Tom Anthony Personal Blog

This is a real email I answered from a client – I just left out the name

Hi V!

It is like a radio talk show – usually on a very narrow topic. For example apple has a podcast about the original recordings of songs selected by American Idol Contestants I listen to – you have to love American Idol to even be interested – and thankfully (so I don’t feel like an idiot I am not alone – it is downloaded thousands of times apparently.

From what I can tell it looks like my podcast is downloaded an average of 143 times a day after not quite two months and five shows posted. To tell you the truth I can’t believe that many people are interested in this stuff! If I get listed in the Apple website as a “top 100″ most popular podcast the downloads would go up exponentially – some business podcasts are downloaded tens of thousands of times. It’s stunning.

You don’t have to have an iPod to listen, you can hear it on the website at http://webstrategiespodcast.com/ but you may personally find it a little dry.

Let me know what you think! Thanks!

Tom

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I read an interesting take on the current economic situation in an automobile dealer’s vendor newsletter I subscribe to. It had the message right up to the point it started selling a particular product the publisher offers, then went off the tracks – anyway – here is the top part with my commentary below…

 Now’s Not the Time to Slow Down 

 

According to a recent J.D. Power and Associates forecast, new-vehicle sales in 2008 are expected to reach their lowest levels since 1994, dropping to 14.95 million cars and light trucks. This obviously isn’t good news for our industry, and your first instinct may be to cut back on spending (including marketing and advertising), ride out the rough times and wait for sunnier weather. But if you do that, you’d be missing a huge opportunity. 

 

First things first… if you’re experiencing a slow-down in sales, the last thing you’ll want to do is to cut back on the only thing that can drive sales – namely advertising and marketing. 

 

Second, slowdowns like this are an opportunity for the marketing savvy among us to capture market and mind share so that when things rebound, as they most certainly will, you’re in the driver’s seat.  

Here is where the author went off the tracks in my opinion:

One way to accomplish this is to ramp up your traditional media spending during this lull. Chances are you’ll even probably see some favorable media rates…

O.K. first, traditional media like what? Newspapers? A bad investment for most businesses – readership is in a deep decline especially among folks under 40. (I can defend that stat with facts)

Traditional media like local radio? National statistics show overall use of radio declining, and with the rise in Satellite radio listenership the only logical deduction is that the audience for live local radio is also in decline. (And I can defend that stat with facts)

I could go on, and you could probably argue both sides of the media penetration issue. That being said the Internet is the 900 pound gorilla in the room.  I would consider placing shrinking budgets into growing media, not declining media.  But how?

O.K. – that’s another blog for another time – better yet – a Web Strategies Podcast J

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I have been listening to lots and lots of podcasts on iTunes. Most of them pure crap – but some very worthwhile material is available.

Head and shoulders above the pack for my taste are three files I found on iTunes U featuring Author Thomas L. Friedman. First if you have not purchased the book “The World Is Flat” you are really missing the picture of how and why the world is transforming into a global economy. Do a power search for Friedman and you’ll find those files and a great talk about his new book, Green is the new Red White and Blue. This is Very worthwhile material.

Second, what the heck is iTunes U? › link‹  One of the most remarkable resources on the internet. Apple accurately describes it this way: iTunes U puts the power of the iTunes Store to work for colleges and universities, so users can easily search, download, and play course content just like they do music, movies, and TV shows.

Now the crap.

Here is the verbatim review I posted in iTunes. I think it speaks for itself.

Big Seminar Live Podcast is DOA

O.K. –I know this is a brutal review – but I believe it is accurate. This is not even thinly veiled as an infomercial for what promoter Armand Morin calls the “Big Seminar”. Oh wait there’s more… from the promoter’s web site, “The Big Seminar promises New 2008 Strategies and An Incredible 3 Days Filled With Jaw-Dropping Income Boosting Information Which Can and Will Skyrocket Your Business to the Next Level.” It sure sounds like a get rich scheme to me. You can skip this one.
Click – Delete

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