Continuing with LIVE Blogging at #SEJSummit Dallas today. Previous post.
Are you using Podcasts and Reddit in your Brand Marketing strategy? These are both powerful tools to reach your audience and grow your brand.
“Why Brands Should Bet Big on Podcasting”
Jerod Morris, VP of Marketing at Copyblogger Media
On Demand Audio Content is a Rising Power
- Podcast content is more plentiful with an emerging and engaged audience
- Podcast content will eventually be a content overload with a saturated audience
- Why Podcasting?Audience expectations: on-demand and convenient; entertainment or education; mobile, mobile, mobil
- Accessibility of content creation
- Democratization of content distribution
Where can we see the shift?
Serial – the explosive power of podcasting to capture a big, mainstream audience
ESPN – Big brand (Subway) advertising on all existing content, including podcasts
Rainmaker FM – Viability of networks as a content marketing strategy
The Big Opportunity for a Land-Grab is Now
Now – this is the time because the future the podcast landscape will become saturated
Podcasts are the best way to engage an audience
Create, Leverage, or Do Both
Examples of Brands doing it right
Create
Apple Keynotes
Grantland
Rainmaker FM – Employee generated content
Leverage other people’s audience
Subway – uses sports audiences
MailChimp – use popular shows and include parts of the show in your podcast
Freshbooks
Ideas:
Hobby Lobby – sponsor a network of podcasts about crafting or even more generally about parenting
Medieval Times – Advertise on history podcasts, tons of them, or create a network.
La Quinta Inn – Sponsor a travel podcast of a series
“Is Your Brand Missing Out on Reddit?”
Brent Csutoras, Chief Social Media Strategist at Search Engine Journal
Brands are afraid of Reddit – feel they hate marketers, but they really don’t
Brands are afraid of the lack of control with Reddit
However, they just don’t understand it.
Reddit is valuable/Cater to Reddit/Stay Engaged
- If you are not on Reddit you are missing out on the best marketing opportunities out there
- They have over 6.5 million page views giving you an amazing audience
- At least one of your competitors is using Reddit and succeeding because of it: Newsweek, Maker’s Mark, Denny’s and more.
Examples of brands doing Reddit right
TransAmerica – Use it as a mini focus group.
- Designed campaign specifically for Reddit.
- Connects their Brand with Redditors with links to those in their company.
- Uses Self Post format, in other words they didn’t link out but stayed in the community.
- Stayed involved the entire time.
- Used a lighthearted and humorous style for the person they chose to engage on Reddit.
- Delivered to each connection personally with their responses.
Result – Brand awareness, exposure
Nissan & Amazon – They came together to use Reddit.
- Designed just for Reddit
- Use self post format – do not make users go to their website
- Peaks user interest – they asked what they would do with an empty Amazon box and they started buying some of the more unusual things that could be purchased on Amazon (2000 ladybugs, etc.)
- Engaged & Friendly – responding to future pings when they happen. They ship a car in an Amazon box and put photos, etc. all over Reddit. After this they do another campaign saying thank you for supporting them and then give Redditors the first view of the process of shipping the car in an Amazon box.
AMA – Ask me Anything. Predetermined list of questions from audience and answered live.
- Set their AMA direction – know the type of audience and questions that you want as the focus or target direction
- Linked to Resources
- Updated self posts
- Stayed fully engaged
Result – Brand Awareness, Direct Customer engagement, Articles/Links
How to Start a Reddit Campaign
- Use the right people to run the campaign
- Answer the tough questions
- Review similar AMAs and use what they did right
- Stay engaged beyond the time frame of the campaign
