At the National Communication Association conference, I discussed a podcasting lesson, and Karen Russell suggested that I include the handout on my blog. Many thanks go to Karen for summarizing our panel. You can explore the blogs of my co-panelists and follow them on Twitter here:

• Alisa Agozzino, Ohio Northern University, a favorite blog post: interviews with public relations practitioners (especially great for new majors)
• Bill Handy, Oklahoma State University, a favorite blog post: social media and the law
• Barbara Nixon, Georgia Southern University, see her NCA presentation about teaching Facebook, blogging, and Twitter.
• Kelli Matthews, University of Oregon, a favorite blog post: advice for students to continue using social media after classes conclude (great for students who want to list social media skills on their resumes but are wondering whether they really need to continue blogging and tweeting)
• Kaye Sweetser, University of Georgia, see her NCA presentation about a viral video assignment, which features a video conversation with Paull Young from Converseon

The following discussion consists of talking points, information for structuring the podcasting lesson, an assignment, and step-by-step instructions for teaching yourself (and others) how to podcast. Ideas about podcasting expressed in this blog post come from an excellent book by Shel Holtz:

Holtz, S. (with N. Hobson). (2007). How to do everything with podcasting. New York: McGraw Hill. (Also see the companion Web site.)

My class reads excerpts from this book in preparation for class (with royalties paid through our course packet service, University Readers). My class reads pages 133-136 and pages 242-277.

Prior to the Lesson

• Show students how to find and subscribe to podcasts through iTunes and other podcast directories.
• Provide some recommendations of podcasts for them to try: Trafcom News, Inside PR, and Grammar Girl are popular selections.
• Ask students to listen to a podcast and come to the next class with their opinions about it. You can decide whether to ask them to listen to a PR podcast (or even more narrowly, a PR podcast about podcasting). Ask students to jot down aspects they liked and suggestions for improvement to encourage them to complete the assignment.
• Make sure you have good audio speakers for playing excerpts of podcasts in class. (I use some tiny portable speakers that I connect to my laptop.)
• Decide how you will listen to their podcasts (e.g., on their blogs or on a CD). If you choose a CD, I suggest purchasing the CD labels and giving each student one sheet. They are responsible for purchasing CD labels on their own if they lose their sheet. I order CD labels from here.
• Find out what your school’s options are for students who want to check out microphones (for students who do not have built-in microphones on their computers) and for students who want to check out digital audio recorders for interviews.
• Download Audacity (which works on both PCs and Macs) and experiment using the technical instructions found toward the end of this blog post.

Opening Discussion
Do you listen to podcasts, excluding the class preparation for today?

• Why or why not?
• Which ones do you listen to?
• What do you like and dislike about them?
• How do you listen to them (e.g., subscription or from the computer)?
• When do you listen to them (e.g., on the way to school, working out)?
• How did you find them?

Which podcast did you listen to for homework? What did you like about it, and what your recommendations for improvement? Is this something you would listen to regularly? Why or why not?

Shared Social Media Rules

• You are not selling products – your audience does not want to subscribe to ads.
• You are delivering something of value to your audience.
• You are encouraging a conversation by inviting comments and responding to them.
• Your audience needs to be the kind that uses the kind of social media you are proposing.
• You are starting with a public relations plan – one that includes goals, objectives, and strategies – social media are just tactics.

Discussion of How a Podcast Fits Into a Public Relations Plan
Provide students with an example of a goal, objective, and strategy that would fit well with the podcasting serving as the tactic. Holtz explains that podcasts can be used to

• Engage audiences
• Build brand loyalty
• Establish thought leadership
• Contribute to the community

Podcasting Advantages
As described by Holtz –

• The audience can multitask.
• You can deliver specialized content to niche audiences that want to seek it out.
• Hearing a human voice can encourage an emotional connection.
• Through subscriptions, you can build a loyal following.
• You can ask listeners for feedback.

Podcasting Examples
What are some examples of organizations that have used podcasts?

