Category Archives: podcast

Tech PR War Stories podcast offers new social media advice

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Over at the Tech PR War Stories podcast, David Strom and I have been busy interviewing some fascinating people about social media marketing. Here’s a roundup of recent activity. You can subscribe to the podcast feed on the site or by clicking here.

Tamar Weinberg44: Internet Marketing Superlist Author Shares Secrets
At the end of 2007, Tamar Weinberg assembled an amazing assortment of blog entries about everything from headline writing to linkbaiting to becoming a Digg.com power user. Tamar will give you a twentysomething’s perspective on social media. If you’re trying to really understand this phenomenon, listen to what she has to say.

Four great trade show tips

Evan Schuman (TPRWS 39) of StorefrontBacktalk.com has spent a lot of time at trade shows lately and he sent us these four tips for getting the most out of media contacts.

45: The social media skeptic

Jennifer Mattern calls herself the “social media Grinch.” But that doesn’t mean she’s down on social media. It’s just that she thinks the focus on social media can distract PR people from their real work, In this interview, she outlines her cautionary advice about social media and stresses the fundamentals that PR people still need to employ.

46: How to find influencers

I’m writing a how-to book about social media marketing and one chapter is devoted to hands-on techniques for finding influencers online. It isn’t as simple as it sounds. In this episode, I talk about what I learned conducting influencer searches on behalf of a mythical Quebec resort. Step one: master advanced search.

47: Twitter magic

Many people’s first reaction to Twitter.com is that they just don’t get it. It looks like barely controlled chaos. But Twitter has inspired a passionate following. Laura Fitton is a poster child for a service that is revolutionizing the way people interact with their social networks. In this interview, she describes what’s unique about Twitter and how it can be useful even to people who don’t use it that often.

Mommycast grows franchise

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One of the best parts of writing my book was having a chance to meet some of the people who produce Mommycast, a podcast for mothers and families. In many ways, Mommycast exemplifies the concept of the “new influencer” because it’s the product of ordinary people who did something great without any help from mainstream media, venture capitalists or other kingmakers.

Early this year, Mommycast split from Podshow for unstated reasons, but it appears their new partner Podango, has got big plans. From a press release due to hit the wires on Wednesday:

“MommyCast and Friends” Network To Launch at Podango MommyCast, one of the most popular shows on the web, by and for women immersed in the fullness of motherhood and life, is launching the MommyCast and Friends Family Channel at Podango as part of an exclusive, multi-station deal with show producer KDCP Networks, LLC., the MommyCast production company. As part of the deal, KDCP Networks will develop “MommyCast and Friends,” a new network of family-oriented audio and video podcasts…

Started in March, 2005, MommyCast. has been featured in the Hollywood Reporter, Washingtonian Magazine, BusinessWeek, Variety magazines and the USA Today. Paige and Gretchen of MommyCast have also been interviewed by CNN, NBC, the BBC, Brandweek and The Wall Street Journal. MommyCast holds the distinction of being one of the first independent podcasts to land a major corporate sponsorship, which came via Dixie Paper Co. They have also established themselves as a member of the Buena Vista Entertainment Press Corps and are sponsored by Walt Disney Studios for family fare DVD movie releases.

MommyCast was the first podcast to do an enhanced podcast review of a movie, March of the Penguins, released by Warner Independent Pictures. MommyCast is proudly represented by The Endeavor Agency, Hollywood, California. MommyCast recently won the 2007 Webby, Best “Family & Parenting” Site category.

It couldn’t happen to a nicer group of folks.

My interview on Blog Talk Radio

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I’ve done lots of radio interviews over the years, and they are invariably similar: the host has maybe three to five minutes to talk and asks a question every 30 seconds or so. You can’t slow down because the listener’s attention will wane and will switch to another station. It’s invigorating, but also ultimately frustrating because it’s so hard to say much that’s meaningful in that short a period of time.

That’s why my interview this week on Blog Talk Radio was such a pleasant surprise. Just minutes before going on the air, host Wayne Hurlbert informed me that the program lasted a full hour with no commercial breaks. This is like telling someone in a Porsche that they have the entire highway to themselves. It was such a pleasure to stretch out and really talk over some of the issues with Wayne, who asked excellent questions. I don’t know if anyone has the stomach to listen to me for an hour, but if you want to hear more details about what I learned about social media while writing The New Influencers, give it a listen.

Tech PR War Stories 14: Are CMP layoffs the death knell for IT print media?

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This week in the Tech PR War Stories podcast, David and I reflect on upheaval at CMP, which laid off 20% of its workforce last week and shuttered some print publications. I suggest that this is the beginning of the end of print publishing in the IT media market and note that the economics of online publishing in that area are now weighted toward using freelance and blogger contributors instead of full-time staff.

David points out that technology companies are becoming more aggressive about launching their own online and even print publications, and that some of the senior editors who have lost their jobs in IT media will move over to work for vendors. We agree that these custom publishing operations are legitimate targets for PR people to place their clients. Now that everyone can publish easily to the Web, the definition of a “media company” is becoming fuzzier.

In Cheers & Jeers, I praise Oovoo, a new videoconferencing service that sent customized video messages to journalists and bloggers as part of its launch campaign. My jeer goes to Dell Computer, which sent a cease-and-desist notice to Consumerist.com, an action that ultimately backfired on Dell. But at least Dell was contrite in blogging about the mistake and even linking to underground photos of unannounced Dell products. My, how times have changed!

