ABC News Waxes Futuristic

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_Wgi7DTsDt2g/RtOboxoaZYI/AAAAAAAAAbI/tsICeFGLXaQ/s1600-h/abc_crayon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_Wgi7DTsDt2g/RtOboxoaZYI/AAAAAAAAAbI/tsICeFGLXaQ/s200/abc_crayon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103593927560816002" border="0" /></a>Last month, <a href="http://www.crayonville.com/">crayon</a> was visited by a crew from ABC News, as they were filming a piece for a series called "The Workplace of the Future." As crayon has <a href="http://www.crayonvillesecondlife.com/">offices in Second Life</a>, we were a natural choice to showcase what it's like to be part of a virtual company.<br /><br />Well, earlier this evening, <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/WN/story?id=3521725">World News Tonight with Charles Gibson</a> aired a spot that featured crayon in addition to IBM and accenture. Not bad company to keep, eh? My colleagues got some nice coverage, including <a href="http://www.managingthegray.com/">C.C.</a>, <a href="http://www.jaffejuice.com/">Joseph</a> and <a href="http://gregverdino.typepad.com/">Greg</a> (voice only). You can watch the video by clicking the player in the upper-right corner of your screen.<br /><br />The ultimate irony? You're forced to watch a 30-second spot as part of the pre-roll. Here's the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmfXksLir1g">YouTube version</a> without the ads:<br /><br /><center><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZmfXksLir1g"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZmfXksLir1g" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object></center><br /><br />And in the meantime, you're welcome to join us on <a href="http://www.crayonvillesecondlife.com/">Crayonville Island</a> every Thursday morning at 9:00 a.m. EST for Coffee with crayon.

ABC News Waxes Futuristic

Last month, crayon was visited by a crew from ABC News, as they were filming a piece for a series called "The Workplace of the Future....

Read more »

Web Two-Point Whoa!

Is it just me or are there like a billion Web 2.0 sites out there that flash by me via email, RSS feeds, newsletters, web sites, etc.? It's hard to keep track of all of them.<br /><br />I could go to my <a href="http://del.icio.us/socialmediamarketing">del.icio.us page</a>, but that's limited only to what I've been scanning & bookmarking. What I like about it is that I can throw in a likely tag and be given a range of sites that are foggy in my memory, so I can narrow the search.<br /><br />But now it looks like there's a site out there that can do that, but on a much larger scale. With over 5,000 Web applications in their database, the folks at <a href="http://simplespark.com/">Simple Spark</a> provide a place to share and search for cool stuff online. And to prove that they're providing a useful service, they've given us this handy video:<br /><br /><center><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Hs_xnyJtWEc"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Hs_xnyJtWEc" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed></object></center><br /><br />Via <a href="http://experiencecurve.com/archives/5000-web-applications-in-333-seconds">Karl Long</a>.

Web Two-Point Whoa!

Is it just me or are there like a billion Web 2.0 sites out there that flash by me via email, RSS feeds, newsletters, web sites, etc.? It...

Read more »

