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Month: April 2021
How Could Deepfakes Change Marketing?
Deepfakes are receiving a lot of bad press.
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) called the technology a propaganda weapon.
Facebook’s COO Sheryl Sandberg said deepfakes raise the issue of not believing what you see.
Investigative journalist Rana Ayyub was targeted with a deepfake pornography video to discredit and silence her.
With so much negativity around the tech, is there any chance of it bringing good into the world?
Yes! The possibilities when you combine AI technology with marketing are exciting and can change how we speak with our customers forever.
When used with positive intent, they are a potent marketing tool.
Below, I’m breaking down exactly what these videos are, the drawbacks of using them, and the different ways marketers are currently using deepfakes to create stronger campaigns.
What Are Deepfakes?
Have you seen a YouTube video of Barack Obama calling Donald Trump a “complete dipshit?” What about Jon Snow apologizing for the disastrous season finale of Game of Thrones?
If you answered yes, you’ve seen a deepfake video.
The term “deepfake” was coined in 2017 and is a combination of “deep learning” and “fakes.” It uses deep learning technology (a branch of machine learning) to create the dupe.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) learns what the source face looks like at different angles and then superimposes it onto an actor’s face, essentially creating a mask.
For example, let’s say you have a database of audio clips or video files of a person. You could create a hyper-realistic fake video of celebrities discussing the future of cinema or revenge porn.
Hollywood has already taken advantage of deepfakes by transposing real faces onto other actors. The most notable example is bringing Carrie Fisher back to life for a short scene in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
While many fear the technology being used for nefarious ends (more on this below), deepfakes offer a range of intriguing possibilities. You can create apps to try a new hairstyle or use it to help doctors with medical diagnosis.
The Drawbacks of Using Deepfake Technology
With the rise of deepfake technology, it’s not hard to understand why some people are skeptical and even terrified of it becoming widely adopted.
After all, the advances in this technology make it harder to distinguish what is real and fake.
It can lead to serious dangers like fake news, putting words in politicians’ or celebrities’ mouths, and ruining someone’s life with fake pornography.
Lack of Trust
Deepfakes can breed a culture of mistrust and not knowing what to trust. If the president holds a press conference inciting violence, but it’s a deepfake, how do you know what to believe?
For example, a deepfake of Mark Zuckerberg made the rounds on the internet. The video shows Facebook’s CEO giving a speech about how the platform “owns” its users and crediting an organization called Spectre for Facebook’s success.
Increase in Scams
Another con is the opportunity it provides for scammers. Audio deepfakes have already been used to defraud people out of money.
For example, a German energy firm’s U.K. subsidiary paid nearly $243,000 into a Hungarian bank account after a scammer mimicked the German CEO’s voice.
The core message for both examples is not knowing what is real.
Consumers are already doubting what they are reading online with social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, adding fact-checking processes to content. Deepfakes can create more distrust of everyone around us and make us question everything we are seeing and hearing.
7 Ways Marketers Can Use Deepfakes
With all the backlash and potential pitfalls of deepfake technology, can marketers use it for good?
The answer is yes!
Some of the world’s biggest brands are already experimenting with deepfakes and using them to create unique and engaging content.
As long as you’re transparent about using the technology, you can create a more dynamic consumer journey.
1. Dynamic Campaigns With Influencers to Increase Reach
Imagine having an influencer agree to an ad campaign and only provide you with 20 minutes of audio content and a few video shots.
No lengthy photo shoot or filming days required.
Not only does it help you save time, but it opens the door to creating dynamic campaigns, a.k.a. microtargeted ads at scale.
Case in point: David Beckham’s 2019 malaria awareness ad. The deepfake had the soccer star speaking in nine languages and is an excellent example of how this technology can increase a campaign’s reach.
Translating an ad into multiple languages also allows brands to enter new markets seamlessly and speak to consumers in their native tongue while still benefiting from the influencer or celebrity’s likeness.
2. Hyper-Personalized Campaigns for Your Audience
While some people want to ban deepfakes because of how they can be used to deceive people, it’s a creative and groundbreaking technology for marketers when used for good.
If you’re in the fashion industry, you could easily show models with different skin tones, heights, and weights.
With the average person seeing thousands of ads per day, using this tech to create psychological ownership and see the product as an extension of themselves is vital to cut through the noise.