• Disneyland used podcasts for its 50th anniversary. It exclusive content to listeners, such as interviews with people who designed the first Disneyland.
• Purina: started with Animal Advice and expanded to include five other podcast shows, such as Snouts in Your Town (pet care tips and stories) and Puppy Care (a 14-month program).

For more details about these examples, see Holtz.

Application Exercise
In teams of four, select at least one organization and write a goal, objective, and strategy that would suggest using a podcast as a tactic. List the topics of the first four shows of the podcast. When writing your objective, remember that it must be measurable because that is how you will measure the success of your podcast.

Podcasting Tips

• Keep the podcast conversational. Use an outline of talking points; do not read from a script. Talk to the audience as “you” – as if you’re having a one-on-one conversation.
• Establish a regular structure for your podcasts.
• To avoid podfading (going from frequently produced shows to rarely produced shows), establish how many episodes will be in the podcast. Position the podcast as a 10-epidode show, for example.
• Unless you can edit your mistakes without the listener noticing, record your podcast in one take.
• Show your own interest in the topic through your tone and by explaining why the content matters.

Structure

• Introduction elements (in various order):
• Theme music
• The show’s name (include show number and date for subscribers)
• The host’s name
• Sponsors (if applicable)

This week’s topic:

• Use transitions between points and provide a recap at the end

Potential close:

• Respond to listeners’ questions and comments
• Theme music
• The show’s name
• The host’s name
• Next show
• Special thanks
• Farewell

Show Notes
Show notes are like a table of contents for the podcast. Use them to tell listeners what you’re covering and provide time codes so that listeners can jump to a particular section. Show notes also help people find you on search engines.

Examples
Play excerpts of podcasts for your class. I like this one by Trafcom News because Donna Papacosta discusses the importance of not reading a script for podcasts.

If you have extra time, I also suggest the Trafcom News interview with the person who does podcasts for Whirlpool to provide a grounded context.

Hosting/CD Production
I ask students to burn their podcasts to a CD, which I collect. Make sure to tell students that as practitioners, they can host podcasts on their Web sites, or they can use a hosting service. Libsyn packages start at $5 a month.

Promotion

• Tell everyone you know who you think would be interested. Other promotion ideas from Holtz include
• Adding the URL to your e-mail signature.
• Putting the URL on your business card.
• Promoting the podcast and URL through the newsletter.
• Registering the podcast with podcast directories (e.g., iTunes, Podcast Pickle, Yahoo! Podcasts).
• Commenting on other people’s podcasts and blogs that attract similar audiences.

Technical Demonstration
I teach Audacity because it works on both PCs and Macintosh computers. I do not teach GarageBand, but I allow students to use it.

With students (preferably having them follow along on their computers):

• Download Audacity.
• Open Audacity.
• Demonstrate how to record audio, listen to it, and edit it.
• Ask students to do a quick recording, play it back, and edit part of it.
• Demonstrate how to download royalty free audio and import it into Audacity and ask students to do the same.
• Show students how to export podcast and compress it in iTunes and ask students to do the same.
• Show students how to burn the podcast to a CD or upload it to a blog (however you will be collecting it for grading).
• If using CDs for podcasts, show students how to create labels and consider giving each student a sheet of two CD labels.
• Explain to students what their options are for checking out a microphone or digital recorder if needed.

The technical directions at the end of this blog post explain how to do all of the above items.

Assignment and Grading Rubric
Your assignment is to create a podcast about a public relations topic, such as relationship management. To help your content score, either interview someone or use several strong sources for your presentation.

To be eligible for an A, include brief introductory music. It must be royalty-free. You can download free music at http://www.partnersinrhyme.com/pir/free_music_loops.shtml or at http://www.royaltyfreemusic.com/free-music-clips.html, buy music from iTunes (search for “podcast music”), create your own music, or use GarageBand. Another optional element is to create your own podcast art in Illustrator, InDesign or Photoshop. When using music from Web sites like Partners in Rhyme and Royalty Free Music, you’ll need to credit the source through a Web site link from where you host your podcast.

Your podcast will be evaluated based on the content, organization, delivery and adherence to instructions. Your labeled podcast CD in a jacket and show notes are due on _________.

