Charlotte Internet is Coming

Charlotte Internet Blog

Charlotte Internet is coming...back! What started as the first Internet community in Charlotte, North Carolina, headed by Dave Beckwith back in 1995, will now become Charlotte's low-cost, high-value internet provider...thanks to the help of the legend himself, Scott Huffman -- longtime captain of Webkorner Internet Services. Webkorner will continue to offer internet services, but will focus more on broadband and business applications.

But Charlotte Internet does not stop at the internet's edge. There are many facets to the net, and many different professionals and artists who make it run well and beautifully. If we can't do it for you ourselves, we can direct you to those who can...as part of our new referral service.

If you are in the Charlotte area, and would like to try out our new service, or get involved in our referral program, drop us a line, and we'll set up an appointment.

In addition to Internet and referral services, we also offer blogging and marketing services. You can have your business, product or service featured on one of our network of blogs such as this one (Trade Street Journal) or one of our other fine blogs...including Carolina Art Blog, Wanderblogger, The Charlotte News, Idea Consultants, Carolina Blog Consultants, Planet Bizblog, and others.

Other exciting developments include VoIP (Internet Phone), IPTV, Podcasting, and much more still coming down the pike.

Utilizing Online Press Releases

The value of doing a press release is the exposure of your newsworthy items to a large crowd that would otherwise not know about your efforts. The phones are not going to ring off the hook, but as our analysis below show, there are benefits.

The secondary value is the improvement you gain in composing your thoughts about your company. Writing about your company is important. Blogging is one thing, but when you issue a press release, you are literally saying "PUBLISH THIS" and it has caused me to be more aware of my message.

The Trial Balloon

Using my release Trends, Taste & Travel Goes Podcasting as an example, let's explore the experience of these two different services and the overall advantage of doing a press release.

PRWeb - www.prweb.com - tracks the performance of your release via "views". I submitted my release on 9/14/05. I spoke with someone at PRWeb and the term "view" was defined as the combination of page views from the web site, views from the various RSS feeds, and views from their network of emails. They also track the "Printer Friendly Version" and "Email this story to a colleague" buttons on the release. PRWeb offers an upgrade for a minimum contribution of $10 and on up. I was pleased with the $30 level because my release showed up in Yahoo! News and Google News within a few hours of the release time.

PR.com - www.pr.com - free business registration and submission of press releases. I submitted my release on 9/17/05. However, I found their site to be a bit cumbersome and have a long laundry list of items they wanted completed. The benefit is that apparently they have many subscribers. I was able to find my release through them coming up in search engines with a few days - and not just on their site.

The Results

As of this writing, 9/24/05, I am seeing decent results in the search engines. When I type in the phrase "Travel Goes Podcasting" in quotes (necessary because of the ampersand special character), I received 583 results in Google, 6 results in Yahoo, 133 results in MSN, and 12 results in Altavista.

PRWeb.com reports the press release was viewed 115,539 times. 550 of those views were by what they estimate as "Pickups" which tracks media outlet views. I would guess they do this by email address or known IP addresses. The release had 7 prints and 1 forwarded email (which was me).

I could not find statistical data on PR.com.

My business site typically gets about 25 hits a day (average over the last few months). This went up to mid-40s right away and did go into the 50s per day (I put out another release on this past Monday). Both sites (www.cyemerus.com and www.parkerwebdevelopers.com) both experienced a temporary surge in link popularity as the release went out. As of this writing, the link popularity has returned to previous levels on Cy's site. Also, my hit count on my business site has returned to the mid-20s.

We did see a 10% gain in podcasting views and subscriptions, which at the end of the day is a payoff. Neither of us got a call from a potential customer or a writer, but we were both able to use the press release in three different sales calls (1 for Cy, 2 for me). I see this as another payoff. Finally, I was encouraged enough with the perceived value of the release to my sales team, that I issued another. The feedback I am getting is that it is good to have these to refer to as almost historical data. There is also some level of legitimacy perceived by potential clients when your article is showing up on Yahoo! News and such outlets.

Darryl Parker is the founder and President of Internet marketing and Charlotte web site design firm Parker Web Developers. This series on web marketing is intended to present useful tips for business owners and decision makers. The series precedes an upcoming book compiling these topics. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

Laymen's Quick Start Guide to Podcasting

JSLogan

There are four tools you need to get started quickly, easily, and inexpensively: Skype, HotRecorder, Audacity, and a Plantronics Headphone. Far more robust solutions are available however; this suite gets you going fast, without emptying your wallet.

Learn more.

How to find and add media to your iTunes library with del.icio.us

Lifehacker

Now that iTunes 4.9 supports podcasting and video blogging, you can use the del.icio.us bookmarking service to auto-load music and video files others have bookmarked.

In Trade Street Journal, Squarespace Edition, we feature Podcasting and Godcasting in North Carolina

Trade Street Journal, Squarespace edition



Miami Baptist Church in Concord, North Carolina may look like a sleepy little Southern church where nothing has changed in 50 or a hundred years, but look inside and you will see that they are podcasting, or "godcasting", doing e-commerce, and are expanding their congregation far beyond their walls...

