theFerf
Dec 8th, 2004, 08:34 AM
Here is a bit of the article found at http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/4735.asp.
Here are some podvertising possibilities worth pondering. If there’s one fundamental that permeates all of these potential models, it’s this -- make sure your marketing is targeted and offers high value so the audience doesn’t skip over your ad:
* Audio Spots -- One of the earliest forms of podcasting that will emerge will be brief inserted audio spots. Doug Kaye, who hosts the very popular IT Conversations podcast, recently said he is testing technology to insert spots and promos on-the-fly. While this is a natural evolution of a time-tested classic radio advertising model, it has possible downside in the podcast world. Users who find these ads obtrusive can easily skip over them on their iPods.
* Sponsorships -- A more viable approach, one that is more sustainable, is underwriting an entire podcast. If this sounds familiar, it’s because this is a throwback to the Golden Age of Radio when a single company would sponsor an entire hour of variety programming. Such sponsorships might closely resemble TV product placements where the ads become part of the content in some meaningful way. For example, it’s possible a podcast sponsor might be able to embed a full audio news release right into a program, provided it is consistent with the show’s content.
* Promotions -- Promotions and giveaways, akin to those that dot the radio dial, also transcend nicely to the podcast world. For example, advertisers and podcasters could team to offer special discounts to listeners. This will make it less likely that the consumer will skip over an ad.
* RSS Ads -- Right now, anecdotal evidence shows that most podcast listeners are using a dedicated application like Curry’s iPodder to subscribe to program feeds. However, this may change over time as the more popular RSS aggregators that have an installed base -- including FeedDemon and Bloglines -- all add support for podcasting. As this happens, you can bet that marketers and audio publishers will start running short interstitial text ads in the podcast’s RSS feed, just as they are beginning to do with blog feeds.
* Roll Your Own -- Last but not least, marketers should also start looking at rolling their own podcasts. This could embody everything from audio infomercials to entire specialized programs that build loyalty among select customers. Earningscast, for example, has already started publishing select quarterly company investor conference calls in podcast form.
This list is by no means exhaustive. Just as BMWFilms.com revolutionized online advertising, savvy online marketers will find outside-the-box ways to dabble in podcasting. Some will be successful, others won’t. The key thing is to start investigating and experimenting because podcasting is here to stay.
Here are some podvertising possibilities worth pondering. If there’s one fundamental that permeates all of these potential models, it’s this -- make sure your marketing is targeted and offers high value so the audience doesn’t skip over your ad:
* Audio Spots -- One of the earliest forms of podcasting that will emerge will be brief inserted audio spots. Doug Kaye, who hosts the very popular IT Conversations podcast, recently said he is testing technology to insert spots and promos on-the-fly. While this is a natural evolution of a time-tested classic radio advertising model, it has possible downside in the podcast world. Users who find these ads obtrusive can easily skip over them on their iPods.
* Sponsorships -- A more viable approach, one that is more sustainable, is underwriting an entire podcast. If this sounds familiar, it’s because this is a throwback to the Golden Age of Radio when a single company would sponsor an entire hour of variety programming. Such sponsorships might closely resemble TV product placements where the ads become part of the content in some meaningful way. For example, it’s possible a podcast sponsor might be able to embed a full audio news release right into a program, provided it is consistent with the show’s content.
* Promotions -- Promotions and giveaways, akin to those that dot the radio dial, also transcend nicely to the podcast world. For example, advertisers and podcasters could team to offer special discounts to listeners. This will make it less likely that the consumer will skip over an ad.
* RSS Ads -- Right now, anecdotal evidence shows that most podcast listeners are using a dedicated application like Curry’s iPodder to subscribe to program feeds. However, this may change over time as the more popular RSS aggregators that have an installed base -- including FeedDemon and Bloglines -- all add support for podcasting. As this happens, you can bet that marketers and audio publishers will start running short interstitial text ads in the podcast’s RSS feed, just as they are beginning to do with blog feeds.
* Roll Your Own -- Last but not least, marketers should also start looking at rolling their own podcasts. This could embody everything from audio infomercials to entire specialized programs that build loyalty among select customers. Earningscast, for example, has already started publishing select quarterly company investor conference calls in podcast form.
This list is by no means exhaustive. Just as BMWFilms.com revolutionized online advertising, savvy online marketers will find outside-the-box ways to dabble in podcasting. Some will be successful, others won’t. The key thing is to start investigating and experimenting because podcasting is here to stay.