These projects directly reflect the focus of two main initiative of the ADM in the last six months: Provide value to our membership and build awareness.

Clearly, any member organization must provide value to those who, through their membership, show belief in the mission and provide funding to advance that mission. It’s our goal to provide real tools and resources to help those who produce and distribute downloadable content to monetize that content.

To that end, I’m happy to say that we’re just weeks away from launching an ADM Member Directory. This directory is designed to be a point of direct access for advertisers and media buyers to the offerings of our membership. ADM members will be able to post information about their shows, the audience they reach, and the various types and amount of inventory they offer, as well as the all important contact information that will allow buyers and advertisers to reach these providers.

As far as I know, no directory currently exists that allows those with marketing and advertising money to spend  such easy access to a wide range of outlets and the audience they provide in such a fast growing medium. ADM Committee members Dave Hamilton and Matt Snodgrass are currently tweaking the current beta version of the Directory, so look for information on the member release soon.

Another exciting project that’s in the works is a comprehensive research study that will, as project manager Jeff Karnes describes it, “explore consumers’ attitudes towards advertising within podcasting to provide media buyers and marketers with information about those attitudes, as well as insights into the best advertising opportunities.” Simply put, we’ll be providing data that will not only show who uses downloadable media, but how they use it, what they want from it, what they expect from it, and the best way advertisers can use it to their advantage. Make no mistake, we aren’t out to prove to the world that podcasting reaches millions of people and is growing…we already know that. We’re going to show advertisers how best to reach their audience and that modifying their ad budget to include more downloadable media will help them become more successful.

The ADM, in conjunction with Tom Webster and Edison Research, is currently crafting and vetting all aspects of the project and working toward a presentation date of sometime in September. Look for more info as we field this unprecedented study.

As I noted earlier it’s vital to let the industries we serve and represent know about the mission and purpose of the Association for Downloadable Media as well as tactics and tools we use to accomplish them. So we will continue to improve our ongoing communication to the industry and it’s constituency. In fact, the upgrade of this site, increasing our Twitter presence, and other social media initiatives are all steps toward raising our profile. We’ll continue to reach out and inform not only the content providers but, through our Advertising Council and other outlets,  those ad buyers and agencies that offer us that monetization we seek to build for downloadable media.

So, as you can see, for a member funded, volunteer based,  non-profit group, we’re quite busy…and I would be remiss if I didn’t take this chance to say thanks for the support of our current members. And members…please  make sure your membership is current so you don’t miss out on reaping the rewards of this hard work.

I’d also like to invite you, if you aren’t a member to join us! I’m confident that we’ll provide you with the tools and support to get your downloadable business noticed and, on the way, I hope more profitable.

I helped ADM standardize the measurement specs around downloads, and the process was contentious around the metrics question, “download requests” or “completed downloads”?  The most final of all metrics , “plays”, was not considered because it simply was not feasible. During the current economic downturn, the need for the best metrics has become even more important for publishers and advertisers.

Over a year ago our engineers decided to resolve this issue in the most practical way we could – connecting iTunes to Google Analytics. We are announcing this product today. Before I go into the specifics, I would like to emphasize one important point – this free service does not require any relationship, contractual or otherwise, with VoloMedia.

VoloMedia’s Bridge-to-Google Analytics is a plug-in to the iTunes Media player, now installed with over 100 thousand iTunes consumers in the US – precisely 94,296 iTunes plug-ins were active over the last 5 days. Publishers are free to use this free service if it meets their needs, i.e. collect annonymous usage statistics regarding usage of their content on iTunes and to analyze them using Google Analyics: a free and robust industry-standard platform. If you have ever used Google Analytics, then you are familiar with “GA_ID – Google Analytics ID”. With a simple modification of the RSS feed to incorporate the GA-ID the publisher can start flowing aggregated play and download data to their Google Analytics account.  More information is on our website: http://www.volomedia.com

I hope this initiative is seen as one that is beneficial to the entire podcasting community, one more step forward to making podcasting a dynamic and vibrant medium for consumers, publishers and advertisers.

In his email to the membership, Board Chair Chris MacDonald took time to do just that and outline some of the ADM’s many accomplishments since it’s inception.

They include among others:

• We created the first set of industry standards for measuring delivery and consumption of downloadable media.
• We created the first set of industry standards for ad creative and insertion.
• We developed a core presence within emerging advertisement markets seeking new ways to reach target audiences.

He also pointed out the major undertakings of the organization for this year.

• We are designing a public, web-based member directory that will help members connect with advertisers and ad planners.
• We are conducting an industry-wide research program focused on consumer’s attitudes and opinions about, and the engagement with, advertising and sponsorships in on-demand/portable media.

So if you are currently a member please don’t forget to renew now. If your not a member, please join us. Be part of this exciting new medium and help us make it more financially rewarding to all those that participate!

