Podonomics

In January 2007, I was impregnated with a book deal. From that point on, I nurtured this little bundle of joy so it could take on a life of its own. I was elated with the knowledge that something big was going to grow. At every turn, I saw evidence of its growth - a chapter here, a paragraph there.

I started to have cravings for Kit Kat at odd hours of the day. I gorged on some of the most unhealthiest foods, everything from French fries to chocolate dip donuts from Tim Hortons to McDonalds. I ate as much as I could to feed what was growing on my computer screen.

There were many all nighters. Some nights, I couldn’t sleep because I was restless. The bulge of ideas kept getting in the way. I had to relieve myself by writing a chapter at 3am just to get any sleep.

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A year ago, one of my clients started podcasting. I recommended a small sample of podcast directories to submit to and one of them was Yahoo Podcasts. I just loved its simple, yet pretty design and was pleased that another major player was stepping into the podcasting limelight.

Yet, after a year, I have now stopped recommending Yahoo Podcasts. Why? It’s been neglected by Yahoo itself. Some feeds haven’t been updated in its directory in months, even though the podcaster has been producing new episodes every week.

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Joseph Jaffe, host of Across the Sound, recently asked his listeners for an iPhone in exchange for a mention in his podcast. While I’m tempted to call this a unique form of podcast sponsorship, I hesitate because this seems like a one off.

If Jaffe is able to do this a couple more times, I’ll include this as an example of podcast sponsorship in my book. I still have a bit of time before it goes to print. So Jaffe, over to you. Show me that this wasn’t a fluke.

My fav Montreal podcaster, Julien Smith, thinks the experiment is brilliant and challenges other podcasters to follow Jaffe’s lead. What do you think about this? Fluke or not?

If any of you have ever thought about writing a book, listen to an interview I had with podcaster Russel Hale (picture on left). What I liked about this interview is that Russel focused on the process I went through to write the book, not the topic of the book.

Russel rambles on about Paris Hilton at the beginning of the podcast. My interview with him starts at the midway mark. His views about Hilton are interesting, so feel free to listen. Or, you can jump ahead to my interview with him.

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My friend, Micheal Geoghagen, a leader in the podcasting field, said that my call for endorsements could leave a negative perception about my book. Although it would’ve been nice to get an email from my colleague about this, I do appreciate Michael taking the time to give me another perspective. So, I’ve changed this post and will continue emailing people privately for endorsements, as I have been doing.

Another lesson learned for this first time author If you have already emailed me, I will send you a few chapters as promised.

This video was recorded by Worldbridges at Podcamp NY back in April 2007. Just in case you haven’t seen it, here’s the 9-minute recording for your viewing pleasure.

It doesn’t seem like I linked to this column by Ted Blanger who interviewed me about a month ago about what’s new in podcasting. Of course, I talked about monetization, so take a gander over to his column and take a look at a sneak peak of what’s coming in the book.

Wow, if someone had told me that writing a book would be hard work, I think…I still would’ve written the book.

My deadline was extended to April 30th at my request, but I also promised my publisher that it would be my one and only extension. With 50,000 words still to write, I’m furiously trying to write the copy by the deadline. I know I’ll get it done as I typically shine under pressure.

I’m currently finishing up the chapter called Advertising & Sponsorship. It’s turning out to be a mammoth chapter. Without any screenshots, it’s nearing 15 pages and could top 20 by the time I finish tonight. I’m happy about this since most of the other chapters are 7 pages or less.

What makes this chapter interesting are the various advertising and sponsorship models that exist. And not all advertising and sponsorship models are the same. But one thing that stands out is Podshow, but not for the reason you think.

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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 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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