Take a Deep Breath

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_Wgi7DTsDt2g/Rsu_ERoaZPI/AAAAAAAAAZo/myOESGyVTYc/s1600-h/logo_skype.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_Wgi7DTsDt2g/Rsu_ERoaZPI/AAAAAAAAAZo/myOESGyVTYc/s200/logo_skype.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5101381083100505330" border="0" /></a>I've got to hand it to the folks over at <a href="http://www.skype.com/">Skype</a>. Just when I thought they were digging their own grave by being slow to respond to a crisis, they managed to do the right thing.<br /><br />If you aren't familiar with Skype, it's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VoIP">VoIP</a> (Voice-over Internet Protocol), or simply phone service via the computer. Skype is one of the leaders in the field, typically serving about 8 million customers at a time. They were <a href="http://news.com.com/eBay+to+nab+Skype+for+2.6+billion/2100-1030_3-5860055.html">acquired by eBay in late 2005 for $2.6 billion</a>, which raised quite a few eyebrows at the time.<br /><br />Last week, Skype experienced a catastrophic and near-complete outage from August 16 to August 18. Many people (myself included) who rely on Skype for a main phone line were stranded, podcasters who were planning on using Skype to record a phone interview were out of luck. And worst of all, it was a good 12 hours or so before Skype communicated anything about the outage to its customers and the public. Let's just say there was some hyperventilating going on.<br /><br />How did they redeem themselves?<br /><span id="fullpost"><br />Well, once Skype got the hang of giving updates on the <a href="http://heartbeat.skype.com/">Heartbeat Blog</a>, they did it fairly regularly and were quite forthcoming with details. Every two hours or so, they'd fill us in on the process and answer questions. Let's call it regular breathing.<br /><br />But people still wanted to know what cause the problem. Finally, on August 20, Skype gave some context around <a href="http://heartbeat.skype.com/2007/08/what_happened_on_august_16.html">What Happened on August 16</a>. Evidently, there was a significant Windows update on Thursday that caused many Skype users to reboot and login to Skype simultaneously, and it was a drain on the servers.<br /><br />And then, on August 21, Skype was quick to note that <a href="http://heartbeat.skype.com/2007/08/the_microsoft_connection_explained.html">they weren't blaming Microsoft</a>: they explicitly stated "We don’t blame anyone but ourselves." Whew! The lawyers must be breathing a sigh of relief. Then they outline what they learned from the incident and that it will not likely happen again. It's good to know they're now trained in CPR.<br /><br />Finally, "The people at Skype" sent an email (yes, that's exactly how it was signed) stating their abject apologies for the outage and acknowledging (or groveling?) that they are nothing without their customers. But more than simply trying to flatter their customers, Skype made sure they'd be willing to come back:<br /><blockquote>When the unexpected happens, it's important to remember the people who stuck behind us and whose loyalty humbled us. I want to thank everyone for their support, patience and being part of the Skype community. And for those of you who missed out on using Skype last week - I want to especially thank you as well.<br /><br />As a goodwill gesture to all you faithful Skype Pro, Skype Unlimited, SkypeIn or Skype Voicemail customers, we're adding an additional seven days to your current subscription, free of charge. And even if you didn't miss out on using Skype last week - you can still have a week free on Skype, on the house!</blockquote>Not bad, not bad at all. It's heartening to see that they did the right thing. It's just too bad it took them so long to get their act together. I'd expect a little more out of an eBay company, wouldn't you?<br /><br /><br /></span>

Take a Deep Breath

I've got to hand it to the folks over at Skype . Just when I thought they were digging their own grave by being slow to respond to a cri...

Read more »

Where Does the Time Go?

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://h1.ripway.com/socialmediamarketing/birthdayhat.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://h1.ripway.com/socialmediamarketing/birthdayhat.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Happy Birthday, Social Media Blog! I can't believe it's been a year - almost to the minute, as I look at the clock - since I started this little project. And to think that I had the foresight (?) to choose the bland but very distinctive title "<span style="font-style: italic;">The </span>Social Media Marketing Blog."<br /><br />A lot has happened in a year - <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2007/05/my-new-social-media-job.html">a new job</a>, being asked to <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2007/04/book-me-danno.html">co-author a book</a>, being ranked one of <a href="http://adage.com/power150/index.php?view=all&kwd=">the top 150 marketing blogs</a> - in some ways it feels like I just started last month, but in other ways, so much has changed that I feel like it's been much longer than a year.<br /><br />What's kept me going when the times were rough was the knowledge that I've had the support of fellow writers and marketers out there. Your comments and email have been an inspiration and I thank you for participating in the conversation here.<br /><br />My only hope is that I can continue to create and discover content that resonates with you. If I'm failing you in that regard, please tell me. If I'm succeeding at it, I wouldn't mind hearing from you, either.

Where Does the Time Go?

Happy Birthday, Social Media Blog! I can't believe it's been a year - almost to the minute, as I look at the clock - since I started...

Read more »