Those that attended got a firsthand look at who uses podcasts and how they use them. Some key points, as highlighted on Twitter at #poddata inlcuded:

• 1 in 5 Americans (22%) have listened to a podcast.
• 59% men 41% women, 18-44 demo = 60% of podcast users.
• Most downloadable media is consumed via desktop, mobile growing.
• Podcast users are very active on social networks – mainly Myspace and Facebook
• 24% of podcast consumers feel “emotional connection” with their favorite podcasts.
• Podcast consumers are more receptive to advertisers heard in podcast vs heard via internet radi.
• Producers need to do a better job of selling the portable aspects.

…and so many more.

If you missed the webcast never fear. Here it is for your viewing pleasure.

The Podcast Consumer Revealed 2009

Download the slides.

Thanks very much to all who made this possible, especially Tom Webster of Edison Research. Thanks also to Arbitron and Chris MacDonlad of the ADM.

However, once you look past the “glass half empty” headline you’ll see real opportunity. Opportunity to do so much better. Opportunity that was really the reason a group of forward thinking people decided to form the Association for Downloadable Media.  How about, “Podcasting Not Too Profitable…Yet!”

First, let’s look at some of the facts about podcasting consumption. After all, you can’t make money on a product or service unless there are people using it, right? Well podcasting is being used…alot. This fact will be reinforced by data to be presented during our May 21st webcast with Edison Research’s Tom Webster and that same fact was noted in data the aforementioned eMarketer have themselves touted as recently as March 9th of this year. “As a percentage of Internet users, podcast downloaders will grow from 9% in 2008 to 17% in 2013.”

To be clear, when eMarketer states that “The appetite for podcasts is fairly light” they are referencing the appetite of media buyers, not podcast users. So, it’s not a matter of finding audience, it’s a matter of increasing the appetite of advertisers for, or even making them aware of the existence of, that audience.

We must seize the opportunity. Or as Tom Webster says in his Infinite Dial post, “Projections generally describe a possible future–perhaps even a probable future–but not the only future. The key is, what are podcasters going to do to change it?” Downloadable media producers (in this case podcasters, must work harder, whether it’s  an organized manner through the ADM, or by individually approaching advertisers to sing the praises of reaching consumers through this new and highly personal medium.

While eMarketer* “projects” ad spending will increase to $43 million in 2013, we will continue to champion a medium that is growing in appeal and audience to those that seek to reach that audience. Enough so that the current projection looks like chump change when we look back at it.

(*Update: As noted below the “projection” was that of Zenith Optimedia rather than eMarketer’s.)

In this public webcast, ADM Member Tom Webster from Edison Research will  present the fourth iteration of this widely-cited, authoritative look at the growing audience for audio and video podcasts. The event will be free and requires pre-registration at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/502857363.

In the recently published Edison Research/ Arbitron 2009 update to their “Infinite Dial” study, results offered up hints of good news for podcasters. With awareness of podcasting increasing from 37% to 43%, and the percentage of Americans who have ever listened to an audio podcast growing to 22%, podcast consumption appears ready to break into the mainstream. According to Edison Research’s Tom Webster, “If you are in the business of creating downloadable media, this is key, significant research that you won’t want to miss.” He goes on to say, “This report and webcast will look at demographics and usage, key audience behaviors, content preferences, and attitudes towards advertising and sponsorships.”

The webcast will last one hour and will include time for your questions. Participants will also be able to download the presentation prior to its wider public release.

Please join us for this ADM event.

ABOUT EDISON

Edison Research is a global leader in market and consumer research for businesses and media organizations worldwide, and has been the sole provider of exit poll information to the six major news organizations
–ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX, NBC and the Associated Press–since 2003. As part of this effort, Edison has conducted exit polls and collected precinct vote returns to project and analyze results for every major primary and the general elections in 2004, 2006 and 2008.  Edison provides companies with custom research solutions to measure audience, effectiveness and other key metrics of marketing and advertising campaigns. They are, along with Arbitron, the co-authors of the widely-quoted Internet and Multimedia Research Series, now in its 17th iteration.

Photo courtesy Zela

The message I get from our team here on the front lines of ad sales is that money is slowly freeing up and new spends are happening.  Seems like everyone has gotten sick and tired of the econolypse and is ready to get back to business, but it’s still very slow-going.

Deals that used to take 24 hours to close are sometimes taking 24 days… or longer, but they are closing. Buyers are slow because they’re afraid… not that they don’t have money now, but that if they spend it now they might not have it later. This is an age-old problem with advertising, of course, exacerbated by recent “economic events.”

We at BackBeat Media saw similar conditions back in 2000/2001, though this time around is not nearly as severe for our industry. Back then online advertising was very new and very unproven. This time it’s the place people want to be, so that’s helping our entire industry greatly.  Still, the lessons we learned (and that helped us survive!) back then are just as relevant now, especially in the (still-new) podcast space.