Points for content:

Points for organization:

Points for delivery:

Points for show notes and instructions:

Is music included (a requirement for an A):

Final score:

Final grade:

Podcast Technical Instructions and Show Notes
You will record an instructional podcast that is appropriate to your personal/business needs. Cite your sources in your podcast (e.g., “according to Jones”). You will also produce show notes.

• The steps listed on this page are specific to a version of Audacity. If you do not see something in the location specified (such as where to import music), click on the other tabs until you see the option described.
  
• Also, sometimes I want to select an option in Audacity, but the option appears in gray, so I cannot select it. If this happens to you, hit the stop button and then try your action again.

Steps
You can download Audacity at http://audacity.sourceforge.net.
Another option is to use RecordIt (Windows) or GarageBand (Macintosh).

The instructions below are based on the use of Audacity as your recording software. Some of the menu options for the instructions below may differ depending on the version of Audacity that you have.

Recording
Make an outline with topics you want to discuss. Click the record button. Have an introduction, body and conclusion. Organize your content (e.g., 10 ways to improve your writing). Record your entire podcast in one take.

Editing
If you stumble over your words during the podcast, pause, repeat your sentence and continue. Here is how to edit the mistake:
Expand the size of your screen if needed.

Select the vertical dumbbell and drag it over the mistake. You can click the play button before cutting. When you are ready to cut, hit delete. If this does not work, make sure the pause button is not pressed. Hit stop and try again. It is easiest to record your podcast in one take. Make sure your environment is silent. Do not rustle with papers.

If you decide to add royalty-free music to the beginning, go to “Project” and “Import Audio.” Select your file. Use the vertical dumbbell to edit. Lower the sound by dropping the “Gain.” You will need to listen to the balance between the music and your voice to determine the best music level. You can find the “Gain” by looking to the left of your audio. It has an arrow you can slide to the left. If you use music, highlight the beginning of the music, go to “Effect” and select “Fade out.” Highlight the end of the music, go to “Effect” and select “Fade in.” You will not want music to play during the middle of your podcast, so highlight the middle section, go to “Generate,” and select “Silence.”

Editing An Interview
When playing a back an interview, see if you have problems with your voice and your interviewee’s voice being different volumes. If this is a problem, download the levelator at http://www.conversationsnetwork.org/levelator and drop your podcast into it. See here for a visual demonstration: http://www.pixelheadsnetwork.com/2008/01/14/tdmd-daily-tip-podcast-36-useful-apps-levelator/. This will fix sound problems.

Creating a CD (or save to a jump drive)
When you finish editing, follow the instructions below:

Choose “File” and “Save” to save your recording.
Go to “File” and “Export as WAV.” Make sure to save the file to somewhere other than your Audacity folder, such as saving the file to your desktop.
Go to iTunes and drag your WAV file into your library or go to “File” and “Add to library.”

Go to “Advanced” and “Convert Your Selection to AAC.” This compresses the file. You are also welcome to convert your file to MP3 (under “iTunes,” select “Preferences,” “Advanced,” and “Import Using MP3.”

Once you have converted your podcast to an AAC or MP3 file, you can burn it to a CD. Make sure you burn the MP3 or AAC version rather than the WAV file. You can right click on your music file to see which version it is.

Once you have converted your podcast to an AAC or MP3 file, you can burn it to a CD.  Make sure that you burn the CD in a music player program like iTunes. Otherwise, the CD will record the file as a data file, not as an audio file, which means it won’t play in a CD player.

Creating the CD Label
In case you want to put your podcast on a CD, you can find CDs, CD labels, and CD jackets at an office supply store. Below are instructions for creating a label for Media Face labels. You can order them here: http://www.neato.com/product/PhotoMatte-CDDVD-Labels-100-Pack,85,12.htm

To create the CD label, go to http://www.mediaface.com. Create an account. To avoid having a watermark on your CD label, you need to enter a code when registering. The code is 077511999420.

Then go to the home page and select “CD/DVD Labels.” In the drop-down menu, search by SKU and select 863100. Click on the CD part of the image in the upper right corner. Then select “Templates & Layouts.” After designing your label, go to the “Preview & Print” tab in the right corner.