There's a Write Way and a Wrong Way

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vLT73caP4KA/VOLL-tVD5wI/AAAAAAAAcUc/kteBEraDW4k/s1600/Stipula_fountain_pen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vLT73caP4KA/VOLL-tVD5wI/AAAAAAAAcUc/kteBEraDW4k/s1600/Stipula_fountain_pen.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> I was reading an e-newsletter (well, it's actually an emailed blog entry) today from <a href="http://blogs.mediapost.com/mobile_insider">Mobile Insider</a> called <a href="http://blogs.mediapost.com/mobile_insider/?p=107">My iPhone Needs a Gun</a>, when I noticed something.<br /> <br /> I actually read the entry in its entirety.<br /> <br /> It may not seem like a big deal to you, but I consume a lot of information every day, which means I do a lot of scanning - headlines, first sentences of paragraphs. And if the copy or subject matter doesn't grab me, I'm outta there.<br /> <br /> But this article was different. Why?<br /> <span id="fullpost"><br />Put very simply: <span style="font-weight: bold;">it was written the way I like to listen</span>. That's not a typo. I mean that if someone was reading the article to me - or telling it to me as a story - I'd want to listen. And it made me keep reading.<br /><br />Now I'm not an iPhone user (yet), nor do I really care about what apps are working or not working for it - which was the point of the article. What had me entertained and focused was that this guy was talking as if we were joking in the hallway or sharing a beer after work. He used attitude infused with humor as a way to tell a compelling story about some iPhone features (or those he'd like to see). An excerpt:</span><br /> <blockquote> <span id="fullpost">I also get to spend time with the iPhone now at the beach, because lo and behold my 15-year-old daughter has evolved into the nightmare of every father — the cutest thing on the sand. The first time she walked into the water I actually saw teen boys point and move towards her like shards of metal towards a magnet, like puppies towards food, like detestable vermin towards a 5-star kitchen.</span></blockquote> <span id="fullpost"><br />And another:<br /><blockquote> Luckily, the iPhone has a good camera and loads of memory, so I was able to take snaps of all these little felons just in case we need to run them with the FBI. I dug into the Safari browser in search of online sign-ups for the NRA. No one delivers firearms same day to the north beach of Cape May, I discovered.</blockquote> And finally:<br /><blockquote> My daughter...was more interested in SeeqPod Music (seeqpod.com/iphone), which is a very nice index and front end for the thousands of MP3 tracks that are accessible for streaming directly from the Web. I am not sure about the legality of the rights management here, but the app uses the familiar iPod interface to slip through catalogs of artists and search for tunes that stream well into the Quicktime player. There are no ads here yet, but clearly there could be, and with people declaring their musical tastes so precisely, there should be some very targeted ad possibilities. "Ooh, look, they have Slipknot's 'Do Nothing Bitchslap,'" my sweet young girl said. <br /> You know, when the mail-order gun arrives here at the beach, just shoot me with it.</blockquote> Not the kind of writing you get from your friendly neighborhood traditional journalist, and certainly not the style you'd get from the typical marketing department. But informative and useful nonetheless. Which is a powerful reminder as to why blogs are becoming more and more legitimate and important in the media mix.<br /><br />When you're preparing the copy for your blog, corporate website, brochure or direct mail piece, what style do you typically effect? Having worked in the b2b space previously, I can tell you there's a lot of dry, dull and seemingly overused copy out there. Corporate standards must be upheld, you know.<br /><br />But what if you took that website or brochure and really made it sing? What if you wrote it the way people would listen to it? <span style="font-weight: bold;">What if - just for a moment - you did something that was completely unexpected and out of the ordinary?</span><br /><br />It might be slightly "off-brand," but you know what? The people that work for your company aren't all "on-brand," are they? What makes Corporate Communications think every microsite, every tri-fold, every newsletter has to be devoid of personality and as antiseptic and emotionless as a Stepford wife? Aren't rules made to be broken once in a while?<br /><br />I'm sure no one is monitoring how your sales team interacts with customers in one-on-ones. They get to use their personality to persuade, inform and relate. Why shouldn't you?<br /><br />Think about it. Don't make Steve Smith get the gun for his iPhone.<br /><br /><br /> <hr /> </span>

There's a Write Way and a Wrong Way

I was reading an e-newsletter (well, it's actually an emailed blog entry) today from Mobile Insider called My iPhone Needs a Gun , w...

Read more »

iBox

Wow. Talk about high-level customer service. Justine Ezarik, aka <a href="http://www.twitter.com/ijustine">iJustine</a> from <a href="http://www.tastyblogsnack.com/">Tasty Blog Snack</a>, got herself a little surprise when her first iPhone bill arrived earlier this week.<br /><br />In a box.<br /><br />Not satisfied with giving you the slowest mobile network out there, evidently the "new" at&t decided that they need to kill a few forests while they're at it. Justine's bill was some 300 pages long, because at&t gives you a detailed transaction of every text message you send.<br /><br /><a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=UdULhkh6yeA">Here's</a> the rather well-done video spoof of the iPhone commercial.<br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UdULhkh6yeA"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UdULhkh6yeA" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed></object>

iBox

Wow. Talk about high-level customer service. Justine Ezarik, aka iJustine from Tasty Blog Snack , got herself a little surprise when her fi...

