Sweetmantra: Internet Marketing Advice

Eight Tips I Picked Up at PodCamp Toronto 2007

I am still coming down from PodCamp Toronto 2007. It was just that good.

Nearly 300 podcasters, podcast listeners (podfans?) and students of all ages descended on Ryerson University for this free, two-day event.

The one thing everyone had in common seemed to be their passion for this new medium. The excitement and enthusiasm of the whole affair fondly reminded me of my first Internet World Conference, which I attended in - oh my God - 1996 in San Jose, California.

Here are a few choice excerpts from the notes I took during the many informative educational sessions at PodCamp Toronto 2007:

1. Podcast listeners are older than you probably realize; the average podcast listener is in their mid-thirties. (Tipster: Leesa Barnes)
2. Since the word "podcast" continues to confuse people, sometimes you are better off using a different term like "Internet radio show." (Tipster: Christopher Penn)
3. Speaking of lingo, some people are confused by the word "subscribe" because they think this means they will have to pay to receive your podcast. Consider using the term "add" instead, especially if dealing with a younger demographic. (Tipster: Christopher Penn)
4. If you are planning a business-to-employee podcast and want to ensure as many of your employees listen to the podcast, give each of them an iPod. (Tipster: Sabita Singh)
5. Creating a Facebook and MySpace profile for your podcast can be very cost-effective way to get new subscribers. (Tipster: Christopher Penn)
6. StumbleUpon is not only a great tool to discover quality Websites, it can drive a lot of traffic to your podcast's Website. (Tipster: Julien Smith)
7. The "itpc" link to subscribe to a podcast in iTunes is more reliable than the "phobos" link. (Don't be concerned if you have no idea what I am talking about. If you're a podcaster, you will.) (Tipster: Christopher Penn)
8. If you ever find yourself, or a client, asking "why should we be podcasting?" try asking instead, "why shouldn't we be podcasting?" (Tipster: Michael Seaton)

I don't know if there will be a PodCamp Toronto 2008, but if there is, you can bet I'll be there!

Joost's PR Flacks Invite Hacks

I think it's time to start your office betting pool on how long it will take before the new Joost Internet television service is hacked.

If you haven't heard about Joost yet, trust me, you will. Regardless of its obvious merits (of which there are many, don't get me wrong), based on Joost's current rank and trajectory on the Web 2.0 Hype-O-Meter, it's already shaping up to be this year's Second Life. And it's only February!

While I am genuinely excited about the potential of this still-in-beta service, and I do NOT condone hacking or piracy of any kind, Joost's creators are all but begging the hacker community to take a run at it.

In today's press release announcing Joost's partnership with Viacom, Joost is described as being "powered by a secure, efficient, piracy-proof Internet platform."

Piracy-proof?

Now maybe Joost's PR folks got a little overexcited, but issuing a press release boasting that your online video service is "piracy-proof" is like waving a red cape at a bull.

Do I want Joost to be hacked? No, of course I don't.

Do I think Joost will be hacked. Yes, of course I do.

Name a "piracy-proof" video technology that hasn't eventually been hacked:

• "Scrambled" cable TV? Hacked.
• Direct-to-Home Satellite TV? Hacked.
• DVD? Hacked.
• HD DVD? Hacked.

Anyone spot a trend here?

I truly hope the Joost folks prove me wrong. But I wouldn't bet on it.

The Marketer, the Cabbie, and the Princesses: A Google Fairy Tale

What do a Montreal Internet marketer and a Toronto taxi cab driver have in common? They both pass the "Google me" test.

Allow me to explain.

Last fall, during his talk at the Canadian Marketing Association's Digital Marketing Conference, Mitch Joel (the Internet marketer, not the cabbie) used an unusual method to share his contact information with attendees. At the conclusion of his talk, Mitch displayed a screenshot of the Google home page and told the audience to "Google me."

I thought this was a clever, albeit cheeky, way of going about this. I mean, what if Mitch couldn't be found in Google when people went looking for him? What if he drove people to a different Mitch Joel? What if the stuff displayed about Mitch Joel, or his possible doppelganger(s), wasn't positive?

I asked Mitch about this recently, and he told me he wasn't too concerned. Nor should he be. Right now, Mitch Joel (the Internet marketer) dominates the all-important first page of results from Google.

Which is where the Toronto taxi cab driver comes in. Apparently this unusual contact strategy is catching on.

Last week, three ladies from the office and I discovered we were riding in a cab driven by the world famous "Mr. Geography", a Toronto cabbie with an encyclopedic knowledge of word geography. In between asking me and "the princesses" (which is how the cabbie referred to my colleagues) geography trivia questions, Mr. Geography received a call on his mobile phone. On the end of the line was a producer from a radio station who was interested in booking the cabbie as a guest on an upcoming show. Mr. Geography's answer to the caller's request for more information? You guessed it, "Google me."

Which of course "the princesses" and I did when we got back to the office.

Wouldn't you know it, Mohammad Collins (a.k.a. "Mr. Geography") ranks pretty well in Google. Which brings me to an important question for you:

Do you pass the "Google me" test?

In other words, what happens when someone Googles your name? Do they find you? And if they don't, what do they find?

Even if you don't have the chutzpah to invite people to Google you, some of them are going to search for your name anyway. So you might as well pay attention to the search results. If you're really clever, you will start to be pro-active about shaping those results. And that, dear reader, is a topic for another day.

PodCamp Toronto 2007

I will be speaking at, and attending, PodCamp Toronto 2007, February 24-25, 2007 in Toronto, Canada.

PodCamp Toronto (www.podcamptoronto.org) bills itself as "a 2-day 'unconference' that will teach people how to plan, produce and publish a podcast."

Attendance is free. Yes, free!

According to its organizers, "this volunteer-driven, sponsor-supported event focuses primarily on allowing people to share ideas, interact with each other and learn in an open environment." Attendees will learn about podcasting from hands-on practitioners from Canada and the United States.

I will be one of the panelists on a session entitled "Will Podcasting Kill Radio?" that will be moderated by the awesome Leesa Barnes. You'll have to attend the session to find out what my answer is.

If you are interested in learning more about podcasting, I highly recommend you attend this event.

Visit www.podcamptoronto.org for more information or to register for free. I hope to see you there!

"Generation Google" Makes Its Ontario Debut

Join me, if you can, on February 22nd for the Ontario debut of my provocative and popular talk "Generation Google: The Rise of the On-Demand Consumer". I've given this talk at conferences in Vancouver and Montreal, and now now it's time for the Ontario premiere!

"Generation Google" explores the new breed of consumer and outlines how marketers must adapt their methods in order to successfully interact with today's On-Demand Consumer.

I will be delivering this talk at a networking and professional development event presented by Canadian Women in Communications that takes place from 6-9 PM on Thursday, February 22, 2007 at the Ontario Club in Toronto, Canada.

Canadian Women in Communications (CWC) is "a national, bilingual organization dedicated to the advancement of women in the communications sector through strategic networking, targeted professional development and meaningful recognition."

For more information and to register for the event, follow this link.