Make sure to not go to “file” and then “print.” Instead, scroll to the bottom of the screen and in the left-hand area, you’ll see a special print button. You might get a pop-up menu about calibrating the printer. That ensures that the printer lines up with the label, so make sure to do that if possible. You might want to test your printer with a regular piece of paper before inserting the label.

You are also welcome to create a CD label through software programs, such as InDesign, Photoshop or Word.

Burn your CD before adding the label. Burn your CD through iTunes. Do not simply drag the music file to the CD. If possible, print your CD label in color.

Creating Show Notes
Start with your title. If you have artwork, place it here. Describe your show and audience. Include at least four topics in a weekly show schedule. Add show notes and include at least three descriptions with the running time. Include all links mentioned in your podcast, as well as credits. Use parallel structure.

Uploading Your Podcast to Your Blog
If you would like to blog about your podcast experience, you should upload your podcast to your blog. You have about three gigabytes of space on WordPress. As long as you compress your podcast, you should be able to upload it.

You cannot embed your podcast into your WordPress account unless you have purchased an upgraded WordPress account. However, you can post it into blogger by using this code: <embed src=”Paste audio link here” width=”367″ height=”14″ autoplay=”false” loop=”true”></embed>

Podcast Directories
If you want to promote your podcast, you can link to it in the directories listed below.
•    Podcast Alley (www.podcastalley.com)
•    Odeo (www.odeo.com)
•    Podcast Pickle (www.podcastpickle.com)
•    Yahoo! Podcasts (http://podcasts.yahoo.com)
•    Apple iTunes Music Store (www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts)

Also wissenschaftlich gesehen oder ursprünglich gesehen, macht das Podcasting ja aus, dass man es abonnieren kann, dass man nicht auf eine Web-Site gehen muss, nach neuen Folgen suchen und Sachen dort herunterladen.

Sagt Barbara Rampf im DLF, die momentan wissenschaftlich über den Begriff arbeitet. Sie sagt zwar auch, dass der Begriff momentan recht schwammig verwendet wird. (Wobei sie aber feststellt, dass Podcasting den Begriff des Abonnements eigentlich schon beinhält, wenn ich das richtig lese.) Sie stellt ebenfalls fest, dass die Zeit der Pioniere schon längst vorbei ist – aber das ist ja nun nichts grundlegend Neues:

Angefangen hat es ja als Kolumne, als privates Tagebuch. Die Produzenten gibt es heute auch noch. Aber das meiste ist eine Art Zweitverwertung von bereits gesendetem Material aus Radio und Fernsehen.

-

Podéis suscribiros al Podcast desde iTunes o cualquier lector de Podcast desde aquí:

El Podcast de No Tengo iPhone

-

O descargar directamente el programa 66 de No tengo iPhone desde este Link

-

Comenzamos como siempre, escuchando Swing life Away de los Rise Against

En esta ocasión me gustaría compartir con vosotros mi punto de vista sobre la situación del podcasting español actual y conocer vuestra opinión tras escucharlo.

Gracias y saludos a todxs!

So you’ve dreamed of the fame, riches and adoration of being a PodStar.   Just send $49.95 $39.95 $19.95 $1.99 nothing to me and watch this video. I guarantee success or your money back. I can also help you get thousands of new Twitter followers every day too!

(screencast of my presentation for the great 2009 USCG PodCamp – warning 30+ minutes – best viewed full screen and HD)

Esta es la primera edición del Podcast de Alternos, me quedo medio chafa por que estaba haciendo livestream y estaba checando si realmente se transmitía, así que se escucha una repetición, ni modo errores de novato. Con esto se da por iniciada la primera temporada de AlternosPodcast, en las próximas emisiones saldrán ya los colaboradores y espero que no se aburran creo que mi ritmo aun es muy lento, no es lo mismo platicar que grabar. Saludos a todos.

LO descargan de aqui

Por cierto les dejo otro video del desfile del 20 de Noviembre en mi rancho.

