I recently produced a series of video testimonials for a client and they are now available online. We shot 3 videos over the course of the day, dodging the jet noise coming out of Burbank airpot and the home improvement projects of the next door neighbors. Video production “out in the wild” is always a bit of an adventure, but I think these video turned out quite well. I am working with the client to get some bette thumbnails chosen for the video — always a bit of a pain with YouTube videos. We will need to create custom thumbnails for each video to make it look its best.
Category Archives: PR
New Media Vocabulary: Promo
New Media Vocabulary: Promo
“A promo, shorthand for promotion, are a form of commercial advertising used in broadcast media, either television or radio; promos are generally used to promote a program airing on a television station, radio station, television network or radio network. The usage is to try to bring a showing to a specific set of people.
Promos typically run a standard length of about 30 seconds, though occasionally some can at times last as short as five seconds or as long as 90 seconds. Most promos commonly consist of select clips of segments from an upcoming program (television or radio series, film, event, etc.), however some television promos (particularly for an upcoming television series) utilize a monologue format in which a star or host of the program breaks the fourth wall. Most radio promos utilize this format as well, with a host of the program discussing the show itself, though some feature audio clips from past editions of the radio broadcast. Television station newscasts promote (a) select news segments to be featured in an upcoming newscast, such as an investigative report or special-interest feature piece.[1] — Wikipedia.org
Promos are a large part of promoting any New Media, be it a blog, podcast or YouTube Channel. In the case of YouTube, their new Unsubscribed Trailer is basically a built-in promo for your channel that auto plays to those visitors who are not currently subscribed to your channel.
Audio podcasters are big users of promos, as it gives people a taste of their show along with basic information on how to listen and subscribe. Promos are often shared among podcasters in order to expose one show’s listeners to another show that might interest them.
You can find one sample promos over on the Podcast Pickle site. They can give you some ideas of how you might format your own promo and the type of information you should included there.
For more information on Promo:
Previously on New Media Vocabulary:
Flipboard Mobile Magazine App now allows users to create their own magazines
I saw an announcement today from Flipboard, that their latest version for iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) now allowed users to curate their own magazines and make them available for other Flipboard users. This is accomplished through the a new content curation and search system in the app or via a web bookmarklet.
A complete description of this new feature can be found in this blog post on the Flipboard site:
To test out the new features, I created magazines for each of my blogs and loaded the last several posts into them. Here are some screenshots from the iPhone version of the Flipboard app.
To use the Flipboard +FlipIt (Add to Magazine) bookmarklet, you first drag the bookmarklet to your Bookmark Bar. Then load up the blog post or web page you wish to add to the magazine and click the bookmarklet. The screen below then allows you to create a new magazine, select an existing magazine and also share it to various social media sites.
One complaint on the publisher side is that Flipboard users cannot easily discover and add these new magazines to their Flipboard. They must do a search on the name or author of the magazine and then add it from there. I think a one-touch solution would be better for both the publisher and the end user.
New Media Prescription: Don’t “Complain to the Choir” when producing New Media
We need to talk…
One of the great strengths of New Media — be it blogging, videos, photos, social media — is the ability to connect directly to your audience. You don’t have any middlemen distorting your message or otherwise getting in the way. Unfortunately, this also means you don’t have someone watching over your shoulder to gently nudge you and say, “Perhaps you might want to re-think that.”
One common trap I see for New Media producers is, what I all, “Complaining to the Choir.” Like the age old adage against “preaching to the choir”, it is to be avoided for a number of reasons. First of all, though, what does it mean when you are “Complaining to the Choir?” It means to complain to those people who are actually the opposite of those you want to address.
When things aren’t going well for a new media producers — videos are getting liked, viewed or shared — blog posts are being ignored — revenue isn’t coming in — producers can spend entire posts, videos or podcasts complaining about the issue. They’ll cajole, they’ll berate, they will express their sadness and their fear that they might have to go back to their old way of work. As a fellow producer, I can empathize with them. Being a producer means facing criticism, nasty feedback, Internet trolls and other burdens on a daily basis. That said, I also understand that bringing this negativity into a show or blog can have exactly the opposite effect they wish to have. Focusing on the negative can actually reduce views, downloads and readers ben further , if you do it too often.
