entertainment, Education

My interview with Susan Bratton was inspiring, entertaining and educational. I guess I can say it was edutainment! Susan’s passion and intellect are enjoyable. Her advice is commendable. Her enthusiasm is contagious.

Susan is simply a fun gal with a ton of wisdom and success to share with you and me. I hope you enjoy the podcast. I’d like to hear from you with your comments about this interview including questions for Susan for the next podcast.

Follow Susan Bratton on Twitter.

Follow Bernie Borges on Twitter.

Web 2.0 for B2B Marketers

Last week I gave an updated presentation on “What B2B Marketers Need to Know About Web 2.0.” The venue was TechSelect in Las Vegas (a private conference put on by TechData). The audience was VARs and Systems Integrators who purchase products through TechData. I presented once each on Friday and Saturday.

In both sessions I encountered many similar questions and concerns. Many people had limited knowledge of Web 2.0. Some attendees had profiles in LinkedIn, Facebook and a few in MySpace. Some were familiar with blogging, but surprisingly few. A few attendees had corporate blogs. Most were very interested in learning how to implement a blog strategy.

My advice to those interested in blogging was to start an internal blog first. Even for a small business that can include extensions of the company such as partners, suppliers, customers, etc. This is a relatively safe way to experience the dynamics of a blog. Beyond that, starting a public blog starts with studying the industry landscape to determine a sound blog strategy.

We also discussed micro blogging (Twitter), podcasting and social networking. There was very little awareness of Twitter, but we had interesting discussions around Twitter’s potential business applications.

There was particular interest in podcasting, especially as we discussed how technology buyers often rely on podcast content to help shape their opinions of products and services they consider before making a purchase decision.

We also discussed SEO at a very high level.  In particular we reviewed the growing importance of delivering content through social media platforms to help create links and to contribute to organic rankings. 

I provided up to the minute statistics on most of the topics mentioned above.  The two presentations were very interactive and were interesting and enjoyable for me to deliver.  Based on feedback I received it was informative for the attendees.

The full presentation can be accessed here.  I welcome comments.

Bernie Borges on Tampa Bay CEO Lounge Radio Show

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!

Podcasting Basics

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.