ED-Central


In This Issue


The pilot Rural Economic and Tourism Development Seminar is set for December 18 and 19 in far West Texas. The Town of Van Horn will host the seminar which is targeted at rural leadership and aims to provide best practices for a regional approach to rural economic and tourism development.



By now, it’s fairly common knowledge that a Web presence is critical to the promotion of just about anything. Quality text and few well placed (and properly formatted) images have long formed the cornerstone of effective Web content. As broadband becomes more pervasive, audio and video are of increasing import to the online marketing mix. RSS, Podcasts, and Vodcasts are among the “alternative” media that you need to understand – at least well enough to make them work for your business - because they are a great way to increase efficiency, generate a buzz, and reach new market segments.



- Try a Few Podcasts for Yourself
- Brainstorm to Identify Potential Podcasts

The pilot Rural Economic and Tourism Development Seminar is set for December 18 and 19 in far West Texas. The Town of Van Horn will host the seminar which is targeted at rural leadership and aims to provide best practices for a regional approach to rural economic and tourism development. Economic development executives, city administrators and elected officials, included city council members, county commissioners and judges are encouraged to participate and will receive continuing education credit. For more information about the pilot seminar and to register online, visit www.ed-central.com/retds.





By now, it’s fairly common knowledge that a Web presence is critical to the promotion of just about anything. Quality text and few well placed (and properly formatted) images have long formed the cornerstone of effective Web content. As broadband becomes more pervasive, audio and video are of increasing import to the online marketing mix. RSS, Podcasts, and Vodcasts are among the “alternative” media that you need to understand – at least well enough to make them work for your business - because they are a great way to increase efficiency, generate a buzz, and reach new market segments.

Really Simple Syndication (RSS)

RSS was first developed in 1999. The concept behind RSS is relatively basic: quick and easy syndicated content (“feeds”) pushed to whoever should decide they want it whenever they want it, delivered to an aggregator or Web page. RSS allows individuals to subscribe to a site. RSS is most commonly used for news and blog websites, but it is also used for distributing digital content such as pictures, audio, and video.

Businesses find RSS to be a useful way to conduct direct marketing to convey information without concerns about spam. Since many people are reluctant to subscribe to e-mail services, RSS shows tremendous potential. Many larger companies are using RSS to create discussion forums in an effort to keep a brand in customers’ minds.

Podcasts

Podcasting refers to feeds that deliver audio content (typically in an mp3 format). Podcasts are typically listened to on an iPod or similar device as a matter of convenience, but they can also be listened to on a computer. Podcasts allow companies to download audio information directly to someone’s computer resulting in faster dissemination and lower costs.

Podcasting’s original appeal was for those wishing to create their own radio-style broadcasts but it was quickly adopted and adapted for a variety of purposes, including:

Distribution of business/academic content

Audio tours

Conference meetings

Public education

Music

Talk shows

Training

Audio press releases

Technical/professional development topics

In terms of Marketing, podcasts can be used to appeal to a certain demographic. For example, Lexus launched a site targeting African Americans where visitors can subscribe to hip-hop/jazz podcasts and e-mail friends. The podcast has ads for Lexus mixed throughout. The key to using podcasts is that they must contain content that motivate people to subscribe.

“Podcasts are like infomercials… a company with a new diet product can’t simply release audio infomercials about the product; they have to be informative and entertaining shows about battling obesity,” says Mike Sparato, a PR expert. Many experts recommend teaching your audience something in order to keep their interest.

When done well, podcasts can be an inexpensive way to create some buzz. This can be accomplished through means such as private interviews or access to special musical performances. Some experts predict podcasting in the future will be increasingly common for private events that require a password.

Vodcasts (a.k.a. - Video Podcasts)

The first vodcast was created on a blog in 2004. Vodcasts are becoming increasingly common for use in schools for long distance learning, test preparation, & even to share school board meetings with the public. For existing businesses, they are used to expand the audience size or as a means for making presentations to clients.

Vodcasts are also being used for selling products. Real estate businesses, for example, use vodcasts for virtual tours of homes. This is an extremely popular service. Potential buyers are able to pre-screen houses on their own, which they see as a tremendous convenience. Real estate agents are able to sell more houses since they do not have to spend as much time showing houses. Finally, sellers have fewer disruptions in their life while in the process of selling their home.

RSS, podcasts, and vodcasts are only increasing in their popularity and use. This form of technology benefits businesses of all sizes and is relatively inexpensive. While podcasts and vodcasts are still a relatively new technology, their adoption rate is so high that companies that do not invest in this technology risk being left behind as podcasts and vodcasts become mainstream media sources.

About the Author: Allison McKee is a marketing intern with the Texas Engineering Extension Service and currently pursuing her MBA with a focus on marketing brand management at LSU. Information sources for this article include Wikipedia.com, “What are syndicated feeds?” by Shelley Powers, and Podcasting-tools.com.





Try a Few Podcasts for Yourself

If you’ve not already ventured into the world of new online media, give it a try. There are podcasts available for everything from the news to special interests and you don’t need an iPod or mp3 player of any kind. You can simply search for a podcast relating to an interesting subject, listen to a sample from your computer and subscribe. Most are free. There are many good searchable directories of podcasts online but Yahoo’s new podcast search site seems to make it easy to find, sample and subscribe to casts of interest. Visit http://podcasts.yahoo.com/ to start exploring podcasts. Once you’ve learned what engages you, you’ll have a better sense for what might work for your own audiences.

Brainstorm to Identify Potential Podcasts

Podcasts are a great way to keep customers engaged by letting them in on what might otherwise be considered “insider” information. Video Podcasts can eliminate barriers to participation in such things as city council meetings because subscribers participate when and where it is convenient for them. The number of ways to use this new media is really only limited by your imagination. Gather a group of your colleagues and talk about the ways you could use this online media to satisfy the information needs of your existing customers and attract new ones.