As a producer, your best approach is to ignore the negativity and simply move on to your next production. Focusing on the negative will only depress you further.
Here is why “Complaining to the Choir” is such a bad idea:
- You annoy your biggest supporters
It is a simple fact that those a producer would most like to reach with their message probably aren’t watching, listening or reading anyway. Instead you are complaining to your biggest supporters — and perhaps driving them away, too. Your supporters come to your blog, your video, your podcasts because they love the content you produce. If you produce a show full of complaints and low on content, you are actively disrespecting their support. It is like a preacher complaining to the choir that no one comes to church anymore, even those these people do come to church AND also participate in other ways.
- You produce yet another show with low viewership, low likes and low shares
When you produce a complaining show, you are expanding the effect you are complaining about and driving your ratings even lower. It is fair to say that a show filled with complaints, directed at the wrong people, is sure to garner less views and popularity than one of your traditional, content rich show. I had that very experience today. I watched the complaining show, but I could not bring myself to click the Like button, as I couldn’t honestly recommend it my followers as a show they should watch. They wouldn’t find it enjoyable and I would feel that I had offered a bad recommendation.
- Complaints don’t drive success, great content does
While I can understand producers feeling worried and upset over various issues, it is always important to remember that content, not complaints drives your success. Viewers don’t really care if you are struggling. They come for the great content and many will support you by clicking Like or subscribing. If you want to truly have an effect on your issues, produce more great content. It is the only thing that matters. It is the only thing that will attract the support you need and desire.
- Share your personal life, but perhaps not your producer life
Producing new media can be a lonely world, but beware of sharing your feelings about your show with your audience. They probably don’t care. Sure, you can share your thoughts about other personal issues, life changes, struggles, etc, but when you bring your producer complains to the conversation a subtle line is crossed. People lose sight of you as a person and start to think of you as just another faceless media drone. Viewers love to know more about your personal life, but they don’t really care about the nitty-gritty of being a producer. Most viewers don’t want to know “how the sausage is made” as long as it results in great content.
The next time you are feeling worried or depressed about your New Media productions and their success, seek out a close personal friend or a New Media user group to air your complaints and worries. Don’t take them to your audience. Your complains do nothing to benefit the audience and can only harm your standing with them.
Now, get back to work and produce something GREAT!
“Marketing is Dead!” Long Live “Introductions”
After many years of talking about marketing, learning about marketing and consuming marketing. I feel confident in saying that “Marketing”, with a big M, is dead. The term carries so much baggage — so much angst and, in some ways, so much hatred, that it is worse than useless as a definition. Marketing’s meaning is perverted and distorted so much that people now have a visceral, physical, hateful reaction to the mere mention of the word. Marketing is dead…or should be… and we need to find not only new methods of “marketing”, but also new theories, new tactics and basically a whole lot a NEW ideas.
Since the term marketing is so loaded, I think we need to usurp or create a new moniker for our active efforts to sell our books, music, movies, shows, arts and crafts. After some quick thought, the term Introduction seems a useful replacement. Instead of screaming our marketing at someone, via television, newspaper, magazine and radio, we should instead seek to introduce people to our work. We should then support them — in any way possible — in introducing our work to others. These introductions aren’t tied to money, prestige or other perks, but rather introductions are given on the basis of value. Each person is told, “if you like this, introduce it to your friends, family and peers.”
Author Seth Godin often talks about the need for a Purple Cow — something so unique, so fun so great — that people simply cannot NOT talk about. (Link to the book) When that happens, old school marketing goes out the window and new school Introductions begins. Still, you only have to watch TV, listen to the radio or read a newspaper to see that old school marketing still seems to be the only thing that people understand.
We must share our work!