Read more »

Putting the "Know" in Innovation

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_Wgi7DTsDt2g/RsSMQBoaZMI/AAAAAAAAAZM/xEQprqL4lF8/s1600-h/culture-of-innovation.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_Wgi7DTsDt2g/RsSMQBoaZMI/AAAAAAAAAZM/xEQprqL4lF8/s200/culture-of-innovation.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099354885033977026" border="0" /></a>Simple question: how would <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">you</span> define innovation? Sure, we hear the word bandied about on a daily basis, but what does it <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> mean to you?<br /><br />Is it a matter of simply doing something better or different? Or something that's never been done before at all? Is it simply insight, or is it practicality meeting ingenuity? There are about as many ways of looking at innovation as there are to innovate.<br /><br />Jon Burg over at <a href="http://jburg.typepad.com/future/">Future Visions</a> wants to know <a href="http://jburg.typepad.com/future/2007/08/one-line-survey.html">how you define innovation</a> in a single phrase or a single sentence. He'll be compiling all of the answers he receives via email or commenting on his blog on Monday.<br /><br />Think you can help him out?

Putting the "Know" in Innovation

Simple question: how would you define innovation? Sure, we hear the word bandied about on a daily basis, but what does it really mean to y...

Read more »

We Have Entered the Advertising Age

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://h1.ripway.com/socialmediamarketing/power150.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://h1.ripway.com/socialmediamarketing/power150.png" alt="" border="0" /></a>Welcome to readers who have reached this site via the <a href="http://adage.com/power150/index.php?view=all&kwd=">AdAge Power 150 List</a>. I'm proud to be part of the top 150 marketing blogs in the English-speaking world and will do my best to continue to give you the valued posts that have gotten ranked as high as I have.<br /><br />For those of you who are new to all of this, I'm Scott Monty and I write about where marketing is headed (or in some cases should be headed) in this digital age, including blogs, podcasts, customer service, public relations, virutal worlds, consumer-generated content and other cutting edge developments that are constantly changing the face of marketing.<br /><br />By day, I work for <a href="http://www.crayonville.com/">crayon</a>, a conversational marketing company, where I hold the title of Consiglieri. It sounds daunting, but really, I'm just like you. Only I order hits on my enemies. Oh, and in case you haven't caught on yet, I also have a dry sense of humor.<br /><br />Take a look around, try not to break anything, and enjoy yourself. And if you run into any trouble, let me know.

We Have Entered the Advertising Age

Welcome to readers who have reached this site via the AdAge Power 150 List . I'm proud to be part of the top 150 marketing blogs in the ...

Read more »

Want a Free Marketing Secret? Listen Up!

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://h1.ripway.com/socialmediamarketing/ear.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://h1.ripway.com/socialmediamarketing/ear.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>One of the key tenets behind my contribution to the <a href="http://www.ageofconversation.com/">Age of Conversation</a> book is that in order to make a start in social media, marketers must first start by listening. Like so much of marketing, it's not rocket science, it's common sense.<br /><br />Everyone probably has an older relative who at one time told them something like: "You were born with one mouth and two ears; use them in that proportion." Well, the same applies to marketing. Just think about how you can create brand loyalists by listening to your customers - and demonstrating to them that you heard what they had to say.<br /><br />When I began reading my co-authors' contributions I began to see the word <span style="font-weight: bold;">"listen"</span> crop up a number of times. Since this is the more passive portion of conversing, I wasn't expecting much. Out of sheer curiosity, I took my e-book version (you can buy it as an e-book, paperback or hardcover) and did a quick search for the number of times "listen" was used.<br /><br />Imagine my pleasant surprise when I found that this book about conversation by 103 authors contains <span style="font-weight: bold;">90 </span>instances of the word.<br /><br />But really, I shouldn't be surprised. These are 102 other people who get it. Now let's see if we can get the rest of the world to listen in with us.

Want a Free Marketing Secret? Listen Up!

