Podcasting 101

Podcasting 101

Neville Hobson, ABC andShel Holtz, ABC

‘For Immediate Release’www.forimmediaterelease.biz

New Communications Forum 2006Palo AltoMarch 1, 2006

Listento mypodcastX

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Today’s Agenda

■ The elements of successful podcasting■ How to strategize a business podcast■ How to build a community of listeners■ The tools of podcasting, from recording to

hosting■ How to promote a podcast■ Integrating your podcast with other online

content■ Creating a podcast

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What is a Podcast?

1. Digital audio file, typically MP32. “Radio show” format

> Time-shifted – listen when you want3. Delivered via RSS

Optional:■ Auto-sync with portable digital player

> Detach and go – listen where you want■ Complemented by show notes

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Delivered by RSS

■ Key technology tool■ A way to get net content when you want

> No spam> No need to visit sites – content comes to you

■ Discoverability> By podcast directories and other sites> By people who want to listen

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Some Background

■ Podcasting really began in August 2004

■ Enabled by two elements:1. RSS enclosures (Dave

Winer)2. Podcatching software

(Adam Curry)■ It started with one

podcast – “Daily Source Code” with Adam Curry

■ Today: At least 20,000 podcasts, 8-10 million regular listeners

■ Businesses are podcasting

■ Mainstream media is podcasting> Newspapers, magazines,

radio, television■ Wide appeal kicked off in

June 2005 – Apple adds podcast support to iTunes

■ Going mainstream – Yahoo! Podcasts in October 2005

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Continuing Growth

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The Hobson & Holtz Report■ Started 3 January 2005■ First podcast in the

communication profession■ Co-hosts: Neville Hobson

(Amsterdam) and Shel Holtz (California)

■ 60-90 mins, twice weekly, Monday and Thursday, recorded via Skype

■ Average per-show downloads: 565

■ Global audience> Primary: USA, Canada, UK,

Netherlands, Australia■ Building community

> 3 on-the-ground correspondents

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‘For Immediate Release’ Series■ The Hobson & Holtz Report

twice-weekly show■ Interviews with newsmakers

and influencers from the online technology and organizational communication worlds

■ Book Reviews aligned with our theme of PR/communications and the online world

■ Speakers and Speeches - podcasts of speeches, keynote addresses, breakout sessions, and other recordings from meetings and conferences of interest to PR and communication professionals

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Building Community

■ Involve listeners■ Encourage listeners■ Address their needs■ Engage

Global distribution: FIR listeners 14/2/06http://www.frappr.com/fir

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Who’s Podcasting…?

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Why Podcast?■ Easy and complementary extension of existing

communication, PR and marketing activities■ An appropriate channel to market■ Reach niche audiences otherwise (financially) unreachable■ Attract new, younger customers■ Create buzz, build viral marketing effect■ Be perceived to be at the leading edge■ Be seen as a leader with a cool new medium■ …

What else?

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Marketing Communication

■ A new product announcement that accompanies traditional communication

■ Includes informal conversations between, say, a customer and one of the employees from the factory who made the product

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Financial PR

■ Investor relations produces a weekly review of activities and events of interest to investors and financial analysts> Within the limits of regulatory requirements

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Employee Engagement

■ A weekly 15-minute business update for employees> Perhaps by the CEO or other senior executive

■ Employees worldwide subscribe to the podcast via the company intranet> Or from the CEO’s blog

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Team Building

■ The sales director records an occasional podcast for her geographically-dispersed sales team> Tips and tricks on, say, how to close deals with certain

types of customers■ Podcast available from the sales intranet as a

complement to formal sales materials

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Growth Drivers

1. It’s easy2. It’s inexpensive3. It’s portable4. It’s available

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10 Rules for Business Podcasting

1. Be relevant2. Stick to the point3. Avoid fluff4. Practice infotainment5. Build and engage

community

6. Be mindful of your audience’s time

7. There are no competitors8. Don’t advertise or sell9. Be authentic10. Integrate into the

blogosphere

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Who Should?