As content creators, we MUST market — er, Introduce, — ourselves to the world. Books and scripts don’t sell themselves in a drawer. Music doesn’t sell itself in your computer recording studio. Photos can’t be hidden in the dark. In order to sell our products, they must be seen by the world — seen and appreciated. To start this process, we must introduce them to the world through people that appreciate them and activities that share them to like-minded people. This isn’t the scattershot screaming of today’s “Marketing.” It is a careful cultivation of people who can grow with you and your product over the years.
In seems only smart to change our tactics. If you talk to people about marketing most seem cynical, distraught and angry. Some even wish they didn’t do the marketing work they currently do. How sad! Is this where marketing has led us? You can understand their cynicism, though. The methods that were so carefully honed over the last 2-3 centuries are failing us. Changes in the our world, economy and technology have systematically stripped away the usefulness of old marketing, but as of yet, very little new thought has arisen to take its place. It is almost like we are shipwreck survivors who would rather go down with the debris from the ship than try to swim to the nearby shore. We are too afraid to try something new, even though the old is sinking beneath us. Instead we wallow in our cynicism and anger.
Introductions
Enter Introductions. Introductions are not about shouting at strangers, it is about conversing with friends. It is not about seeking the mass market, but rather the close knit niche markets that the Internet has made possible. It isn’t about sell, sell, sell as much as it is about share, share, share, talk, talk, talk and then, hopefully, sell, sell, sell. You aren’t trying to convince people to buy, you are rather introducing them to a product and then helping them come to their own thoughts of the benefits and desire to buy your product. Yes, it is still selling, but in a much different way.
The old method of marketing is like some carnival barker shouting about all the great wonders you will see inside the tent. Introductions are more like a casual discussion over a latte at your local coffee bar. Marketing is about short term, one chance, buy it now or get out of my face. Introductions are more “Check it out. See what you think. Tell your friends if you think it is fun, cool, useful.”
Are Introductions the answer to are current marketing woes? Who knows? That is one of the problems today. No one knows what is coming next and so they cling to the past. It frightens them to the point of inaction. That can’t see what the future holds and are scared to death of going there. Unfortunately, the future doesn’t care what we feel or how afraid we are. The future arrives regardless. It is time to start thinking new thoughts about marketing. My concept of Introductions is simply one possible way. Maybe you have something better, just waiting to be discovered.
The marketing ship is sinking! Isn’t it about time you let go of the ship and started swimming to shore. I know I am paddling as fast as I can to get there.
What are your thoughts about the future of marketing? Does it even have a future under a different name? Share your thoughts in the comments. I would love to hear what you think!
Project: Videos for UCLA Extension Writers’ Program Publication Party
We just completed a project for the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program where we recorded their annual Publication Party and then created videos for each of the speakers which could then be used on their instructor information pages as well as on YouTube for the world to see.
This is a great way to promote your projects and events and you can and should do the same. Capture the content you are already creating and share it with the world!
Watch this video and others from the Publication Party on YouTube
My wife, Rosanne, and I have worked as instructors for UCLA Extension for many years so when this even was scheduled they came to us knowing that we worked in New Media. Rosanne, has taught television writing and together we have taught “Podcasting and New Media for Writers” both online and as a 1-day workshop on the UCLA campus.
I was out of town on another project during this event, so Rosanne acted as the on-site producer and our good friend, Liam Johnson (@editorliam) handled the shooting and the editing of the final videos. If you are looking for an editor for your project, I highly recommend Liam. He is quite creative and dedicated.
You can find all the videos on the UCLA YouTube channel (you will need to scroll down a bit to find the videos), as related videos to the one embedded above or on the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program Instructor Bio Pages.
Quora Answers: If I wanted to get my podcast sponsored, how do I do that?
The first step is documenting your audience and the amount of traffic your podcast attracts. With this information, you will be able to develop a press kit which you can use to approach potential sponsors. They will want to know that you are speaking to their potential buyers on a regular basis.
?
Gathering demographic info for your listeners can be difficult, as podcast listeners seem to be notoriously shy of surveys. You can hold a contest as a way to increase survey response, though.