For marketers, The New Rules of Marketing and PR shows you how to leverage the potential that Web-based communication offers your business. Finally, you can speak directly to customers and buyers, establishing a personal link with the people who make your business work. This one-of-a-kind guide includes a step-by-step action plan for harnessing the power of the Internet to create compelling messages, get them in front of customers, and lead those customers into the buying process.

GeekCast.fm is an aggregation of podcasts for geeks, as well as the home of the GeekCast show, which covers all areas of Internet marketing, including affiliate marketing, social media, video, search engine marketing, and mobile.

This is a test blogpost with an image.  Unfortunately, WP.com does not allow the uploading and embedding of audion or video files, so we have resorted to third-party apps/widgets/sites to aggregate our blog content.  We do this either by providing links out to pages containing our video (YouTube and Vidpod) or audio (Audioboo), or by providing a widget like Vodpod in the sidebar which pulls in our YouTube posts.  Twitter has been enabled to update whenever an Audioboo or Vodpod update is published.

Prof Kate Foy, podcaster

My New Forest Podcast Goes From Strength To Strength… With More Listeners Than You Can Shake A Pony’s Tail At!

Join Me Now For Show 67 Of My New Forest Podcast!

To play Show 67 now, simply click on the Show 67 logo below!

Having Trouble Listening To This Podcast Here?
Then Click Here To Listen To Show 67 Via Callisto FM!

Subscribe FREE To The New Forest Podcast Via iTunes By Clicking On The Logo Below

Show 67 – Show Notes

* Opening theme: – Sarah Borges & The Broken Singles – “Think It Over”

* Music – Erika Jayne – “Give You Everything”

* News From In And Around The New Forest

* Music – Black Lab – “The Real You”

* Featured Place – You’ll just have to listen to the show

* Music – Dave McCormick – “I Need This Woman”

* Podcast Promo – – The Chillcast With Anji Bee
www.anjibee.com & www.thechillcast.com

* Coming Events In And Around The New Forest.

* Music – Ann Marita – “Alive And Kickin”

* Background Music: (News, Feature, Coming Events) – Danny Weis – “Dinner At Nine”

***********************************************************************************

Links mentioned in this show

New Forest Leisure

Wayne Henderson’s Voice-Over Journey Podcast

***********************************************
Click Here For My 30 Secs Promo For My New Forest Podcast -
Feel Free To Download And Use In Your Own Podcast
******************************

My New Forest Podcast Is Played On
Forest FM

On Friday Evenings At 7 pm

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My New Forest Podcast Is Also Played On
Radio Bracknell

On Tuesday Mornings At 5am For The Benefit Of
Radio Bracknell’s American Listeners
******************************

Many thanks To Mevio For Hosting My
New Forest Podcast

Audio (17 minutes): Scott Hennen on New Media

Fargo, ND-based company pioneers new media marketing

Scott Hennen, AM1100 The Flag talk show host and owner of Great Plains Integrated Marketing discusses new media marketing in this interview with Northland New Media Director Mark Johnson. Recorded November 19, 2009.

Since we first announced captions in Google Video and YouTube, weve introduced multiple caption tracks, improved search functionality and even automatic translation. Each of these features has had great personal significance to me, not only because I helped to design them, but also because Im deaf. Today, Im in Washington, D.C. to announce what I consider the most important and exciting milestone yet: machine-generated automatic captions.

via Official Google Blog: Automatic captions in YouTube.

Today I successfully submitted a proposal to the National Science Foundation for The Elements Unearthed project. It was actually sent in via their online FastLane system, which I’ve dealt with before, usually with frustration and panic as I try to submit right at 5:00 p.m. on the deadline day. I broke with long habit and actually got this submitted a day early and it was a much more pleasant experience this time.