It also helps marketers create hyper-personalized ads. The benefits of creating a shopping experience catered to multiple segments mean you can reap the rewards of personalized marketing.
3. Product Ownership to Increase Sales
Another way to create ownership with deepfakes is using the technology to create personalized videos of your clients using or wearing your products.
For example, Reface AI lets users virtually try on the new Gucci Ace sneaker as part of a virtual try-on haul. Users can browse through the footwear options and view it on foot by pointing the phone at their feet.
Savvy marketers know the likelihood of a sale increases if people feel like they own the product. It doubles down on the sensory experience where the longer someone spends looking and holding a product, the more likely they will buy it.
Deep learning can help stimulate the same experience with a deepfake of the customer behind the wheel of the latest BMW or a makeup look with the newest MAC eyeshadow palette.
4. Host Exhibitions and Events Anywhere in the World
For the events and art industries, deepfakes open up a world of exciting possibilities. The technology can help you recreate objects or people anywhere in the world at the same time.
An example is the Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Fla., which uses a deepfake of Salvador Dalí to greet guests. It creates a more engaging experience for visitors and brings the surrealism master back to life.
Dalí’s video was created by using over 6,000 frames of video footage from past interviews and 1,000 hours of machine learning to overlay it onto an actor’s face. What makes the deepfake even more impressive is that Dalí is interactive. The video has more than 190,000 possible combinations depending on a person’s answers.
While we already have holographic concerts for iconic musicians like Michael Jackson, deepfakes would create a more hyper-real experience for attendees. Art exhibitions can use the technology to display artworks around the world simultaneously.
Marketers can take it one step further and create deepfakes of products prelaunch (like the new iPhone) to generate buzz and create an interactive Steve Jobs to answer questions about the latest device.
5. Use Deepfakes to Entertain Your Audience
Marketers can use deep learning to create ad campaigns we would have never been able to do 20 years ago.
State Farm is leading the pack with its ad for The Last Dance, an ESPN documentary on Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.
Using deepfake technology, State Farm superimposed 1998 SportsCenter footage to make it look like Kenny Mayne predicted the documentary.
The ad’s success led to a follow-up ad with Keith Olbermann and Linda Cohn “predicting” Phil Jackson’s success when he left Chicago to lead the Lakers.
These deepfakes serve to purely delight audiences and create a viral piece of content for the brand.
6. Market Segmentation and Personalization
One of the most successful deepfake examples using market segmentation is the 2018 Zalando campaign with Cara Delevingne.
The campaign’s concept was to create awareness around Zalando now delivering Top Shop fashion to people in the most remote parts of Europe.
With a single video shoot, they created 60,000 bespoke video messages for every tiny town and village in Europe using deepfake technology to produce alternative shots and voice fonts. Then using Facebook’s ad targeting, they showed users the specific video which mentioned their hometown.
The campaign received more than 180 million impressions, and Top Shop sales increased by 54 percent.
This can help marketers eliminate further customer generalizations or affinity grouping and create content that speaks to people on a more individual level.
7. Educating Consumers With Deepfakes
Do you have a product with a learning curve? You can use deepfake technology to educate your customers on how to use it and improve their skills.
For example, if you’re a camera brand like Canon, you can use an AI instructor to help novice photographers learn faster. The technology can point out compositional mistakes, advise on camera settings, and help them slowly master their device.
At trade shows, you could have potential customers practice taking photos, learning from the AI, or testing their skills against the deepfake. It can help create an interactive experience, put the product in the person’s hands, and start building brand loyalty.
Conclusion
Of course, there’s always going to be a few bad apples. While some people are causing mayhem with deepfakes, there are plenty of golden opportunities for marketers.
This technology allows you to create hyper-personalization, duplicate your marketing efforts instantly, increase brand loyalty, and use product ownership to increase sales.
What are your thoughts on using deepfakes in marketing? Do you think its potential to do good outweighs the bad?
How to Advertise on Walmart Marketplace
If a company counted roughly half of the U.S. population as customers, you’d be pretty eager to use that platform to advertise your business, right?
Well, that’s exactly what Walmart Marketplace allows you to do. It gives you the ability to reach a huge market of highly targeted, engaged consumers, so why doesn’t it get as much attention as other platforms such as Amazon?