As for podcast statistics, you will probably need your raw log files in order to capture the total number of downloads for each episode. Then you can aggregate them to create your total monthly downloads. These downloads will include both new shows and older shows as people do not often listen in order, or find older episodes and listen directly from the web site. This number will show you the number of “impressions” you might be able to fulfill for a given sponsor.
Make sure when you develop any sponsorship campaign that the sponsor has a way to track exactly how many buyers came from your podcast. There should be a unique product code or coupon which they can track on their end so they don’t have to rely on you for that reporting. If they are tracking it themselves they will be much more trusting of that info.
Here is an example of a podcasting press kit – http://www.businesscast.ca/media…
Turning your Passion into your Personal Brand at Sizzlecaster.com
I did a short interview via Skype video today with Tracy Pattin of Sizzlecaster.com. Tracy is starting this new show and business to help with “Turning your Passion into your Personal Brand.” We talk about the how and way of moving forward with your own personal branding.
You can find Tracy’s complete blog post at Sizzlecaster.com.
Elsewhere Online: How Adam Carolla Became a Podcast Superstar from Fast Company
Fast Company has an interesting story on Adam Corolla and his turn to podcasting after the ending of his traditional radio show. This is an interesting look inside the world of entertainment-oriented podcasting — podcasts that seek to make money as entertainment in their own right, as opposed to shows used to support a company, product or service.
How Adam Carolla Became a Podcast Superstar
BY: ELLEN MCGIRTApril 1, 2010
Adam Carolla is a master builder who created this glass office. His next project? Building his podcast network to profitability. | Photographs by Jeff Minton
Radio-and-TV personality Adam Carolla stumbled into podcasting and immediately became its No. 1 star. Now he’s launching his own broadcasting network. Inside the messy birth of a new medium.
Elsewhere Online: Three Instantly Effective Social Media Strategies
Looking for a way to use new media/social media for your business. Here are 3 easy ways to get started that take nothing more and a little time.
Thanks to Sally Witzky via Twitter for passing along this article.
Three Instantly Effective Social Media Strategies
No budget for developing a comprehensive Web strategy to engage your customers? Try this trio of simple and quick innovations courtesy of Alexandra Samuel
By Alexandra Samuel
If you’ve got an experienced social media team, a solid budget and an appetite for innovation, you can create an original online presence that engages your customers or supporters in an entirely new kind of online experience.
But many organizations lack the time, budget or experience to start from scratch. That doesn’t limit your social media options to a generic corporate news blog or a standard-issue Facebook page. Here are three great options for robust social media presences that let you manage cost and risk by building on existing tools and established best practices.
Read the entire article: Three Instantly Effective Social Media Strategies
New Media Prescription 004 – Interview others
For other entries in this series, See New Media Prescription
If you want to enhance the impact of your new media efforts, and expose yourself to an entirely new set of listeners and viewers, you can’t do better than recording a series of interviews.
Why are interviews so powerful? It is a simple fact of ego. When you interview someone for your show what is the first thing they do? That’s right, they tell all their friends, family and business contacts to listen.
“Hey, you’ve got to listen to this interview I did for the XYZ show!”
This is exactly what you want them to do and you want to facilitate it as much as possible. In this relatively simple way you gain exposure to each person’s network of contacts so provide them with audio or video from the interview, send them links they can share and embed in thier own blogs and web sites and post the interview to public audio and video sharing sites.
While you might hesitate to ask someone for their entire mailing list so you could send out a press release, interviewing someone, and asking that they share it with their friends and contacts is very natural. An interview provides valuable content and yet still achieves the goal of raising your profile and that of your interview subject.
Who do you interview? Start with the people you would most like to speak with. Who are your influences? Who are your heroes? Whose opinions do you respect most? There is no need to shoot low, either. My fellow Friends in Tech members, Chuck Tomasi and Kreg Steppe of Technorama always make a point of reaching out to bigger names for their interviews. Their guests have included Mythbusters Adam Savage and Grant Imahara, author Stephen Covey, explorer and discoverer of the Titanic, Dr. Robert Ballard and many others.
