As I was walking around last week’s Podcast and New Media Expo, one phrase kept coming to me again and again, no matter who I talked with…Why wouldn’t you?

If you could get your message to thousands of people, instead of 10 or 20, why wouldn’t you?
If you could have your own television or radio show, why wouldn’t you?
If you could reach out to other, under-served consumers, why wouldn’t you?
If you could reach your customers and donors where they live online, why wouldn’t you?
If you could do all this for little to no cost, WHY WOULDN’T YOU?

New media provides a nearly free pipeline directly to those who WANT to hear your message. Why are advertisers still using the “shotgun” approach to advertising, spraying everyone to hit the 1% that actually care about their message. Why not find a show that has rabid, fanatic fans that love your market and just might love your products? In one case, a musical instrument manufacturer has few outlets to advertise their handbells. There just isn’t a great concentration of potential customers in any one area. Then along comes The Handbell Podcast where every listener cares about handbells and associated music. Again, why wouldn’t you advertise on that show. These hosts have collected nearly perfect customers into one place and have gained their respect and trust.

Sure, this is an extreme example, but what about yarn manufacturers advertising on knitting shows and a company that makes products for long-range truckers advertising on Trucker Tom’s show. There are audiences waiting to be addressed. Sure, you advertisers need to change their way of advertising — treating listeners with more respect for a start — but they would know their message is reaching the right ears and eyes AND their advertising dollars have having much more effect, dollar for dollar.

I have to believe that this is the future of advertising. Advertisers can only shout so loud, for so long, before we all stop listening. Engaging customers who want to hear their message, through the conduit of a trusted and respected host, is now possible and just might be the “next big thing.”

Technorati Tags: promotion, advertising, business, consumer, customer, PR