Marketing in the New Media. Holly Berkley

seek podcast content is essential to success. Make your podcast available to search engine spiders by including text-based descriptions detailing the content of your podcast, so both users and search engines will know what your podcast is about before they click. Make your podcast available on top podcasting portals such as Odeo, Yahoo! Podcasts, and Podcast.net.

       3. Promote your podcast

      Mention your podcasts in your traditional advertising, post links on your website, and promote the content in your newsletters. It’s also a good idea to create a blog or message board around your podcast to encourage feedback.

       4. Promote complementary podcasts

      Similar to the idea of link exchanges, promoting other podcasts that will in turn promote yours helps everyone involved by opening up your content to a wider audience and establishing credibility.

      Partnerships in podcasting

      For some companies, the idea of sponsoring an existing podcast is much more appealing that taking the time to develop one on your own. For example in 2006, Travelocity teamed up with a leading travel personality, Rick Steves. He had already built up a large following through his more traditional outlets of guidebooks, radio shows, and television. When he took his show online in the form of podcasting, it seemed like a natural match for Travelocity. Keep in mind that even for personalities like Rick Steves and large companies like Travelocity, this is a new medium (Lerma, May 2006). So prices for sponsorship and how the partnership will work are often completely open to negotiation by both parties.

      My suggestion is to take a look at already existing top podcasters related to your industry, and then start a dialogue. Be ready to propose how you think the partnership could work and how much you’d like to pay as a starting point, since most podcasters really have no idea what to charge sponsors.

      Engage Consumers in Your Brand

      I’d like to emphasize again that new media differ from any of the traditional media channels in that consumers are actively engaged in the media and seeking out information. New media marketing is less interruptive, more targeted, and relies on a person’s genuine need to socialize and to seek and share information. Compared to letting content of television and radio come to them, Internet users are actively engaged and more likely to take direct action when they see your marketing message. This is not to say the traditional media are ineffective; in fact, I am suggesting quite the opposite. In order to create a successful campaign, you can no longer choose new media or traditional advertising campaigns — you must work to incorporate both.

      Here is an example: a March 2006 survey by Burst Media found that nearly half of consumers said television most effectively captures their attention, but those same consumers admitted that when it comes to actually making a decision to purchase a product or service, the Internet ranked first. They went so far as to say that the Internet was their primary source for this information (eMarketer, May 2006a).

      As you read this book, remember that the key to combining traditional and new media marketing is not only about exposing your brand to your target audience, but about truly engaging the consumer, by encouraging them to take action and become more loyal to your product.

      References

      Bausch, Suzy, and Leilani Han. 2006. Social Networking Sites from 47 Percent, Year over Year, Reaching 45 Percent of Web Users, According to Nielsen//NetRatings. Nielsen//NetRatings, May 11.

      Blackshaw, Pete. 2006. Skype Nation. ClickZ, May 30.

      Burns, Enid. 2006a. In-Gaming Advertising to Continue Exponential Growth. ClickZ, April 17.

      ____. 2006b. Blogosphere Doubles Every Six Months. ClickZ, April 18.

      ____. 2006. Executives Slow to See Value of Corporate Blogging. ClickZ, May 9.

      Crowell, Grant. 2004. Public Relations via Search Engines. ClickZ, June 30.

      eMarketer. 2006a. When Americans Buy … They Go Online First, May 2.

      ____. 2006b. Video Games Entice 4 out of 10 Americans, May 17.

      ____. 2006c. Where Do Workers Go Online?, May 24.

      ____. 2006d. Online Retail Predicted to Top $200 Billion, May 25.

      ____. 2006e. Who’s Not Watching Online Video?, May 26.

      ____. 2006f. Poll Shows 77% of US Adults Are Now Online, May 30.

      Evans, Dave. 2006a. Interruptive Media: Just Say No. ClickZ, May 10.

      ____. 2006b. The Power of ‘And’ in your Media Mix. ClickZ, May 24.

      Fallows, Deborah. 2006. Browsing the Web for Fun. Pew Internet & American Life Project, February.

      Kingdon, Mark. 2006. Social Networking Is Your Friend. ClickZ, April 11.

      Lieb, Rebecca. 2006. whyPod? Clickz, May 26.

      Lerma, Pete. 2006. No Formulas for Podcast Sponsorships. ClickZ, May 30.

      Madden, Mary. 2006. Internet Penetration and Impact. Pew Internet & American Life Project, April.

      Newcomb, Kevin. 2006. Sisterwoman Promises Social Networking Without the Risk. ClickZ, April 20.

      Rodgers, Zachary. 2006. New Social Site Tries for ‘MomSpace.’ ClickZ, May 10.