You should also seek to be interviewed by others. You gain content that can be shared on our own blog or podcast and your ideas get exposed to a new group of people. It also allows you to get your ideas out if you are having difficulty writing them down. This was the genesis of my New Media Answers series for New Media Interchange. Members would often be peppering me with questions during our meetings and I quickly realized that my answers would be beneficial to many more people if I captured them for the web site and podcast.
So I asked NMI member, Tracy Pattin, who does her own show, Sizzle in the Middle, to act as the interviewer and duplicate in the studio what happened so frequently at our meetings. She comes in with questions on a particular topic and I answer them to the best of my ability. This results in an engaging discussion and allows me to talk about new media issues and work through ideas that I can later present as more fully-formed articles here and on the New Media Interchange blog. This allows me to answer questions that a large majority of the members might have even when I am unable to talk with each of them individually.
Start interviewing today to spread your name and your message to an entirely new group of people.
New Media Prescription 003 – Capture your content
So, if you have read the previous 2 installments of this series — Get a Blog and Start/Build Your Email List — then you are ready for the next step. Now that you have a place to release your new media and have started a mailing list to promote your new media, it is time to create some new media!
Too many people I talk to look upon this as a challenging task. “Where am I going to find the time to create all this content?” The truth is, you don’t have to make more time to create your content. In most cases, you are already creating content every day. The sad part is, you are probably throwing away this content because you don’t recognize it when you see it.
Every person, every store, every charity, every restaurant, every business creates content every day…or should be. You have a unique message you want and need to communicate to your customers. You goal is to integrate new media into your work and business so that you take advantage of every opportunity to create new content.
Here are some examples from a variety of businesses:
Retail Store
Did you just receive a new product, new product line, an enhancement to an existing product or a promotional video from a vendor? Look for a way to make a short video, a piece of audio or a blog post about this product. Look for opportunities to interview manufacturers about their products. Have your staff create videos about products they really like. Your customers are there to buy your products. Give them as much information as you can to make their purchasing decisions easier. Even more, using your existing staff in your new media productions brings a personal feeling to them. Your customers will see the same people online and in the store and feel a closer relationship with your business.
Restaurant
Many restaurants work on a very seasonal menu. Peaches are in season one week, raspberries the next, strawberries another. Fall calls for comfort food and summer for lighter fare. This gives you a ready-made schedule and reason for new media. Show your customers how you are developing a new seasonal menu. Show them the special ways you are using the seasonal product. Celebrate the change of seasons with menu items, entertainment ideas, party information and more. You can also produce mini-series of cooking classes and recipes, showing some “behind-the-scenes” action that everyone loves.
Charities
One of the biggest goals of any charity is out-reach — telling potential donors what you do and why it needs to be done. If you are a medical charity, I would guess you have regular panel discussions and speakers that come to present to your staff and donors. Make a point of recording these events. While you may have 10-20 people at the in-house discussion, you have a potential audience of thousands on the Internet. If you have influential visitors to your offices, record an interview with them that can be used on your web site or sent out as a podcast.
If you have a yearly event, capture as much media as possible during your next event. Done right, you will have enough content to power a weekly or monthly podcast. This show then becomes a regular promotion for the next yearly event. Instead of making your PR push a few months before your regular event, you now have a series of regular promotions throughout the year leading up to the event. Your goal here is to be make the yearly event a culmination of a year-long event that you have been fueling using your new media productions. Ideally, by the time you open up ticket sales for your event, the demand will be so high that you will sell out almost immediately. Then you repeat the process, gathering more media at this event to fuel your show for another year.
Build your personal brand
Many of us are in the business of providing information and advice. Too often, we wait until customers come to us for information instead of proactively reaching out to them. In the case of one financial planner, the current mortgage and stock market crises has led to frightened customers rushing to their office to inquire about their portfolios. Imagine how you might allay fears by providing a regular informational update to your clients. When customers are clamoring for information, new media is a great way to provide it.
