Cast Your Fate to the iPod
It can be tough and costly to win sympathetic ears for your life-changing service. But the Net—and a wildfire proliferation of iPods—have conceived a powerful ally for you: the podcast. A full 18.5 million US users listened to podcasts last year—a figure that might hit 65 million by 2012, says eMarketer. And Podtrac and TNS claim podcast advertising is three times as effective as "traditional" online ads.
There's no mystique to using podcasting to benefit your brand. You'll need patience, well-planned material (try scripts out on your apathetic spouse!)—and a bit of time. The trick is doing it effectively. Don't start a podcast series before realizing what commitment it requires. Leaving it to die on the vine might do more harm than good. Some tips:
- Plan a schedule. Will you broadcast monthly, weekly? Canvas topics beforehand; don't scramble for material the night before. Thankfully, podcasts don't have to be long (3-4 minutes).
- Spend on-air time wisely. Avoid hard-sells. Entertaining and informing are the priority, but consistently mention your brand at the end. You can also try incorporating it in a randomly playful way. (Retro fun: bring back the jingle!)
- Launch a microsite where fans can commune, contact you and read transcripts or blogs. (Think of the SEO benefits!) Don't forget to analyze progress: Feedburner's good for measuring unique subscribers per show; Podtrac and Volomedia lend demographic insight.
Ready to start? Try these services: Garageband (great for Mac-heads), Gcast, ClickCaster or Audacity.
The Po!nt: Cast off! Podcasting reaps major brand recognition for minor effort. Try it—but plan for the long-term!
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Comments
I appreciated the gist of the article but much of it is already well known.
This article missed some crucial points about podcasting even as it mentions the near ubiquitous presence of iPods. Firstly, as most know, the iPod is but one device on which podcasts are downloaded. Nearly half of those who receive podcasts listen or view them on a PC. New generation Zunes and other mobile devices make good platforms from which to view or see podcasts. Secondly, the article implies audio podcasts. A far more compelling and effective use of podcast technology is using video to get your message across.
Business podcasts do not necessarily need to provide entertainment. What they need to provide is short-duration, highly targeted and relevant news to its audience. Otherwise, the recipients will abandon the subscription.
Scripts in video podcasts are usually ineffective. Also, much of audio podcasts are read from scripts and are done badly. Subject matter experts know their subject and not only are they able to speak about the subject effectively, they like to speak about the subject. Outlines and key points such as facts, stats and quotes are OK to read from. Otherwise, extemporaneous monologues and dialogues are well received. Unless trained specifically, scripts make the presentation stiff and awkward.
Dave Burckhard
National Podcasting System