If you’ve never been through the process of submitting a formal proposal to NSF from one of their solicitations, here’s how the process works. First, you have to find a program area and solicitation (call for proposals) that matches the goals and objectives of your project. NSF funds projects in many different categories; the one that best matches what I’m trying to do (improve science, technology, engineering, and math [STEM] education through student-created podcasts) is the Informal Science Education solicitation (NSF 09-553). There are particular requirements and steps to follow for this or any other NSF grant. Before anything else, it helps to work with an expert in research design and to clarify the exact goals and operational objectives (which must be measurable) you will be focusing on. NSF recommends using a logic or process flowchart model to think through the inputs, processes or activities, outputs (products), and outcomes of the project. Here’s the logic model I’ve worked up for this project:

Logic Model for The Elements Unearthed Project

Once that has all been worked out, you’re ready to actually start writing up a proposal. First, a preliminary proposal must be submitted and approved by NSF before the final proposal can be submitted. This I did on June 25, and of the 610 submissions, about 40% (approximately 240) were approved for final submission. Next, you must follow what the solicitation asks for in particular and what the General Proposal Guidelines say in general. This proposal needs an electronic cover sheet, a one-page project summary, a 15 page narrative description with bibliography, biographical sketches of the principle personnel, and a detailed budget with justification. In the past I tried to cut and paste text from a Word document; this time I converted all my files to .pdfs and merely linked them in, which was much easier. I also included diagrams and tables for the first time. Here is a diagram I created this week showing the relationships between quality and quantity of videos created as one moves from professional broadcast video to podcasting.

Comparing Quality, Quantity, and Professionalism for Podcasting

An obvious questions is, if I’ve had experience with this before, why didn’t I get the grant then and why do I think I’ll be successful this time? One of the best features of the NSF proposal process is that your projects are reviewed by at least three qualified experts who write up comments and suggestions. After doing the Letter of Intent (which is now a Preliminary Proposal – the solicitation was updated this year) and submitting the final proposal last year, the reviewers turned down my request mostly because I needed a better evaluation plan and broader project management. The basic idea was considered excellent and they all encouraged me to re-submit after improving those areas. I’ve now done so, at least as far as I can at this point (I’m still working out partnerships and the Advisory Committee) and my evaluation plan is much stronger than before.

If you would like to read the final full proposal, here is the Project Description in .pdf format:

Elements_Unearthed_ NSF_proposal_2009

I would appreciate any comments you might make or any support you might be able to give. This file also lists the expected completion dates of future podcast episodes.

Of the 240 or so that will submit final proposals, NSF expects to fund between 40 and 50 proposals. Mine is a Pathways Project, meaning it is a prototype project meant to eventually become a full-scale project. I proposed that we begin with 20 teams over two years, starting in 2010-11 with seven teams/sites in Utah, then spreading to 13 teams the next year in Utah, Colorado, and Nevada. I also proposed that each team work directly with personnel from local museums to utilize the museum’s expertise and to enhance the museum’s programs by providing finished video segments that can be used to attract visitors or for exhibits or even to sell in the gift shop to raise money. If you do the final math, 50 accepted out of 240 proposals is about a one in six chance. I’ve been successful with lower odds than that, so we’ll just have to wait and see. Unfortunately, the wait will be pretty long; it could be May before I know anything. In the meantime, I’m looking for other grants and sources of funding for this project, especially since I need money now to continue editing the videos and to set up new sites for this year.

But that’s one big load off my chest – for good or ill, I’ve clicked the submit button and it’s out of my hands. Now I can get back to editing. I proposed to have some episodes (about nine) completed by Jan. 1, when I will finally officially launch the iTunes site for this project. I am also looking at hosting the videos on Ourmedia or Libsyn since I won’t be able to use this blog for much video storage and traffic. I’ll also create YouTube versions of each episode, although I will have to break them up into <10 minute segments as I have already done with the Project Rationale video. After the initial nine episodes on Jan. 1, I will post additional episodes as I can get them finished on the first day of each month through May or June. I have enough materials to do about 30 episodes all told by then, so about five per month. That’s a lot of editing, and I’m also trying to make money from my other endeavors to keep food on the table and the mortgage paid. If I can get some grant money, I can focus on this project along.

We all have things we would do if we could because they are our passion. If we are extremely lucky, our passions also can become our careers and our jobs. If not, we have to work on them in-between trying to make ends meet. I’ve been luckier in this respect than most with past projects, and I know that I’ll be successful in this effort as well.