Listen to the podcast here (right click to download): 15:05

Tech PR War Stories Episode 11: our guest is Sam Whitmore

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Sam Whitmore’s Media Survey is one of the most influential publications in the high-tech PR community, and David Strom and I were fortunate to have Sam himself as a guest on Tech PR War Stories this week.

We asked Sam to talk about the up-and-coming influencers in IT media and his response surprised me. He’s evidently looking at media that tap into the real issues that IT pros wrestle with week-to-week more than new publishers and editors. He also had a lot to say about the ethos of the blogosphere and how PR pros should work with this new class of journalist. Bottom line: deal with it. These are the new journalists and their ethics and practices aren’t all that different from the folks you’ve dealt with for years.

Good stuff from a thought leader who pulls no punches.

Our podcast interview with David Meerman Scott

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This week in Tech PR War Stories, David Strom and I chat with David Meerman Scott, author of the forthcoming book The New Rules of Marketing and PR, which is due out any day now. David talks about the ideas that got him elected to Marketing Sherpa’s Viral Marketing Hall of Fame two years running, as well as his call for PR people to get a clue about search and start writing press releases using terms buyers care about rather than words they think the media wants to hear.

This will be a two-part interview, with the second running next week. And we barely scratched the surface of what’s in David’s book. Download the podcast. It’s free!

We Regret the Error

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This week in the Tech PR War Stories podcast, David Strom and I talk about corrections. You don’t really need corrections online because you can just fix the original story. But maybe corrections are still important as an admission of error. Do we still need them?

Our jumping-off point is last week’s dust-up between Steve Rubel and Jim Louderback. Services like Twitter have lowered the barrier to putting your foot in your mouth, and Steve found out the hard way what problems an offhand comment can cause.

The show notes and download page is here.

David Weinberger's presentation available as a podcast

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That was fast! Dan Bricklin has already posted a podcast of David Weinberger’s April 24 presentation to the Mass. Technology Leadership Council. The first 30 minutes are a fascinating prepared presentation. The next 80 minutes are a discussion that could have gone on for hours.

Thanks to Alex Howard for tipping me off to the podcast’s availability.


Tech PR War Stories # 3 is about loose lips, death threats and the future of print

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This week in Tech PR War Stories, David Strom and I talk about the Fred Vogelstein briefing memo and his Wired article. David says Google has become the new reputation management tool. IDG is transforming itself into an online company with the announcement that Infoworld will become a Web-only property. Paul asks whether print even matters in this market any more. And finally, we discuss the lessons learned from threats on Kathy Sierra’s life and how Tim O’Reilly brokered a rapproachment with Chris Locke.

Download the podcast here.

Tapping New Mobile Technologies to Spur Innovation

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From Innovations, a website published by Ziff-Davis Enterprise from mid-2006 to mid-2009. Reprinted by permission.

Can the day be far away when you’ll want to buy all your employees – and many of your customers – an iPod? Maybe it won’t be Apple’s ubiquitous little media player, but devices like the iPod will become part of every business person’s toolkit in the not-too-distant future.

The iPod and its competitors are revolutionary in their ability to take media offline. No longer do we need to be connected to be tuned in. Podcasting, the Internet radio phenomenon that is sweeping the consumer market, has spawned more than 80,000 programs, some with upwards of a half million subscribers. But the unfolding story behind podcasting is its use behind the corporate firewall.

Think of it: what if you could turn people’s downtime – the time spent mowing the lawn, waiting in checkout lines or working out at the gym – into a connection to your business? Why not podcast your weekly employee newsletter or an update message from your CEO? How about a weekly audio program for your customers giving them tips to get more out of your products?

This is already happening. Whirlpool is podcasting a weekly program – Whirlpool American Family – offering valuable advice on issues ranging from childcare to nutrition. Accuvue, the contact lens maker, is reaching out to young people through Download with Heather & Jonelle, a podcast about teenage life. IBM’s investor relations group produced a podcast called “IBM and the Future of…,” looking into the evolution of technology in different industries. It was so successful that the company created “ShortCuts,” a weekly podcast of tips for getting more out of personal technology.

The concept shouldn’t stop there. Podcasts can deliver new product information, business intelligence and sales reports to your reps in the field. And a new breed of device is just around the corner. Next-generation media players will incorporate small but functional video displays, greatly enhancing the kinds of information you can distribute. Your field service reps will have access to training materials or the latest repair manuals in video form. Sales people will be able to carry customer testimonials and promotional videos with them. Your partners will download demos of your new products to play back at their convenience.

You’ll want to make sure these influencers are connecting with you, and that’s why I think you should consider giving away the technology to make that happen. Digital media players are already cheap and they’re getting cheaper. For example, MobilBlu is selling a 2GB MP3 player for $130. Why not can load one up with your latest promotional and how-to advice, stamp your brand on it and send it to each of your top 50 customers? And shouldn’t every one of your field sales reps have a digital music player pre-configured to download the latest sales reports? Cost is no longer a big impediment to doing this.

Corporations are already experimenting with the idea. When General Motors launched the Saturn Sky, its media relations group shot a four-minute lifestyle video about the design of the vehicle. It packaged that along with a variety of other digital assets into a black video iPod and sent the devices out to key media.

Digital media players are important new channels to get information to your employees and your customers. Are you willing to be an innovator in putting them to work?