With blogger conferences blossoming around North Carolina like so many gardens, we think that the trend of podcasting and blogging will ensure that other churches, organizations and businesses follow the lead of these early pioneers.

NevOn: iTunes podcatcher already makes an impact

NevOn: iTunes podcatcher already makes an impact

"I'll say again that podcasting is no fad. Don't listen to me, though: pay attention to one of the Podcast Godfathers - Dave Winer says the same thing."

Google To Launch Online Video Playback This Monday

from John Battelle's Searchblog

I've confirmed that Monday Google will launch an in-browser video playback feature based on the open source VLC media player. This is the logical next step for Google's video search and upload function, which began taking uploads from anyone who cared to submit back in April.

Seth Godin has this to say on this, and how it related to podcasting:

This is exactly where I see podcasting going. If there was an easy and cheap (and possibly subscription based) way to pay for podcasting, there'd be a dramatic increase in the quality and quantity and accessibility of the stuff available for a listen.

Podcast: Artisan Journalism (Plus, Meets Corporate Blogs)

Crossroads Dispatches

Some excellent notes on podcasting, blogging and business blogging from Evelyn Rodriguez.

Is RSS advertising -- placing ads in 3rd party RSS feeds -- the next hot media buy?

MarketingSherpa.com : Practical News & Case Studies on Internet Advertising, Marketing & PR

...now that Google's started putting AdSense ads into RSS feeds, and major news sites such as USAToday.com and NYTimes.com are seeing double-digit monthly leaps in RSS-usership, we bet reach won't be a problem by 2006.

Interested? Check out our exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how Citrix's GoToMeeting just tested RSS and Podcasting ads:

'Podcasting' Link Roundup For Saturday, May 28th, 2005

How To Blog For Fun & Profit! :: T. L. Pakii Pierce
(See Pierce's blog for hyperlinks to articles)
"Podcasting's First Aggregated Network"
An Attempt To Demystify Podcasting (A Work In Progress)
Blogging Meets Podcasting
Future of Podcasting
GM Experiments With Podcasting
It's nice to see a review of podcast styles. Why not slow down and take a look at what makes this me...
Jupiter Analysts Podcasting
Marketplace: Podcasting Is the Next Big Thing
Measuring Podcasting's Growth
More Female Podcasters
Podcast Hosting
S&P Says Podcasting Threatens Audble
The Lowdown on Podcasting
Thinking about podcasting
Two more thoughts about podcasting

And here is his 'Blogging' Link Roundup.
4 million blogs in China: report
Autoblogger: Get Started Not Blogging
Blogdigger Local: New Twist on Local Search
Blogging about Products
BlogPulse Intros Clickable Trend Charts
Bursting the Blog Bubble? I think Not
Google AdSense Blog?
Google Paying Bloggers $50 to Blog for an Hour
Media will change more in the next five years than it has in the past 50 years
MSN Unveils Social Media Tools at Day 2 Keynote
Politicial Blogs Cause Bias in Google News Coverage
Ripping on the Blog Coaches
the Long Tail is indeed full of crap
The Six Figure Challenge
Wall St Journal Tech Report on Mainstream Media's Future Ignores Impact of Blogs
White paper -- The corporate blogosphere
WordPress Blogs excluded from Adsense in RSS Feed

His Mission: Simplify Podcasting

Odeo co-founder Evan Williams wants his startup to be a one-stop shop, from easily finding podcasts to creating them and selling ads for them

Podcasting vs. Blogging

Podcasting vs. Blogging

Listen to a new GoRadio podcast from Greensboro News & Record

goTriad.com - Listen to a new GoRadio podcast now!

Again, Greensboro leads the Carolinas...

Charlotte Observer - Resist the urge to start blogging

Charlotte Observer 04/04/2005

...and whatever you do, don't get on the Internets. It might put you ahead of us, and that would be unacceptable. We are the smart ones. Not you. Shut up and read. DO NOT WRITE. DO NOT EVEN ATTEMPT TO WRITE. WE ARE THE DESIGNATED WRITERS. NOT YOU.

It is laughable really, being a visionary and all, and seeing slower heads leading even slower heads...in the wrong direction.

I'm beginning to think certain institutions are being a wee bit pussilanimous. Either that, or getting marching orders from on high. It doesn't reflect a love for knowledge and information, thank you very much.

Well guess what. Information is going to reach the people anyway. And you could have helped bring it to them.

Listen to what is written in the official press:

This Internet stuff has gotten out of hand, and just because widely available, simple-to-use technology makes it possible to share your goofy opinions with billions of people doesn't mean you should.

Blogs -- Web logs -- are sources of rumor, innuendo and downright lies, and there's no control over what goes into one. Doofs too naive to discern ravings from reportage cite them as if they were factual. There are enough misinformed people already, thank you.

Blogs are also a lot of work. Oh sure, it sounds fun, ragging on Ryan Seacrest one day and posting your plan for Mideast peace the next. But then you realize that if you don't keep updating the blog, the pack of dimwits hanging on your every word will dwindle.