Cincinnati’s Largest PR Firm Looking for Next Great PR Professional

Eisen Unveils ‘Cincinnati’s Next Top PR Person’ Competition, Winner Earns Job

Cincinnati, OH – November 18, 2009 – No question the job market is tight, and in the public relations and marketing industry, the competition to land a job has never been more challenging. To that end, Cincinnati public relations firm Eisen Marketing Group has developed an innovative new program, NexPhase, that combines elements from “The Apprentice,” “Hell’s Kitchen,” and “Survivor” – with the winner getting a paid gig at one of Cincinnati’s best places to work.

Eisen president Rodger Roeser says, “Right now, most of my competitors are cutting jobs or shutting their doors altogether, while our firm continues to grow. As a result, however, we are inundated by those seeking a job and more often than not, looking through resumes, stuffy job interviews and review of work product is not that helpful. I’m not looking for the next okay agency person, I’m looking for the next rock star, and in true ‘pr guy fashion,’ I like to do something fun that also makes some waves.”

The competition is open to all graduating seniors (May/June 2010) or recent graduates from 2009. Those interested should apply online at www.EisenPR.com and click on the ‘careers’ tab. Submissions are open through December 17^th. From the submissions, 12 finalists will be selected who will then begin the three week NexPhase competition starting Wednesday, January 20^th.  The field will ultimately be narrowed to one winner. People will be able to follow along on an online webisode series, as well as other specially designated NexPhase social media sites featuring EMG and the competitors sharing the good, the bad and the ugly from the competition.

About EMG

Eisen Marketing Group is the largest and highest ranked public relations firm in Greater Cincinnati, and the only firm in Cincinnati ranked in O’Dwyers Top 150 PR Firms in the Nation. EMG is a 2009 Business Courier Best Places to Work finalist, and is a 2009 Emerging 30 and Fast 55 designee as one of the fastest growing businesses of any kind in the Greater Cincinnati area. The firm works with clients in a number of industries, and specializes in financial, healthcare, entertainment, government and retail. The public relations firm provides to its clientele expertise in digital and social media, advertising and creative, publicity and media relations, business development and brand identity. More information can be accessed at www.EisenPR.com.

PodCastAwards.com

Vote for your fav, or if you don’t subscribe to any, go check the best in the categories out

POLLYANNA COWGIRL RECORDS PODCAST

SHOW #52

November 18, 2009

Direct Link to Mp3:

http://m.podshow.com/media/17171/episodes/197815/pcowpodcast-197815-11-17-2009.mp3

Podcast Feed:

http://www.mevio.com/feeds/pcowpodcast.xml

Song 01: DIRTY ON PURPOSE – “Your Summer Dress” 

Song 02: PREFONTAINE – “Stupid Beneath Myself” 

Song 03: RUSSELL KILBEY – “Tara” 

Song 04: DEASTRO – “The Shaded Forests” 

Song 05: PAPERCUTS – “Future Primitive” 

Song 06: MARCHING BAND – “For Your Love” 

Song 07: THE LIFE THERE IS – “Garrie” 

Song 08: PLUS MINUS – “Unsung” 

Song 09: TRACY REDHEAD – “Where It Fits” 

Song 10: AFTER TOUCH – “Mr. Sunshine” 

Song 11: TECHNOIR – “Manifseto” 

Song 12: PRETTY POP feat. FRAU – “Seaside Solution” 

PLEASE SUPPORT THE ALS CHARITY CD FOR PATIENT CARE AND RESEARCH, “SONGS FOR JENNY” @ WWW.SONGSFORJENNY.COM 

 ALL THINGS TONY PUCCI @ WWW.TONYPUCCI.COM  

 “DIGGING FOR MUSIC YOU’LL DIG!” @ WWW.POLLYANNACOWGIRL.COM

 ONE MAN’S PERSONAL/ARTISTIC JOURNEY @ WWW.FATALINTERVIEW.COM  

(promos played in this week’s show): 

NERD HURDLES @ WWW.NERDHURDLES.COM    

 THE ICE PODCAST @ WWW.THEICEPODCAST.COM

If you think that amateur videos have little to no effect on society then you haven’t seen this one.  Today short videos edited or unedited can tell compelling stories, report live events and most importantly “level the playing field.”  If you are in any of the traditional media industries whether it is print, journalism, filmmaking, marketing or radio ignoring digital media can become a whirlwind dis-ease for your reputation as a media provider.