If you’re not on Walmart Marketplace already, then chances are you should be. Here’s how you can use advertising to get the most out of it.
What Is Walmart Marketplace?
Walmart Marketplace is where third-party sellers can upload, manage, and sell their products on Walmart’s website.
As the largest retailer in the world, it was only a matter of time before Walmart started to flex its muscles in e-commerce, and in recent years, it’s seen tremendous growth thanks in part to Walmart Marketplace. With a large audience and millions of engaged shoppers, Walmart Marketplace could be a necessity for any online retailer in the same way that Amazon is.
Getting your products on Walmart Marketplace is a great step to take, but to maximize your sales, you should consider how you advertise. Marketplace offers lots of useful ways to reach your target customer, and you may find they can provide a very good return on ad spend (ROAS.)
Why You Should Advertise on Walmart Marketplace
Understanding your customers is the only marketing strategy you need. A big part of this is reaching your customers where they hang out. For 150 million Americans a week, that’s at Walmart.
The stats behind Walmart are significant, and just by looking at the numbers, you can get a sense of why it’s important to be on Walmart Marketplace:
- the largest retailer in the United States
- 90 percent of Americans shopped at Walmart in the past year
- 150 million customers visit Walmart in-store or online each week
- 90 percent of Americans live less than 10 miles away from a Walmart store
Walmart isn’t just about its physical stores, though. It’s also got a large e-commerce presence, and many of its shoppers are engaging with it. The buyer journey is truly omnichannel in the modern world, with 35 percent of Walmart shoppers researching products on Walmart.com before they go to a physical store.
Amazon might have a bigger profile in the online world, but this doesn’t mean Walmart Marketplace is some hidden gem where you can achieve easy success. There’s a huge amount of competition on Marketplace, and while growing your profile organically is important, you’ve also got to make the most of the advertising options available to you.
These options may look very similar to other large online marketplaces, but there are some unique features on Walmart Marketplace you can use to your advantage.
Walmart Marketplace Features
In recent years, Walmart Marketplace has been rapidly growing and improving the seller experience. If you’re familiar with Amazon Seller Central, then you will notice a lot of similarities, but some features differ slightly.
On Walmart Marketplace, you can:
- upload your products
- optimize your listings
- choose your pricing
- decide on your fulfillment method
- assess your advertising
Every step in this process is important, so your Marketplace account is a key place you will visit regularly. Small details make a big difference when it comes to selling online, so it’s important you write great product descriptions, choose the right price points (Walmart is quite sensitive about this, so be sure to read all the terms and conditions), and come up with an effective fulfillment plan.
Like with Amazon, you can send your products to a Walmart fulfillment center, but this feature works very differently, with sellers having a lot more control over the shipping process.
To get the most out of these features, you must understand your own business well and create a business plan for how you’re going to maximize your sales on Walmart Marketplace.
Walmart Advertising: Sponsored Products
Advertising isn’t one-size-fits-all. People go through a complicated customer journey when buying your products, so you need to be able to reach them in a variety of different ways.
Walmart advertising is particularly good at this, offering advertisers many different tools to help them reach their target audience.
With six different ad types, it allows you to reach customers at the awareness, consideration, and decision stages of the buyer process, establishing your brand in people’s minds and driving sales.
To set up each type of ad, simply:
- Log in to your Walmart Ad Center account.
- Select “Create New Campaign” from the “Campaigns” tab.
- Choose manual or automatic targeting.
- Set your budget.
- Choose your placement type (if you selected manual targeting).
- Select bid multipliers (this gives you extra control over which ad formats you use).
- Create an ad group and add the products you want to advertise.
- Enter your keywords (for manual campaigns only; if you choose automatic, Walmart will do this for you).
Walmart Advertising Ad Type 1: Search In Grid
When we think of search engines, we think of Google, Bing, and Duck Duck Go. We don’t think of social media platforms or big e-commerce platforms like Walmart Marketplace or Amazon.
That’s exactly what these platforms are, though. They’re search engines that allow people to find and buy products. This means the types of Walmart advertising you use probably look very similar to the PPC ads you run on Google.
Search in grid Walmart ads allow your products to be featured when a customer types a certain query into the search bar. For example, if your keyword is “nuts,” your product will show in the search grid when people type that query.