The best way to help buyers over the hump is by being flexible.  REALLY flexible.  Take the time to listen to your potential buyers/partners. Hear what they’re saying and pay close attention to ensure you hear those things about which they’re afraid.  Then do everything in your power to truly minimize or negate those issues.

If someone is afraid about a long-term advertising commitment, negotiate that out of the deal. If they’re having success on another podcast that does things a little bit differently from yours, evaluate whether it makes sense for you to adjust and, if so, do it. You don’t (necessarily) want to drastically change your business model, but a little flexibility can go a long way towards closing the sale and engendering a long-term partner in the process.

Lastly, if a sponsor is clearly a bad fit, don’t be afraid to tell them so. The last thing you want is to have someone who never should have advertised on your podcast complaining to others about how poorly you performed for them. The short term gain you receive may cost you ten times the amount of future business from others. If a sponsor is not right for your podcast(s), tell them so.  They’ll appreciate it. If you know of another show that would be better and tell them that, they’ll love you and sing your praises forever.

Good luck! All these things I’ve outlined here have worked for us, and hopefully they might work for you, too.

Last year, the advent of the iPhone was heralded as the beginning of a new age for mobile content delivery. Bloggers, analysts, and industry insiders urged publishers to quickly adopt a mobile strategy, deliver their content in iPhone-ized web pages and iPhone apps, and follow consumers as they flocked to this platform. According to recent reports, that was good advice. AdMob reported in February that the iPhone generated a third of the global smartphone traffic, and half the traffic in the US. But consumers also view digital media on their Blackberry Curves, Pearls, Storms and Bolds—not to mention the up-and-coming Android phones. As the number of platforms that support over-the-air delivery of high quality audio and video grows, how does this impact the way publishers think about downloadable media?

For a long time, we’ve struggled to make the distinction between “downloads”, “progressive downloads” and “streams”. In the mind of the consumer, it’s all a bit of a mixed stew. Consumers select media to watch or listen to, and it starts playing sooner or later. They may play that content while connected to the internet (via wi-fi or a cellular network), or perhaps they’ve saved it to play on a non-connected device. More and more, the device they carry with them allows access to live media delivered on demand. Is this still downloadable media?

Rather than characterizing the content you develop based on the method of delivery to the consumer, your focus should (obviously) be on the quality of the content itself, and then delivering it in a way that is compatible with consumer habits. As consumers expect to find more rich content on demand from their smartphone, it behooves publishers to make it available that way. Assumptions made about the delivery method (for example, assuming all content will be delivered to iPods via iTunes) may impact the systems you have in place for monetization. It’s probably time to revisit those assumptions in light of the growing trend for over-the-air streamed delivery.

If the world were made only of iPhones and iPod Touches, accommodating direct delivery of media would be rather straightforward. Despite the success of these devices, the universe of video-capable smartphones is still a rather (and increasingly) fragmented space. The video formats, encoders, resolutions, and even delivery protocols vary across devices and carriers. Reaching these disparate platforms does not necessarily require an on-deck solution with every carrier, but there are dimensions to this problem that don’t exist in delivery and playback on the desktop, the iPod, or iPhone. Emerging solutions exist that simplify this problem for publishers, and depending on your monetization strategy (for example, direct ad sales and trafficking vs. an ad network) and the level of control you wish to have over distribution, there may be a system that works in conjunction with the methods you’ve used for “traditional” downloadable media.

If you haven’t done so already, it’s probably time to start thinking beyond the iTunes/iPod-centric notion of downloadable media distribution. And if you’ve just extended your thinking to the iPhone/Touch, there may be opportunities you’re missing on other video-capable devices. Vendors will endeavor to address the publisher’s need to deliver content to consumers where ever they can, while making this process as simple as delivering content to the desktop browser. Successful publishers will know the constraints and opportunities created by this expanding universe of playback environments, and leverage these solutions to their benefit.

In addition to his thoughts below, I would advocate online or podcast only content made available by radio stations. Whether it be the long unedited version of an on-air interview, the 4th hour of a 3 hour morning show, episodes featuring character’s from the station,  or anything else you can imagine.

Mark also references the measurement of podcast plays and downloads that warrants some discussion, especially as it pertains to iTunes, but that’s for another time. Here’s Mark…

When it comes to radio station podcasts, we’re generally talking about two flavors:

One is the Public Radio kind, usually weekly shows with beginnings, middles, and ends or clips of information updates or highlights.

The other is the commercial radio podcast – often three hours of this or four hours of that.

The myth of podcasting is that this long-form way is the way listeners want to consume our content simply because it’s the way they consume our content over the air – a context in which they have no choice in the matter, by the way.

