In case you're not subscribed to my blog (why not? ) I've copied my most recent post because I am very curious about what podcasters think about this issue:

I estimate that over than half of those shows I’ve been subscribed to for more than a year were discovered via promos played on podcasts I was already subscribed to. However, I don’t think a single podcast that I’ve subscribed to in the past 12 months was found via a promo.

The reason for this odd phenomenon? Although I listen to more podcasts than ever I hear far fewer promos than I did back in the early days. In fact, I can only recall hearing one promo in the past week despite having listened to around 80 episodes of ‘amateur’ podcasts (i.e. I’m not counting the time-shifted radio content in that figure).

Do podcasters not like making promos?

Do podcasters not like playing promos?

Have podcasters heard from other listeners that they don’t like hearing promos?

From a lone, obsessed podcast fan to podcasters everywhere I rate a clever, short promo second only to a recommendation from a trusted friend on my list of methods to find good shows. So I’m a little surprised that I’m hearing less promos than ever.

As a podcaster... I'm lazy. There, I said it.

Now, I like making promos. I've made I think 5 for Planet Retcon, and as soon as I figure out what the show's actually like, I'll make one for the Good Music Show. Volcanicast's too young for a promo but I'm already thinking about what said promo will contain.

What, then, do I mean by being too lazy? Well, when I'm mixing together my show, I can do one of two things:

1) I can scour the internet trying to find promos. Many people don't update the promo section of the Pickle, and many also don't have links to their promos on their sites (I'm possibly in the 2nd category). So, I end up spending upwards of a half hour trying to find a promo to play. After a while, I realized that I'm not supposed to work to advertise someone else. So, I've recently done...

2) Just don't play a promo. It's easier, angers my listeners less, and ... well I guess that's it.

No, it's not ideal, and I'm not all that proud of it, but there it is. Nobody (Myself included, though I do have my promos up onteh pickle) makes it easy, and my show's hard enough to do to add more work.

I noted a couple of months ago that Eclectic Mix hadn't played any promos in a while, so the last half dozen shows I've made have included promos for members of the Association of Music Podcasting. One Minute How-To doesn't really lend itself to playing promos.

Cheers -

george

I think promos are a great way to share the love. Every episode I play a promo of a show I enjoy. Though I will admit, I haven't gone looking for new promos lately. I try to update my promo every six months or so. Sometimes I have something to say, like when I got my new domain( shameless plug geekacres.info ). And sometimes I just want to keep the name out there. Hey, if I'm going to put in the time and effort every week, why wouldn't I want to get the word out, right ?

As an aside, I also run a Pickle Bumper at the start of each and every show !

Honestly, I remember there being more of a focus on promos back during the days of the old Podcast Pickle Show or even Podshow's Podfinder, when there was something of a showcase for them. Maybe something else has come along that I'm unaware of, but I don't think there is.

In thinking about it, that's kind of a shame, because the old Pickle show was a great way to discover new podcasts and to get instant exposure for your podcast, and I think that was doing a pretty great service to the podcasting community. I completely understand why Gary ended up not doing it anymore (read: It's a hell of a lot of work to find the promos, edit them together, comment on each one, and have it be entertaining), but I'm kind of surprised that no one has picked up where he left off...

I don't play promos every show, but I try to play some every other show. I find it's less annoying to my listeners if I talk about the promo before I play it (rather than randomly inserting it).

OMG I do that too! I figure the listener should know why I'm playing the particular promo I'm playing.

I love promos- playing them, listening to them, and most importantly sharing them!

~Dani

I've noticed a few people do that but I can honestly say I don't care if you do or don't. Often promos are inserted at the end of shows (so those who don't want to listen don't have to) and a good promo WILL speak for itself (otherwise it's not a good promo).

Interestingly, I don't think I've discovered a single podcast through hearing a promo. The majority of what I listen to was discovered in one way or another here on the Pickle.

The rest came from direct mentions and interactions heard on other podcasts. (I discovered Bob's Yer Uncle when they were interviewed on PK and J; Nate and Di introduced me to both The Twisted Pickle and The Obtuse Angle; I found out about Eat This Hot Show through Soccer Girl and through that to Yeast Radio; and Barely manages to show up just about everywhere!)

A third source is podcast networks. Both Trypod and TWiT alerted me to the existence of podcasts that I otherwise would not have known about. I suspect that twitter is quickly becoming another source for me.

But nothing that I listen to regularly came from hearing a promo. Am I unique?

I don't think so. I'm the same way. I found my favorite show (Dan Carlin's Hardcore History!) because I went out there and actively searched for a history podcast. I listen to Short Cummings, One Minute How-To, and KWWL after finding them on here. I have a sports podcast I download, but it's dedicated to one team, and I found it on the team's website. I don't think promos have done much for me. I dunno.

I'm with Planet Retcon--I'm lazy, and getting a good promo together can be a lot of work. I don't want to put out some half-assed promo, I'd rather not have one at all.
I've only finally just got a promo out for Geek Cred after almost half a year of the show. (If you want to play the promo, it can be found here

no one is willing to play ours



http://www.lunaticradio.com/LR_promo.mp3

I wonder why that is. Could it be it isn't exactly G rated?

I'm sure you're not unique but two of your three ways of finding podcasts are not normal avenues for non-podcaster listeners. I reckon I can count on one hand the number of non-podcasting listeners who hang out here at the Pickle (although Gary is doing much to change that it's early days yet) and I don't know too many non-geeks who Twitter.

I've noticed that even Podshow podcasts don't play promos of each others shows. I've heard that bloody suck less jingle over and over again but no show promos. What a lost opportunity.

Bernadette! Playing a promo on a podcast is SO 2006! Didn't you get the memo?