One of the key tenets behind my contribution to the Age of Conversation book is that in order to make a start in social media, marketers mu...

Read more »

Starting a Podcast? Start Here

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://h1.ripway.com/socialmediamarketing/podcast-icon-small_large.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 170px;" src="http://h1.ripway.com/socialmediamarketing/podcast-icon-small_large.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>I recently wrote about an unexpected early success with <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/">a podcast that I'm producing</a>. The subject matter is extremely niche - which is ideally what you want in a podcast. Think of it as "narrowcasting." The more specific and unique your content, the more likely it is to connect with your listeners.<br /><br />Even so, I was pleasantly surprised at the number of downloads and subscriptions my podcast received. I have heard traditional media types trying to gauge the value of a podcast by asking about the number of listeners. While this can be impressive (or disappointing, depending on your expectations), I don't believe it fully captures the value of a podcast. If a traditional broadcast engages with only 10% of its audience - or if it only has a fraction of their attention - doesn't it sound more appealing to have nearly 100% engagement?<br /><br />Today, I'd like to share some of the steps behind my podcasting success. These are not comprehensive; there may be many other ways to achieve solid results. But these are what worked for me.<br /><br />I had been thinking about creating this podcast for 8 months and I could have launched it at any time, but I wanted to make sure I did everything correctly and did it well. Here then are some of the key factors to which I attribute success:<br /><span id="fullpost"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Patience & Preparation</span><br />It's tempting to just jump in and start a show because you've got the passion, you've got the knowledge and the technology is so easy to acquire. But don't let this throw you off, because if you haven't got a plan in place, you'll be susceptible to podfading. I know a company that wanted to do a podcast, but in their haste to "just get something up," they made the common mistake of posting a single episode and letting it linger on its own for six months. Big mistake. You'll never build an audience that way.<br /><br />You should spend a lot of time thinking about what you want to talk about and figure out the logistics behind the process. Things to think about include:<ul><li>A name for your show and where it's going to live on the Web.</li><li>A registered domain name (see "branding" below) is a wise choice. An easy to use site is <a href="http://www.godaddy.com/">GoDaddy.com</a></li><li>A blog - yes, you'll need a blog for a podcast, as you want a place to write show notes, post mp3 links, contact information and to encourage people to subscribe. WordPress, TypePad, Vox, Blogger - there are plenty of platforms.<br /></li><li>You'll be hosting the mp3 files somewhere, so you should do some homework to see what services are available out there. Personally, I like <a href="http://www.libsyn.com/">LibSyn</a>.</li><li>Get yourself registered with iTunes and follow their instructions for podcasting.</li><li>Not everyone uses iTunes, so be sure to register a feed with <a href="http://www.feedburner.com/">Feedburner</a>.<br /></li><li>You can start by reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0072263946?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0072263946">How to Do Everything with</a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0072263946?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&amp;amp;amp;camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0072263946"> Podcasting</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0072263946" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /> by Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson.</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Editorial Plan</span><br /></span><span id="fullpost"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://h1.ripway.com/socialmediamarketing/editorial.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://h1.ripway.com/socialmediamarketing/editorial.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span id="fullpost">There are many components to an effective plan, the first of which is an editorial calendar - what you're going to talk about and how often you'll produce a show. You probably have a lot to say about your subject, but it works best to put the major topics down on paper, so you can determine the order of the episodes. If you're going to produce an ongoing podcast, I think it's wise to have a six-month editorial plan in place.<br /><br />If you're not ready to make a long-term plan, you might think about a short podcast series that is limited to say, 10 episodes. That way you're giving your audience something of value but not locking yourself into an eternal commitment.<br /><br />Part of the editorial planning process is determining frequency - how often will you be able to record and produce your podcast? You should take into account how long each show will be, the editing time required, and how often you'd like your listeners to expect new content. There are some podcasts, such as <a href="http://www.forimmediaterelease.biz/">For Immediate Release</a>, that are produced twice a week; <a href="http://trafcom.typepad.com/podcast/">Trafcom News</a> comes out every other week. Both are excellent shows that are worth your time, even though they're produced on vastly different schedules. Either way, you should <span style="font-weight: bold;">set expectations for your audience</span> as to when they can expect to hear your new episodes. Not everyone subscribes, so you want to make it clear how often they should be checking your site.<br /><br />The point is: put a plan together that makes sense for you, tell your audience about it, and stick to it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Format</span><br />There are plenty of excellent podcasts with a single host; there are also some very successful ones with co-hosts. As you think about how your podcast will work, you should take a personal inventory and determine if you can handle a podcast alone. If not, you might consider co-hosting it with a colleague who can provide additional perspective.<br /><br />Then decide how each episode will work. Perhaps a straight narrative style will work for you. Or maybe you'd like to mix it up with interviews. Or an interview-only format. Again, it depends on the type of content you'd like to cover and the value you'd like to give to you listeners.<br /><br />Whatever format you choose, it should support the content that you'd like to share and that is interesting to your listeners.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Branding</span><br /></span><span id="fullpost"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://h1.ripway.com/socialmediamarketing/branding_iron.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://h1.ripway.com/socialmediamarketing/branding_iron.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span id="fullpost">Whether you're producing a podcast for business or personal reasons, it should have a brand - that is, a distinct look and feel that connects on an emotional level with your audience. When people hear your show or when they visit the web site, they should be able to identify it immediately. This means you should have some non-generic graphics that reflect your show and music (if you plan to use any) that is consistent with your brand.