Providing this information also goes a long way towards building your own brand as an expert in your field. Your audience might begin with your clients, but it can quickly grow to include others who might eventually become your clients. It could even raise your profile enough to bring traditional media outlets like newspapers and television to come seeking your insight.
Content surrounds you and your business. You only need to reach out and capture it when it occurs. Starting a new media program isn’t about creating information out of whole cloth. It is about sharing what you already have and know. Start capturing your content and building your New Media future today.
Link: Prescription 001 – Get A Blog
Link: Prescription 002 – Start/Build Your Email List
WGA Member? Here’s a New Media Workshop for You!
Empowering Writers In the Age of New Media
September 9th WGA Workshop
Sometimes ‘Breaking and Entering’ is not a felony! There’s a whole new world out there.
The changes and upheaval taking place in the entertainment industry are seismic – all due to technological changes over the past twenty years and gaining pace rapidly.
The longevity of a career consists of consistently ‘breaking in again’.
To stay in the game writers must adapt to the changing phases.
“Come up with a project the industry wants and they don’t care what you look like or how old you are!”
This seminar and workshop is designed to help you to use the technology to gain more exposure and ‘do it yourself’, to encourage writers to become more proactive and entrepreneurial, embracing the new technologies rather than fearing them.
In addition to introducing writers to the demands of the new media versus traditional, it will introduce writers to the new and user-friendly tools at their disposal and how best to use them to enhance their projects. A good career is a long career. And you can start addressing that no matter how old you are.
The first in a possible series of workshops.
BREAKING IN AGAIN – P.R. BIOS
DOUGLAS E. WELCH’s premier podcast, Career Opportunities, is nearing its 5th fifth year of weekly production. He is a pioneer Podcaster and computer consultant. Douglas consults on a variety of technology subjects in the Los Angeles area, teaches Podcasting and New Media for Writers at UCLA Extension, and was on the staff of the 2006 Stephens College Summer Film Workshop in Columbia, Missouri, teaching new filmmakers how to promote and distribute their work using new media.
ROSANNE WELCH is a television writer/producer with credits including FOX’s popular “Beverly Hills 90210” and CBS’s Emmy winning “Picket Fences” and a five year stint as a writer/producer on CBS’s top rated “Touched by an Angel”. In 1998 she researched, wrote and co-produced a two-part special documentary for ABC NEWS/Nightline “Bill Clinton and the Boys Nation Class of 1963”. She is also the author of two books (“Three Ring Circus: How Real Couples Balance Marriage, Work and Kids” from Seal Press, 2004 and “The Encyclopedia of Women in Aviation and Space” from ABC-CLIO, 1998). Before that Welch was a high school English teacher and freelance writer with editorials for the Los Angeles Times and The Cleveland Plain Dealer and she was one of the founding columnists for The Microsoft Network’s online literary magazine, Matter.
As a writer-producer MARC SCOTT ZICREE has hundreds of hours of network TV to his name, including STAR TREK – TNG, DEEP SPACE NINE (“Far Beyond the Stars”), BABYLON 5, SLIDERS, FRIDAY THE 13TH – THE SERIES, FOREVER KNIGHT and even SMURFS. He has had bestsellers in fiction and non-fiction, notably the MAGIC TIME trilogy of novels and his classic TWILIGHT ZONE COMPANION (recently named by the NEW YORK TIMES one ten science fiction books “for the ages”). He has just completed co-writing, directing and executive producing STAR TREK NEW VOYAGES “WORLD ENOUGH AND TIME,” starring George Takei, which won the TV Guide Award and has been nominated for the Hugo and Nebula.