I'm offended by this dreck. What is the point? Is it that the Observer lives is an either-or universe, when they could be living in an and-and universe? Look. Some day everyone will be communicating with telepathy, and someone will try to figure a way to get into the supply chain and make a profit from every thought transmitted. But I'm always reminded of the words of Epictetus, who counsels us to "never pass up an opportunity to be generous."

We know that some news organs are essentially controlled by the Pentagon and the White House and big-spending advertisers and such, and for the sake of transparency, it would be nice if those that are, would disclose that connection.

I do not understand obscurantism, and consider it a disservice to humanity. And granted...there has been a brain drain from traditional media, as the internet siphoned off the quick, the deep and the free. And now the quick, the deep and the free are blogging, among other things...but that doesn't mean that the quality of the traditional media has to fall so precipitously. Or does it? And are they pushed down by those who should really mind their own business?

People are so quick to assume the competitive posture. Even though we know that cooperation is a more successful model when done properly. And I can imagine a day when the latest and best killer app is not the blog, but some other potententially competitive activity. Many bloggers will become defensive and start hurling insults at the new toy in town. But blogging really is the new killer app. Like email was at one time. Or the WWW.

RESIST THE URGE TO USE E-MAIL

Sounds pretty silly doesn't it? Like some schoolkid in love with crayons.

I really do wish the Observer would at least try to keep up. Create a Future section, and pretend blogging is still in the future. There are bloggers at the Observer. Let them show the rest of of the folks how and why it is done. Or ask the folks at the Greensboro News and Record. Now that is an advanced news source!

When Charlotte plays host to the Blogger Conference in a few short months, will the Observer send representatives, like they did in Greensboro? There are some bright folks up in those hallowed glassed in boxes. When will they carpe the diem? A simple perusal of this very blog should be proof enough that blogging is an important and essential untapped resource...for business as well as many other sectors of society, religion included.

WFAE radio is soon to be podcasting, and probably blogging. Glad there is some leadership in our media midst.

"If a company doesn't have a blog or a podcast... I'm gonna go spend my money somewhere else."

HOW TRANSPARENT IS YOUR BUSINESS?

Mike Collins: "What do you think the marketing potential of this podcasting world, blog world, is, Steve, ultimately, because we are in the infancy of all this? Where do you see it going in the next five or ten years?"

Steve Rubel: "Customers are gonna say...if a company doesn't have a blog or a podcast, and isn't willing to engage in a conversation with me in real time, I'm gonna go spend my money somewhere else... Blogging is changing Microsoft right now. Microsoft has 1200 employee bloggers..."

[Transcribed from their conversation on Charlotte Talks with Mike Collins.]

Blogging featured on Charlotte Radio

WFAE 90.7 FM - Charlotte Talks with Mike Collins

Rather than bothering with all the revolutionary changes happening in our own backyard, Mister Collins cast his net to New York and California.

Among his guests were:
ITConversations
and
Steve Rubel of MicroPersuasion
...who said that businesses will do well to include blogging, since in time their lack of communicability will cause potential customers and clients to go where there IS communication, or in other words, blogging.

I hope Mike will take it upon himself to learn more about blogging and podcasting, and realize there are giants in our midst. Talk with them next time. They can help localize it.

Thanks for the effort.

The BizBlog Show and more on The Podcast Network

The Podcast Network

Some interesting wiki

Podcasting
Godcast
Skypecasting
PODS
Blogcast
Mobcasting
Autocast
Pod
Bloggercon
Audioblogging
Egocasting
Broadcatching
Folksonomy
Flash fiction
News aggregator
Atom (standard)
RSS (file format)
List of Internet stations
MP3 blog
Digital video
Geocaching
Weblog
BitTorrent
IPod
List of portmanteaux

Volvo: Zero Gravity Marketer

A History of Firsts

In addition to its sponsorship of podcasts, Volvo and Apple built two iPod connectivity options into the automaker's entire 2005 line. And in keeping with its Swedish roots, it's offering free downloads of Nordic bands on an iTunes destination dubbed "Nu."
Volvo plans to continue reaching out to its target through podcasting sponsorships.
"I think we're going to continue feeling out the podcasting space. We've been doing it on a very niche basis with Autoblog, and we're looking at how that's going to grow," said Papadopoulos.

Blogging, Podcasting & "Social Media" on Charlotte Talks with Mike Collins

Friday, April 15, 2005 at 9:00 AM on WFAE 90.7 FM Your NPR News Source

You can also dial in from the internet, like Iddybud from New York does.

Here is the description:
We'll explore a developing form of communciation on this edition of Charlotte Talks with Mike Collins. Dubbed "social media" by one of our guests, blogging and podcasting are two young stars of the internet landscape. Web logging or "blogging" has made regular citizens into political pundits, journalists and government watchdogs while podcasting is creating a new world of amateur talk hosts and making programming controllable for the every-day listener. Learn more about this on the next Charlotte Talks and join us by calling 704-926-WFAE (9323) or 1-800-603-WFAE (9323) or email charlottetalks@wfae.org.