<br /><br />Podcasts by their very definition are episodic, which allows you to make a consistent brand over time. While you may work out the kinks in your first few episodes, over time you'll find a comfortable style and format that work for you. This includes certain "regular features" that you may want to assign to your show. One example is <a href="http://www.newcommroad.com/">New Comm Road</a>, hosted by Bryan Person. In it he has a very useful segment called "Tools of the Trade," in which he highlights some of the websites, applications and technology that his listeners should be aware of.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fresh or Canned?</span><br /></span><span id="fullpost"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://h1.ripway.com/socialmediamarketing/Canned_Vegetables.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://h1.ripway.com/socialmediamarketing/Canned_Vegetables.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span id="fullpost">I recommend that you start by having a few episodes "in the can," or recorded by the time you launch your podcast. For certain topics, you can record some episodes that are timeless and can be aired at any time. Depending on your topic, you may want to have a show that addresses current events or trends, in which case you should be able to record and produce a show in fairly short order.<br /><br />Examples of some time-sensitive shows include industry events, product releases and major announcements. Record an interview ahead of time and discuss the timing of the release with the subject; depending on the goal (building awareness, driving event registrations, promoting product sales, feedback, etc.), you can determine when it's best to air the episode. In particular, if you're airing an episode prior to an event, I find that it's helpful to have a follow-up episode in which you air comments and interviews about the event after it has occurred. For those listeners who couldn't attend, they feel they've been given an inside scoop and may have reason to attend the next one.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">People...People Who Need People</span><br />If you currently have a community of contacts across the Web, by all means, leverage your relationship with them as you launch your podcast. It doesn't matter if they don't fit the demographic of your target audience. The point is, you've developed some kind of meaningful dialog with them over some common interest, so use that connection to help promote your show.<br /><br />You may have friends on <a href="http://www.myspace.com/">MySpace</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=694361624&pwstdfy=7a01b417cd2f42a381bab47b2fab8a04">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/scottmonty">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.pownce.com/scottmonty/">Pownce</a>, del.icio.us - the list goes on and on. Essentially, any social networking site that you use already has a built-in community. Use the power of the community to help grow your show. And when your show is up and running, ask your listeners to tell their friends about it by being specific: ask them to tell just three people about your show. Over time, your numbers will grow.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Are Ess What?</span><br /></span><span id="fullpost"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://h1.ripway.com/socialmediamarketing/Choices.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://h1.ripway.com/socialmediamarketing/Choices.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span id="fullpost">Let's face it: even though you and I may be familiar with the ins and </span><span id="fullpost">outs of new media technology, your audience may not be. They may only have passing familiarity with a blog, let alone RSS feeds, podcasts, iTunes, etc. It's essential that you not only cater to the lowest common denominator, but that you create options that everyone can feel comfortable with.<br /><br />For example, when I started <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/">my other blog</a>, I made sure I had a <a href="http://www.feedblitz.com/">FeedBlitz</a> email subscription option, because I knew many of my readers were new to RSS. And I was right: the ratio of email subscribers to RSS subscribers has been somewhere between 2:1 and 3:1. And then, for good measure, I threw in a Twitter feed as well.<br /><br />Your show should be available on an RSS feed, on iTunes, through email (Feedburner or FeedBlitz can handle this), and directly on your site. Listeners should know they can listen to your show on their mp3 player, their computer, their phone or burn a CD. The point is, give them every possible option to listen to and subscribe to your show, because you don't know how they prefer to consume audio.<br /><br />I did all of the above, plus I integrated a Flash-based player from <a href="http://www.splashcast.net/">SplashCast</a> for each episode and for all of the shows to date. You can customize the image so it contains your brand and you can determine how you want the shows to be presented. It's easy to create and super-easy for your listeners to play. You can see it in action on <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/">my podcast web site</a>. In addition <a href="http://www.widgetbox.com/">WidgetBox </a>has a number of audio players you can use as well.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Letters, We Get Letters</span><br />One of the best features of any new media production is that you can get direct feedback and comments from your listeners. And you should be encouraging them to participate, because you are in a unique position to give them exactly what they want from your show.<br /><br />Again, you need to give them a variety of choices. Certainly, since your show lives on a blog, the comments feature should be enabled. Give them an email address where they can reach you, either by using one that comes with your domain name or setting one up through a free email service like Gmail. Establish a call-in number so they can make a phone call and talk to you directly and (this is the good part) you can play it on your show. There's nothing like hearing what another listener has to say. You can find and set up numbers through <a href="http://www.skype.com/">Skype</a> or <a href="http://www.k7.net/">k7</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Duly Noted</span><br />Finally, you should write up notes for every show that you produce. While this may seem like drudgery, I cannot underscore enough the importance of this. First of all, it gives your listeners an idea of what to expect and how long the show will run. And secondly, the show notes are indexed on the search engines, giving you much more power to attract future listeners. You'll be easier to find. They don't have to be long, but plan to spend a decent amount of time on them so they are descriptive, useful and contain the key search terms that are appropriate for your show.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">One Last Thing</span><br />There are lots of widgets and add-ons out there to spice up your site. Check them out and use one that works for you. In my case, I was getting a lot of compliments on my theme music, so I used <a href="http://www.myxertones.com/">MyxerTones</a> to create a mobile phone ringtone of the intro. It's gotten a lot of attention.<br /><br /><br />So, that's it! I know this was a long post, and if you've made it the entire way through, I thank you. If I missed anything or if any of the above is unclear, please let me know. I hope you found this useful.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Post script</span>: Donna Papacosta has <a href="http://trafcom.typepad.com/blog/2007/08/the-podcasters-.html">a very handy check-list</a> that is a must-read for any podcaster.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-2477560-10497242"><br /><img src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/image-2477560-10497242" width="468" height="60" alt="" border="0"/></a></center><br /></span>

