PODCASTS – Newest and Soon to be the Greatest

Podcasts are the newest media member of New Media Marketing and is rapidly growing in usage. eMarketer estimated that at the end of 2008, 6.5 million people will download a podcast at least twice a week. They also estimate that number to be 25 million by the end of 2012. For those who hate the idea of sitting down and composing a blog or writing an article for your ezine – podcasting is your solution. Podcasts permits you to “talk” about your product or discuss your business. You can speak directly to your audience.

As we have previously mentioned, New Media Marketing works the best when you integrate the various medias. This is also true for podcasts. Even though a stand alone podcast can work, since podcasts are web based, they are much more effective when used in conjunction with your web, blogs, ezines, and email campaigns. The secret to New Media Marketing is it provides media variations on the same theme.

If podcasting is your main New Media Marketing vehicle then you should provide a podcast at least twice a week (similar to blogging). If it is used in conjunction with other NMM, you should podcast once or twice a month (similar to your ezine).

Podcasts can be viewed directly from your audiences computer via the web or they can be downloaded to a mp3 player (such as your ipod) and can be viewed or listened to at your audiences convenience.

Make sure that in your ezine, you describe your podcasts and lists the titles of at least the last three casts. Also add a link so that viewer can subscribe.

Just like the other NMM vehicles, name your podcast with a compelling name – one that will both grab the viewer attention and also establish relevancy for your targeted audience. Once you have selected such a name, then you can choose a theme. All podcast episodes for the theme should thus focus on that theme.

An example would be if you are a design studio, you may want to select the theme “Emotional Branding through Color” or “The Wonderful World of Color”. You then can create a video podcast that shows how colors actually create different emotions and also an audio podcast that talks about the process of selecting the right color for a given message.
There are some technology requirements that are not necessarily required for the other NMM vehicles:

• Need a computer with a high-speed internet connection
• Audio software to produce the required audio files and a microphone. Also consider buying a pair of headphones
• For video, the software and equipment is more extensive then for just audio. However one can product a low-budget video using such programs as Mac’s iMovie and photographs and illustrations. Life video is not always required.
• You will also need to select a hosting company for your podcasts:
• Often your existing web site hosting company provides podcast hosting, some other suggestions:
• Switchpod (www.switchpod.com
• Liberated Syndication (www.libsyn.com)
• Godaddy (www.godaddy.com)

• When creating your podcast remember to make the media have heart with your enthusiasm
• Create a picture in your listener’s “mind’s eye”
• Practice your enunciation and diction
• Remove words such as uhms, ers, etc.

Content suggestions:

• Key business products and services
• Interviews
• Profiles
• Business tips
• Panel discussions
• Behind-the-scene tours and looks

Like most NMM vehicles, once you tried them you will become comfortable with them and actually enjoy using the various media to tell your story. Remember it is all about your story.