Like with traditional search engines, it takes time to build your organic presence on Marketplace, so search in grid Walmart advertising gives you the ability to feature at the top of the results more quickly.
To set one of these ads, your products must fulfill several requirements:
- be in stock
- win the buy box
- be in the top 128 organic search results (top 3 pages)
- same category as the search query
- same product type as at least one top 20 organic result
Once you meet all these requirements, then search in grid ads are an ideal way to get your products in front of your target audience.
Walmart Advertising Ad Type 2: Brand Amplifier
Whereas search in grid ads are all about getting a certain product in front of your audience, brand amplifier ads are about showcasing your brand.
You might have a whole range of exciting products that people want to try, and in this case, a brand amplifier may be the right form of Walmart advertising for you. Rather than your product appearing in the search results, a brand amplifier shows a banner with your brand name and a selection of your products above the results.
This is a great way to boost brand recognition and get people to engage with your products.
With an eye-catching logo, a customizable headline, and up to three of your products shown, this can help you grab people’s attention and encourage them to explore your brand further.
Walmart Advertising Ad Type 3: Product Carousel
Sometimes people shop online and know exactly what they want, but in many cases, they want to compare products to find the best one. To help people do this, Walmart places product carousels that show customers different product options on search, category, and product pages.
Some of the results on the product carousel appear organically, but some are paid ads.
This is another opportunity to reach a targeted audience with your products. If someone is already looking at a product page and comparing their options, chances are they’re motivated to buy, and this is an excellent time to bring them to your product pages.
Walmart Advertising Ad Type 4: Buy Box
These different forms of Walmart advertising might seem very similar, but they each have their benefits. Another great option is the Buy Box.
The Buy Box appears on product pages and offers your product as an alternative to the one they’re looking at, which makes it a great place for your product to appear. If the customer has any issues with the product they’re considering, then the next option they’re presented with is to check out your product.
With the Buy Box, customers can quickly compare two products, so it’s a perfect place for your ad to appear. It puts your product in the mind of the buyer and establishes it as a viable alternative.
Getting your product noticed at this late stage in the buyer’s journey is a great tool to have.
Walmart Advertising Display Ads
Walmart advertising isn’t limited to result-based product ads; it also offers options for more content-based advertising through its display ads.
Just as Google allows advertisers to display ads that pop up on websites across the internet, Walmart offers a similar feature. They allow you to reach customers at many different stages of the customer journey, whether they’re on Walmart-owned properties or third-party websites.
Walmart Display Ad Type 1: Onsite Display
Onsite display ads are content-based ads that allow you to advertise across all of Walmart’s platforms, including Walmart.com and Walmart apps.
Display ads are prominent features across the web, and they’re a chance to grab people’s attention and earn their clicks. To do this, you’ve got to be creative with your ads, and it’s no different on Walmart.
One advantage you have with Walmart is that you benefit from the huge amount of data it has on people’s shopping habits. This enables you to choose your ideal Walmart customer to target and make sure you’re getting your ads in front of the right people.
With onsite display, your ads become truly omnichannel, reaching people however they interact with Walmart and allowing you to see your results all in one place.
Walmart Display Ad Type 2: Offsite Display
Just because someone has clicked away from your product page doesn’t mean they won’t purchase in the future.
They may have been doing some initial research and are thinking about coming back to your product later. When someone leaves your product page, you want to make sure your brand remains fresh in their mind.
Offsite display ads can be the perfect way to make sure people don’t forget about your products.
Through retargeting, you can reach targeted Walmart customers across the internet. These display ads can show on social media platforms and third-party websites, making sure your product stays in the mind of your audience, and they’re able to quickly go back and make a purchase.
Retargeting can be an extremely efficient use of your budget if you’re using the right strategies, and Walmart gives you all the tools you need to do this.
Conclusion
To succeed in marketing, you need to make sure you’re advertising on the platforms your customers are using. For 150 million Americans, Walmart is that platform. Of course, to make the most of your audience, you also need the right tools. With a rapidly growing online presence, that’s precisely what Walmart can offer you.
Boosting your organic presence is a crucial part of being on any marketplace, but Walmart advertising also offers you an excellent platform to sell more products. If you can be targeted and creative with your use of Walmart advertising, you could expand your reach and boost sales quickly.