Starting a Podcast? Start Here

I recently wrote about an unexpected early success with a podcast that I'm producing . The subject matter is extremely niche - which is ...

Read more »

Second Generation iPhone Is Here

While the iPhone has been hyped by the digerati and blogosphere, recently the actual sales numbers didn't quite live up to expectations. Only <a href="http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070725/apple_iphone.html?.v=2">146,000 phones were activated</a> on June 29 & 30.<br /><br />Of course, this may have had more to do with crappy customer service from AT&T - excuse me, at&t - but it reflects on Apple's poor choice of carrier. But the bottom line is, fewer phones were online than expected.<br /><br />Why? I think it may have something to do with the tech-savvy folks who are waiting for the second generation of iPhones. They're waiting to see if there are any bugs to be worked out, if Apple adds Flash support, a speedier network, a better battery, etc. Can't say that I blame them. I know a former member of the executive team at Apple and he said the same thing. It's helpful having an inside line on goings-on at Apple.<br /><br />So, you might be wondering just what the 2nd generation iPhone will be like? I have the answer below...<br /><span id="fullpost"><br /><div><object height="335" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/4UW6JgYadIAqahO8r"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/4UW6JgYadIAqahO8r" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" height="335" width="425"></embed></object><br /><b><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2iyx7_david-letterman-iphone-nano_news">David Letterman iPhone Nano</a></b><br /><i>Uploaded by <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/PeteRock">PeteRock</a></i></div><br /></span>

Second Generation iPhone Is Here

While the iPhone has been hyped by the digerati and blogosphere, recently the actual sales numbers didn't quite live up to expectations....

Read more »