But I've missed them too...a little. If I hear a promo for a show it often zooms right past me but if a host that I respect mentions a show, I'm more likely to check it out.

In the year and a half that we have been podcasting, we've never played a promo. Until today. We put one in the latest episode. Why? Because a producer contacted us and asked us. We enjoy their shows, so we agreed.

Like others have said, I'm guilty of being lazy too. In fact we haven't even created a promo for our second podcast and this thread just made me realize that I need to get off my butt and make one.

If you have a promo, my best advice is find shows that are similar to your show's content and ASK them if they are interested.

John

We've been told by some of our audience when we play a promo (even if it's tied into the show), that they don't "get it." They don't get why they're being subjected to an ad for another show when what they want is more of our content. Still, I think that's a vocal minority (or slim majority).

Additionally, I would like to chime in on the work involved in editing in promos. Ever try to make a audio podcast promo on a video podcast interesting? Especially on a long promo? I've seen several over a minute long. That's really pushing it.

Here's a tip for my fellow podcasters: You don't need every cool sound bite or awesome clip in your promo. Keep it 20-30 seconds and the content of your promo will be more useful and interesting. It might even get some play. Also, if you're an audio podcaster looking to play a promo on a video podcast and you don't have a video, you should have several relevant, high res photos to use with the audio.


We'd love to do more promos, but we just can't afford the extra work of tracking all the pieces down and putting them together!


Eric

If anyone has a family-friendly show and a family-friendly promo, send it to me, and I'll use it in my show. podcast a techtalkforfamilies.com (a=@)

it's ok John I am very backwards...don't even have a twitter account



I agree that sharing promos with shows with similar audiences makes sense - I picked up a lot of my music podcasts via promos played on other music podcasts.

but if you DON'T have a promo yet my advice would be to beg John from Swingercast to do your promo 'cos he has the sexiest voice in podcasting - I would check out ANY show sensible enough to understand that sex sells - even if it's a knitting podcast

Did you know that Atomic Suburbia has a promo? And I believe it is my best work yet. (you will either agree or pity my)

http://www.poddog.ca/suburbia/podcasts/ASpromo.mp3

I'm having a difficult time understanding what is being said in that particular promo. It is either too distorted or has too strong an accent, or both. Otherwise, it sounds great!

That is a problem with some of the promos. They are so packed full of features in such a short time that I really don't know what the promo is all about. I guess that's why some podcast listeners don't like those promos. I guess less is more.

just playing to the demographic

That's a joke right?

That may be true, but I suspect that just about every demographic either works or goes to school (or Bingo Night at the Senior Center) at some point, and they may not appreciate an "explicit" promo in a podcast that they're not expecting it in. That may be why yours doesn't get played. See, you may be playing to your audience on your podcast, but your promo needs to play to someone else's audience, even if you share some similarities in demographics and content.

Just my thoughts on it.

Eric

I don't know about the accent, but I thought the voice recording sounded a little canned (like you were talking from inside one, to be more specific). And for my tastes, it was a little too long. But I like them under 30 seconds. Other than the voice quality and length, the production was really good. The music fit and sounded good for the piece.


Eric

the promo has to represent what we do, exactly what we do. We dont want just anyone checking out the show so we get a hit or two on a counter. We want people to listen for a long long time. Having the promo be what we do brings people that want to hear that sort of stuff. I dont want kids in school or seniors listening, thats in no way the type of people listening to what we do.

The school and bingo night references were meant to be a facetious way of getting my point across. But I think you missed it, which is that sometimes people aren't always somewhere they can have explicit content pop up unexpectedly. When they're in a situation like that, they may have a work-safe podcast playing. And not all work-safe shows are about tech and families. Many are extremely funny. They just avoid going "blue."

You may appeal to an audience that likes an occasional clean show for when they can't listen to an explicit one, so why not have a clean version of your promo for them? You're imaginative, so I have a hard time believing it when you tell me there's no way you could tell people "exactly" what you do while being clean for 30 seconds... While at the same time you're lamenting that no one plays your promo. It's "cause and effect."

Eric

I hear ya, we do have clean promos... that one was a goof. Thats why I posted it.

and i'm not imaginative, I just drop the c-bomb over and over into a mic.

Well, I thought it was funny, and a good non-worksafe promo.

Eric

the echo was on purpose. As for it being a minute long, that was a tough call. Some podcasters seem to like the minute, some the 30 second. Starting with a minute promo was easiest the 30 and the 10 second promos are coming soon.

And thanx a bunch for the feedback I have had very little.

daryl

Gotcha! Sound design (and it's appreciation) owes as much to a personal aesthetic as the colors of a painting.

Eric

I play promos on my show from time to time.

Like Eric, I will sometimes get negative feedback about it, but ehh, it's my show, so I do it.

We definately play promos and definately are into promo exchanges. I like them because it exposes people to new shows, including ours.

Now, mind you, I haven't made a new promo for our show lately but it seems three are suffice for the time being.

I would love to exchange promos with other podcasters. We are a new podcast called BOOK HOBBY and we are aimed at the audience who understand our motto that "Books Are More Precious Than Gold." We feature book reviews, news, interviews and special features for readers, collectors, all book enthusiasts. Our website at www.bookhobby.com supplements the podcast with more reviews and news as well as a large set of community Forums.

Our new promo is:

http://www.bookhobby.com/promo1.mp3

Because of our iTunes advisory rating we can only accept for trade promos that are G-rated and do not send people to adult areas.

Please email me if you would like to cross-promote with us! Thanks.

Neil Shapiro
neil@bookhobby.com
feeds.feedburner.com/bookhobbycom
www.bookhobby.com
"Books Are More Precious Than Gold."

i appreciate this board