KEN LAZEBNIK — A veteran playwright-tv and screenwriter, Ken LaZebnik’s most recent screenplay is for the Lionsgate film “Thomas Kinkade’s Christmas Cottage.” It stars Peter O’Toole and Marcia Gay Harden and will open across America in November, 2009. Together with Garrison Keillor, LaZebnik co-wrote director Robert Altman’s last film: “A Prairie Home Companion” and has a long history of writing for “Prairie Home Companion”. And has several films in the pipeline. His other screenplays include “Hot Air,” which he wrote with Norman Steinberg for Michael Keaton and MGM. His plays have been produced in New York, Minneapolis and Los Angeles. Los Angeles was the site of the premiere of his comedy “Sink Eating,” which opened at the Matrix Theater. His most recent play, “Vestibular Sense,” premiered in Minneapolis in 2007, and was honored with an award from the American Theater Critic’s Association at the Humana Festival in Louisville. For television, he has written on series as varied as “Touched By An Angel,” “Providence” and “Star Trek: Enterprise.” Crossing genres he wrote three PBS specials for their series “In Concert at the White House”. In addition, he founded the literary baseball magazine The Elysian Fields Quarterly, now over twenty years in publication. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, actress Kate Fuglei, and their two sons.
MARY FEUER is Consulting Producer on the TV series “Dante’s Cove,” which has been described as “Dark Shadows” meets “Queer As Folk” meets “Lost,” if you can imagine that. Her pilot, “God and Mann,” is in development with producer Michael Rosenberg (“The Riches”) at Blueprint Entertainment, and her original web series, “With the Angels,” premieres in August on www.Strike.TV. Mary’s other work on the web includes about 60 episodes as Head Writer/Supervising Producer of the seminal series “Lonelygirl15.” She was also Story Editor for “Buried Alive,” a series on Sony’s FEARnet.com. Mary’s short story “House on Fire” beat out over 19,000 entries to win the Grand Prize in the 2006 Writer’s Digest Competition, and another story, “Valentine’s Day at the Psych Hospital,” will be published in an anthology from St. Martin’
BILL TAUB – veteran television writer-producer with over 25 years experience and hundreds of episodic credits. Has broken in again several times. And has just finished his first web series. “Psycho Babble”, which will have its first exclusive showing on STRIKE TV. And is developing several projects through the LAUGH FACTORY. He also teaches an online course at UCLA Extension Writers Program: “Writing A Spec Pilot”. And is also a member of the WGA Education Committee.
CIPNW gets a mention in the Austin Podcasters Group podcast
Fred Castenda, from the Austin Podcasters Group, let me know today that they have highlighted my TubeMogul screeencast demo in their latest podcast.
Thanks to Fred and the entire Austin group for the link love. (SMILE)
Demo: Tubemogul.com video distribution web site
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (48.2MB) | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
As a video blogger, podcaster, or someone who just produces video on occasion, one important aspect is to get your video out to the largest number of viewers possible. This means uploading your video to a number sites, which can be quite time consuming.
TubeMogul.com allows you to upload and describe your video once and then have it uploaded to a wide variety of video sharing sites.
This demo shows the upload and launch process on TubeMogul.com
Perfect Example: The Splendid Table’s How to Eat Supper
I have been talking for a while about how podcasting can help to promote sales of books and it seems some authors are starting to get on the podcast bus.
I love The Splendid Table with Lynne Rossetto Kasper, but I found I was rarely around a radio when it aired. As podcasting started, I found myself wishing that more shows would podcast after air, simply so I could enjoy them. Well, The Splendid Table crew started to podcast a few months ago and I am an avid listener. I have to imagine that their listenership jumped dramatically once folks could listen on their own terms.
Now, Kasper and producer, Sally Swift have created a book entitled The Splendid Table’s How to Eat Supper. (Available April 8, 2008) More importantly for this blog, they have also started a podcast to accompany the book. The first episode is casual and comfortable and discusses topics expanded on in the book.What a great way to expand their exposure, starting first with their loyal listeners of the radio show, and then branching out to a whole new audience via podcast.
What a great way to take one audience and bring it over to an entirely new product. Every author should be doing this regardless of whether they are writing a cookbook, novel, short stories, essays, whatever. Of course, writers often tell me “oh, my readers aren’t interested in what I have to say outside my books.”…and they’re wrong. People love insight and insiders knowledge. They would love to hear how you came up with the idea for the book, the basis of the characters, and your trials and tribulations while writing it. Writers shouldn’t sell themselves short. There are people interested in them and their work, even they only reached out and engaged them.
