Podonomics

On the 7-hour flight over the pond on Sunday morning, they showed Goldfinger. I’ve seen the movie a dozen times (who hasn’t) and it helps having my most favourite James Bond starring in the movie - Sean Connery. And I just love the female protagonist’s name - Pussy Galore. The way Connery says her name in the entire movie is just hilarious.

I woke up in time to see the last 20-minutes of the film. If you want to learn how not to design a fight scene for your video podcast, watch the fight scene between Bond and Mr. Hat (don’t remember his character’s name). It’s the most inelegant, unsophisticated and poorly choreographed fight scene I’ve ever seen.

Here’s the reasons it’s so poor:

• There’s no muscial score. Therefore, there’s no clash of cymbals or the croon of violins to set the mood.
• You can hear their patent leather shoes slapping against the wax floor throughout the entire scene.
• The black top hat that Mr. Hat flings off his head towards Bond bounces off the gold bars at one point, however, when Bond throws it towards Mr. Hat, it then sticks in the marble wall.
• The punches looked so pansie.
• When Bond is thrown against the wall by Mr. Hat, he barely gets off the floor.

As for the conference, there was a “fight scene” that took place at the Corporate Podcasting Summit that was actually really good. It was between the guy from Podshow UK who was sitting on a panel and a guy from Podcast User Magazine who was in the audience. I think Paul or Jason will be blogging about it, so keep your eyes peeled on their blogs.

Update - Jason provided an excellent summary.

Tags: corporate podcasting, james bond, goldfinger, 007, sean connery, podshow, paul colligan, jason van orden, podcast user magazine

I’m not making this up, I promise. I mean, I don’t have the imagination strong enough to make these type of things up.

Earlier today, I go to my hotel room and I was locked out. For some reason, the access card that gives me access to my room stopped working.

So, I walk back towards the elevator as there’s a phone on the wall. I pick it up and it connects me right away to the front desk.

So, I say:

“Hi, this is Leesa from Room 100. I’m locked out of my room.”

So, the front desk says:

“Okay, we’ll send someone up. Please wait by your room door.”

So, I head back to my room door and wait. About 5-minutes go by and fully frustrated, I go back towards the elevators to call the front desk on the phone.

“This is Room 100 and I’m still waiting to get into my room.”

To which the woman at the front desk said:

“Oh, security tried to get in touch with you. They called your phone, but you didn’t answer.”

They’re not talking about my cellphone as it doesn’t work here in London (something about not having a SIM card). They were talking about the phone in my locked room. In other words, answer the phone in my locked room and then security would be assured that I was indeed the person that needed my door unlocked.

Like I said, I can’t make this stuff up.

Tags: corporate podcasting, podcasting

(Here’s a hint - When you see 4 or more posts on my blog in 1 day, it means I’m trying to avoid something. Like writing. Or something administrative. Or my mother’s persistent phone calls to tell me that fresh pineapples are on sale at Food Basics for $2.99.)

Mesh, which is 2-months away, is having an informal meetup on March 28, 2007 in Toronto. If the last Mesh Meet-up is any indication, this one will be a blast. Sign up here.

Because the Meshguys promised me drinks of the non-alcoholic variety all night long (or until my bladder burst), I agreed to record some interviews. So, if you have an opinion about anything Web 2.0, you’ll want to attend the Mesh Meet-up to network with others, share your opinions and to be recorded for an upcoming Meshcast.

Tags: mesh, web 2.0, mesh07

This has nothing to do with podcasting, but I had to share. I’m on the phone with my cell phone provider trying to figure out why I’m paying way more than I’m supposed to each month.

At the end of the call, the customer service rep says:

“My name is Suriya.”

So, I’m thinking to myself, Well that’s new. They never remind you what their names are.

While thinking, Suriya continues:

“And my employee number is 667…”

And I’m thinking, Well, that’s easy to remember. What an added customer service touch.

“…2390071.”

Great, just like a phone company to make even their own employee numbers hard to remember. Similar to the contracts they put you under.

As I continue to interview podcasters for my book Podcasting for Profit, I’m discovering more and more that advertising and sponsorship can work in a podcast (although some do think they’re truly awful). So, it’s not surprising that eMarketer would release a report saying that spending on podcast advertising will reach $400-million by 2011.

While I don’t doubt these numbers, what concerns me is that many companies still don’t understand that advertising in a podcast has to be treated differently from advertising in other media, specifically television and radio.

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I’m growing concerned with how loose people are becoming in defining what a podcast is. Plain and simple:

• If it’s audio or video slapped on a webpage and there’s no syndication feed, it’s not a podcast.
• If it’s a live webinar or seminar held over the phone and people can ask questions and participate in the interview you’re recording, it’s not a podcast. Don’t call it an interactive podcast either.

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I’m flying out in a few days to speak at the Corporate Podcasting Summit in London. It’ll be my first time in London and I’m so looking forward to it. I’m also looking forward to catching up with Paul Colligan, Anna Farmery, Jason Van Orden, and Karin Hogh and to finally meet 2 of my former clients face-to-face, Barbara Bradbury and Claire Raikes.

As I’m preparing for my trip, I’m double checking that everything’s in order. Since this is a corporate conference, I have to leave the jeans at home. So, I’m drycleaning stuff, buying a few things just so I don’t look all “campy” at the conference.

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No matter how much you know, you can always learn something new. A client of mine taught me a valuable tip. I was listening to her podcast and she typically interviews current and past clients who have applied her strategies to their working relationships. At the end of the interview, she sums it up by offering 3 to 5 key points her guest made.

What a clever idea and one that’s so overlooked. I did that with my most recent podcast episode, calling it Talking Points. While my guest was engaging and entertaining, what can be overlooked are the lessons learned from that person’s experience.

My tip to you is to provide a summary of the points you want your audience to take away with them after the interview is complete. This single step will provide more value to your audience and keep them coming back for more.

Tags: podcasting tips, interviewing, podcasting

I’m interviewing podcasters who have made money directly or indirectly from podcasting for my book called Podcasting for Profit.

The direct methods are:

• Advertising, Sponsorship, Tip Jars, Donations, Paid Subscriptions, Licensing, Consulting, Teaching

The indirect methods are:

• Lead generation, Selling products & services, More speaking engagements or media interviews, Getting book deals, Getting jobs, etc.

I’ve interviewed alot of podcasters over the last few days, but I need more. Of the direct and indirect methods listed above, here’s the areas that I desperately need case studies for:
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Get your lesson in Podonomics with your host Leesa Barnes who explores ways you can use a podcast to open doors, generate leads and make money.

In Episode 9, Leesa Barnes speaks with Andy Walker (at left), co-host and producer of Lab Rats TV, a video podcast covering tips and tricks about the technology you already own. Andy discussed ways to secure your own advertising and sponsorship for your podcast, even if you don’t belong to a podcast network.

Don’t miss the 5 talking points, plus a new feature called Podonomics Pick of the Week. This week, Leesa Barnes reviews Skypecasts.

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Episode Resources

Guest - Andy Walker

Lab Rats TV

Skypecasts

Tags: lab rats tv, andy walker, skype, podcast advertising, podcast marketing, sponsorship, advertising, marketing, podvertising, podcasting for profit

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