■ Corporate communications, PR, marketing, HR, investor relations, sales, employee communication, customer service, public affairs, community relations…> Externally: engaging with customers> Internally: thought leadership, sharing thinking and

knowledge; news, information■ Who else?

> What about the CEO?

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20 Creative Ideas1. Airlines: Travel and destination guides2. Apparel/Retail: Behind the scenes at fashion

shows, interviews with models and designers, guide to the season

3. Automotive: Test drives of new models with team drivers, interviews with designers, race reports from behind the scenes

4. Beverage Stores: Festive reviews of selected wines, spirits and beers

5. Books/Music Retail: Guides to summer or Christmas releases, interviews with bands and authors, sample readings from authors to promote an in-store appearance

6. Financial Services: Retirement guides, investing tips, planning for college education

7. Golf Equipment: Guides to courses, interviews with sponsored athletes

8. Grocery Stores: Interviews and recipes from well-known chefs

9. Health Insurers: Wellness tips, meditation guides, nutrition guides

10. Home Improvement Stores: Step-by-step guides to home improvement

11. Hotels: Destination guides, jogging routes, music to jog to, walking tours of cities

12. Micro-Brews: Interviews with the brew master

13. Movie Studios: Interviews with actors or directors, movie making production diaries

14. Sportswear: Interviews with sponsored athletes, event diaries (Olympics, World Cup), and interviews with designers, fitness and training tips

15. Travel and Tourism: Guides to destinations, travel tips

16. Vineyards: Interviews with wine-makers17. Whisky Makers: Interviews with the makers,

tours of the distilleries18. Video Games- Interviews with game

designers, production diaries19. Higher Education: communicate with

incoming students and provide them with lectures.

20. Investor Relations: earnings announcements.

(from ideas by Kevin Dugan, Strategic Public Relations - http://prblog.typepad.com/)

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Integrating

■ With blogs and other social media■ Within ‘traditional’ communication■ Strategic / tactical

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Producing

■ Recording■ Editing■ Uploading■ Promoting

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Record your show

■ Basic gear> USB microphone> Free recording/editing software

Audacity■ Intermediate gear

> Mixer> Higher-end software or software dedicated to

podcasting (e.g., “Mixcast Live”)■ High-end gear

> Digital mixers, compressors, pre-amps…

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Shel’s rig

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Portable Rigs

■ Small handhelds ■ Professional decks

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Edit

■ Optional> “Live to the hard drive”

■ Eliminate glitches■ Add effects

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Adobe Audition for Windows

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Edit ID3 tags

■ A tagging format for MP3 files■ Metadata includes:

> Title> Artist> Album> Track

■ View them in players> PC (iTunes, etc.)> Digital devices (iPod, etc.)

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Upload the file

■ FTP■ Automated processes

> LibSyn (Liberated Syndication)

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Update your feed

■ Automatic if you use a blog■ Simple software to use if you don’t

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Link to your feed

■ Just a hyperlink> Text> Orange box

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Market your podcast

■ Get listed■ Drive traffic to the podcast site■ Produce promos

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The New Media Ecosystem

■ RSS■ Blogs■ Wikis■ Podcasts■ Videocasts / Vlogs■ Moblogs■ MMS■ Internet telephony

Tools that facilitate:■ Communication■ Engagement■ Transparency■ Trust

Tool that are:■ Complementary to traditional

communication activities■ Used by organizations who

recognize the social characteristics of effective communication

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Communication Choices

Engage and Participate vs. Transmit

Advocate vs. Preach

Influence and Persuade vs. Command and Control

Informal and Conversational vs. Formal and Instructive

Build Community vs. Tell Your Audience

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Let’s do a podcast…

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Conversation…

■ Neville Hobson, ABC, and Shel Holtz, ABC■ ‘For Immediate Release’ podcasts■ www.forimmediaterelease.biz■ Comment Line: +1 206 222 2803■ Email: fircomments@gmail.com

…listento mypodcast…

…and watchmyvideocast

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Original cartoons by Hugh MacLeod (gapingvoid.com). Used with permission.