Depth of Engagement Key to Growth of Podcast Advertising

Live from Podcast Expo….Susan Bratton, CEO of Personal Life Media put together a panel session this morning at the Portable Media and Podcast Expo, Tim Bourquin's annual confab in Ontario California to introduce her Association for Downloadable Media to the trade. 

Like Groucho, I'd typically never want to be a member of any group that would have me as a member. 

Susan was on the founding board of the Internet Advertising Bureau, so she knows how to put together a successful industry association.

“We have come together to realize how we can monetize our content.  It's an opportunity for us to set a level playing field for all of us the go forward as a unified front.,” Susan says. 

She invited all the members to get up and introduce themselves, which included a who's who of podcasters, and podcasting tools and services. 

“Good content's got to be paid for,” said Pete Alcorn of Apple iTunes. 

Annual dues are $150 for individual podcasters who's core business is not podcasting, corporate memberships are $1000 and non-profits are in for $150. 

Originally, I thought any corporate membership was $1000, but Brian Moffet of NPR explained that if you're a company like Cisco or Accenture and you happen to also do a podcast, you needn't pay the corporate membership price. 

I just tried to sign up myself, but they don't take American Express, and that's the only credit card I'll use online, because they're the online ones that offer you any real protection if you into trouble with identity thieves.

Benefits of membership includes:

• demographics
• tutorial and white papers
• boilerplate documents like contracts and proposals
• standardized metrics and reporting
• online knowledge base

Now they're announcing and getting ready to vote on board members and committee chairs.  Committees include Advertising Standards, Measurement, Outreach & Education and Terminology Standardization.  Susan's IAB pedigree is clearly benefiting this fledgling association well.

Chair nominees gave a series of presentations about they think they're most qualified the lead the various efforts. 

But the thing I heard that really stood out most for me was a comment from a gentlemen at Edison Research and it was this: If we want to catch the attention of advertisers, counting downloads won't do it.  Measuring and monitoring engagement is what needs to be quantified.  How podcasts work to move people along the brand continuum, and how podcasts offer advertisers deeper brand engagement.