In this video Bill Wasik speaks about the growing ecosystem of the Internet and how it can provide a gateway for small companies, entrepreneurs and media producers.  When it comes to the free vs pay debate I think its fair to ask first what side of the fence you are on? The producer or the consumer?  This makes a difference because Wasik agrees that people “will not stop to pay for something” if they are multi surfing the Internet on various websites. Yet he mentioned that people are more willing to support something that satisfies their “niche passions.”  My personal experience with this took place almost 2 years ago when one of my favorite music groups decided to release a e-magazine for a $12 a year subscription providing the user a login code to read each monthly issues.  The magazine was not staffed by a group of editors, photographers or reporters instead it was a one man operation.  It gave the subscriber a uncensored inside scoop on the bands favorite reading list, new songs, tour schedule and random perspectives that could have been placed in a “free” blog yet they monetized it.  When I got a chance to interview the band they told me that over 2,000 people joined the first few months they started the e-zine giving them a voice unfiltered by popular newsstand publications that have to worry about placement, advertising and monthly relevancy.

As far as Wasik mentioning the “short stuff for free” I agree that companies should release a short version of their work to give the user a reason to pay for more content or accept the free stuff.  He said the best way to avoid this “click away” customer is to have an innovative device that the user must use to keep, delete or share the content on their device such as the ipod, Kindle or the Nook.  As a Disc Jockey for over 17 years my early experiences with personal branding was in competition with local radio disc jockeys and band DJs who were associated with radio stations or a record labels with marketing budgets that dwarf the little guy’s entry.  Today that playing field has been leveled for DJs who have a decent online following with a consistent reputation can now create their own community of listeners through various channels like podcasting, applications or streaming their live performances while responding to listeners worldwide at the same time.  As more people carry mobile devices daily this gives a DJ in Italy an opportunity to be heard in Australia or you can watch a live studio session with another DJ all on your itouch, mp3 player, laptop or cell phone.  Why is this important and how does this help solve the issue of free vs pay online content?

The question of relevancy again depends on what side of the fence you on. Producer or consumer.  If you are a content producer and you want your material to be distributed, you can identify a target audience faster by going straight to them or open the settings for them to come to you at any moment they choose.  The choice is up to you whether you want to charge them a fee or give it to them for free.  With a for profit business model you can also cross promote a sponsors product or service in return for advertising fees to subsidize your production cost.  Either way the choice is yours based on your time, motivation and goals.  In the eyes of the consumer they only want to be entertained or educated which gives them the unique experience of informing the content producer on whether or not their approach is working.  The consumer will let you know if this is something they would pay for based on the interaction and feedback they give the producer using social media tools.  Both the consumer and the producer are the deciding factor on whether something should be free or charged.  This Web 2.0 business model and engagement is what has Hulu, newspaper corporations, television networks and upcoming entrepreneurs deciding what’s next.  My suggestion is to ask the person you are wishing to gravitate towards your content.

Here are 3 Ways a Company Can Engage with its audience:

1)  Listen and learn.  By monitoring conversations about your brand, product or service on various social media websites you learn what people like and dislike about your company.  Is there something that we can improve on?  Why did that last video only get XYZ hits compared to the other one?

2)  Identify the influencers.  Find who are the main people influencing your target market and what do they think our company’s product or services.

3)  Ask for feedback.  Before Twitter, blogs or social influence marketing people had to write a physical letter or make a phone call to a company customer service to send a complaint or suggestion.  Nowadays customers, viewers or influencers can create communities behind their experience whether it is was a good or a bad one.   If you have more negative commentary than positive then maybe your organization should find out why people are putting such effort to say why they dislike something. If you notice it early then you can correct the problem or you can do a YouTube video for the CEO.