Actually, they do have a choice – it’s to tune in and out, ever-hopeful for a “hit” or “highlight.”  And tune in and out is exactly what they do.

But wait, doesn’t an on-demand environment give us the ideal opportunity to showcase the “hits” or “highlights” that our active listeners demand?

Let me ask this another way:  What’s likely to be more popular, the brief clip of the 47-year-old woman startling the judges with her vocal talents on Britain’s Got Talent – or the entire episode of Britain’s Got Talent?

Public Radio shows are generally like episodes in a series (for longer form stuff) or immediate and disposable, but useful in the moment (for shorter form stuff).  Or – in rare cases – the entertainment value of the whole (i.e., Car Talk) can’t easily be atomized into its parts.

Commercial radio shows, by contrast, almost uniformly lack beginnings, middles, or ends.  Arguably, the first hour of your morning show is not much different from the last.  And – by design – you do not usually need to hear the first hour to appreciate the ones which follow.  Nor, I would argue, do you need to hear today’s show if you miss it.  Indeed, today’s show is relatively similar to tomorrow’s show and yesterday’s show.  Wait a few hours, and like the movie Groundhog Day it will all come back again.

If I miss Hannity today, no sweat.  I’ll just catch him tomorrow.  One listener call on Dr. Laura can be substituted for any other listener call.  Thus the very consistency of the show reduces its value in an active on-demand environment.  When something is the same all the time, it’s never special – or at least any one show in its entirety is never essential.

Further, even though you can count your podcast downloads you generally can’t count the degree to which a listener is hearing the whole podcast – or any of it, for that matter.  My iPod doesn’t care whether or not I hear what is on it – it dutifully downloads podcast updates regardless.  No wonder most podcasts are heard online – not on portable devices.  At least a few minutes of them, anyways.

What this all suggests – at least in part – is that when we transform the radio show to the podcast we are thinking about the medium all wrong.  In an on-demand world for much of commercial radio, the unit of currency is not the “show,” it’s the “hit,” the “highlight.”

Sure folks will still listen to the long-form audio, but what many of them would prefer is that we carve out the “hits” – those special moments worth actively seeking out and hearing.  The “water cooler” gems.  Not the mundane same-old same-old that characterizes much of what lay between the “hits”

Listen, more folks will read your email if there’s only one short message in it.  And more folks will click your audio if it contains just the “hit” they’re looking for – and only the hit.

This, after all, is why people buy songs instead of albums.

Listening to radio over the air is as different from listening on-demand as an album is different from a song.

Share your content accordingly.

Reach Mark through his company and website Mark Ramsey Media

You would be surprised at the looks that come over their faces as if I had just asked them to show me their underwear or something. It amazes me that people don’t know how much money they want. Why would you make something that you want to sell and not know how much you want to charge for it? Would a farmer grow fruits and vegetables and not know how much they are going to sell them for? I don’t think so.

So why do people stumble on what they are going to charge to advertise or sponsor their video or audio podcast? There are several reasons.

Reasons People Don’t Know How Much Money They Want for Their Content

1. Most independent producers are not sales people.

If you want to sell advertising or sponsorships on your downloadable media you need to have a “Come to Jesus” talk with yourself about the word “Sales.” For some reason we creative types hate the word, “sales.” We are scared of the word, “sales.” To creative people, the dirtiest word in the English language is, “sales.” In working with several of my clients I’ve found they warm up to the word, “pitch.” If fact many of them love the word, “pitch.” Come on, You know you want to, “pitch” your show, so replace the word, “sales” with the word, “pitch” and get on with pitching your show and your show’s inventory to potential advertisers and sponsors.

2. Indie producers don’t have a handle on their inventory.

Producers know how to produce. No one ever told them what inventory was. Inventory is the available spaces (or “avails”) you have for someone else to advertise or sponsor. Watch other people’s shows, see where the ads are, see if you have similar places to advertise on your

show and then ask yourself how you are going to deliver ads in those places. Are you going to have to edit in ads each time you sell them (not recommended) or are you going to be able to dynamically deliver ads in and around your content? Next make a list of all your avails, and when they are available, and a deadline for the sponsor to get you materials.
3. There is no public marketplace set up where content producers can see what other producers are charging.
Who knows if and when we will see a solution to this problem. One work around could be doing your own research and finding out how much it will cost to advertise your show on someone else’s show. This will give you idea of what to charge. The ADM is working on some tools to help advertisers and sponsors reach ADM members but we are a few months away from launching those tools.

This is not rocket science. You know how long it takes you to produce your show, you know how much it costs you to produce your show and you know how much you would like to make for your time. If you aren’t able to get an advertiser or sponsor to at least cover those costs you should think twice about what you really want.
I’m happy to answers questions. Please feel free to contact me at 1timstreet at gmail dot com or visit my blog http://1timstreet.com