If you are creating anything, you should seriously consider creating a companion podcast. If you could have your own personal television of radio station, dedicated to your products — why wouldn’t you? This is exactly what you have in podcasting.
Perfect Example: Book reading/talk by Clay Shirky
Here is a perfect example of what I was talking about earlier when I said that all authors and booksellers should be recording their talks and presenting them on their web sites and podcasts.
Clay Shirky, author of Here Comes Everybody, presents a talk on the ideas in his latest book at Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society. Harvard made a point of recording the talk and released it on their web site and via podcast. Shirky was then able, through no extra effort of his own, to re-post the video to his own site.
Harvard wins. Shirky wins. The publisher wins. We win, since we can see a talk we would have been unable to see otherwise.
Why Podcast? Example 01: Book Signings
Last Wednesday night, I went to a friend’s book reading at the Barnes and Noble nearby in Encino. Unlike a typical attendee, though, I made a point of talking to our friend and asking if he had thought about recording, and then podcasting, his reading. In fact, he had not, but quickly thought it would be a great idea. So, with camcorder and MP3 recorder in tow, I captured the entire 30+ minute event. We will be doing some light editing on the content and then releasing it on his web site, and probably mine.
Now, this begs the question…why aren’t more bookstores recording their readings and then letting this content build awareness of their store and the services they provide? They are scheduling these readings anyway, so how much more work is required to capture the content?
Not much really. A small audio recorder and an average camcorder are all you need. Sure, they might have to find someone to output the audio and video into MP3 and MP4 formats for the web, but I am guessing that they all know someone who can do that, even if they haven’t yet learned themselves.
What do they have to gain from capturing this content? Let me count the ways!
- You gain your own, personal radio and television channel where you control the programming and can get your message out to customers throughout the globe
- Reading is distributed to thousands of people, instead of just the 20-30 (maybe) who were actually able to make it to the store
- Placing the video on YouTube and your web site raises your store’s visibility at little cost to you
- Authors can place the video on their web site, further spreading the video and your brand
- Gain authors goodwill by providing them content for their web site and showing them how the Internet can be used to promote their books themselves. (I find that unless the author is famous already, most publishers marketing departments don’t know them from Adam or Eve. Authors MUST promote their own work)
- Include web, audio and video links to the author’s book linking directly back to your online sales site. (You DO have one, don’t you?) This drives sales from people well outside your local geographic area and helps to monetize your readings well beyond those who might attend in person
- Create a video archive of readings which attracts visitors to your web site and continues working 365/7/24. Even better, if one of these authors suddenly becomes famous, you already have golden content on your site
- You develop a reputation for benefitting authors, as well as yourself, in the local and national book publishing circles. Authors might start selecting your store over another, since they know they will get something more than the average bookstore reading.
- With a bit more work, (only a little but more these days), you could turn book readings into online, real time book discussions, allowing audience members around the world to ask questions via text, audio or video
A lot of these benefits also effect other organizations and companies, so you are sure to see something similar in future examples. Every individual, every company and every non-profit can find some way in which podcasting can enhance their work, build their profits and get their message out to the world.
Douglas speaks at OC Podcasters – Wed, December 12 @ 630 PM
Come on down to Aliso Viejo and hear me speak on “Podcasting: What’s Next!…and What Needs to be Next!“.
Orange County Podcasters December Meetup
When: Wednesday, December 12 at 6:30PM
Where: Corpus Christi of Aliso Viejo
27231 Aliso Viejo Pkwy
Aliso Viejo CA 92656
You can find complete information on the OC Podcasters web site.
I will be recording both audio and video for later podcast in case you can’t make it, but why not stop by if you are in the area?
Writers! Produce Thyself!
Do you know a WGA member who is on strike? Do they want to learn about podcasting, producing and distributing their own work on the Internet. Have them send me an email. I am looking to gather up a group of interested folks for a free presentation on the Why, What and How of Podcasting.
New Media: Why wouldn’t you…?
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