As ever with advertising, it’s about finding the strategies that work best for you, and Walmart gives you more than enough tools to do this. Your customers are spending money at Walmart every week, so when are you going to start taking a piece of the pie?
Have you advertised on Walmart Marketplace? What was your experience?
Sirum (YC W15) is hiring: join a fast-growing, mission-driven healthcare team
SIRUM is making medications affordable for all. We’re a small (~25) but quickly growing team that’s passionate about our mission of reimagining healthcare access for those in need. We like to work hard, solve tough problems, and are determined to improve healthcare access for families who have trouble affording the medications they need to stay …
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Stocks Rise After Strong Earnings, Economic Data
U.S. stocks climbed Thursday as blue-chip companies reported strong earnings and fresh economic data showed a sharp improvement in consumer spending and the labor market.
The post Stocks Rise After Strong Earnings, Economic Data first appeared on Online Web Store Site.
How to Do Niche Marketing For Tiny Audiences
Are you in a crowded industry and can’t seem to stand out? Does your brand operate in a niche with a small audience? If you answered yes to one of those questions, then you know reaching your target audience is no walk in the park. That’s exactly why you must leverage niche marketing. What Is …
The post How to Do Niche Marketing For Tiny Audiences first appeared on Online Web Store Site.
The post How to Do Niche Marketing For Tiny Audiences appeared first on ROI Credit Builders.
Get Your First Time Business Loan
Can You Get a First Time Business Loan for Your Startup Business?
When it comes to a first time business loan, what are your best choices for your startup?
What are All the Different Types of Business Loans?
There are several different types of business loans out there. Startups can have more trouble getting funding. This is because you don’t have a business credit history – and you don’t have inventory or cash flow. But those aren’t the only way to get a first time business loan. Check out what else you can do.
Choosing Among the Many Different Types of Business Loans Means Knowing What’s Right for You
Knowing the different types of small business loans is only half the battle. You have to know how to figure out which one is right for you. The answer to that will vary based on a number of factors, and it may even change over the course of your business.
But the right type of loan for your business now may not be the right type for your business later. The best way to start figuring out which loan is right for your business is to figure out what’s available. Did you know that traditional bank loans are not the only option?
Types of Small Business Loans
There are many more, including:
- Securities-Based Financing
- 401(k) Financing
- The Credit Line Hybrid
- SBA Loans
- Equipment Financing
- Traditional Lines of Credit
Let’s dive in to each one and figure out which one is best for your business right now
Get a First Time Business Loan with Securities-Based Financing
Use existing stocks as leverage to get business financing. Borrow as much as 90% of their value. You continue to earn interest on the stocks pledged as collateral. Closing and funding takes less than 3 weeks.
Rates can be as low as 1.6%. This is a working capital line of credit. You will have challenged personal credit.
And if you do not have this type of securities, you can still get great funding if a credit partner (guarantor) has them.
Get a First Time Business Loan with 401(k) Financing
Use your existing 401(k), or IRA as collateral for business financing. This program uses IRS proven strategies. You will pay no tax penalties.
You still earn interest on your 401(k). pay low rates, often less than 5%. Close and fund in less than 3 weeks. You can usually get up to 100% of what’s “rollable” within your 401(k).
Follow these steps. A new corporation is formed; a retirement plan is created to allow for investment into the corporation; funds are rolled over into the new plan. Then the new plan purchases stock in corporation and holds it. The corporation becomes debt free and cash rich.
And, as before, if you don’t have an appropriate IRA or 401(k), you can still get this kind of funding if you’ve got a credit partner with the right stuff.
Demolish your funding problems with 27 killer ways to get cash for your business.
For an Alternative to a First Time Business Loan, get to know Our Hybrid Credit Line Program
Check out this form of unsecured funding. Unsecured funding does not require collateral, but the lender’s risk is mitigated by higher interest rates. Our credit line hybrid has an even better interest rate than a secured loan. Yet you can get the money faster and easier than any type of traditional funding. Get business funding without having to supply bank statements or credit stubs. You can get funding in a few days rather than weeks without supplying any collateral or documents.
You can get some of the highest loan amounts and credit lines for businesses. Get 0% business credit cards with stated income. No financials required. These report to business CRAs. You can build business credit at the same time. This will get you access to even more cash with no personal guarantee.
You can often get a loan of 5 times the amount of current highest revolving credit limit account. This is up to $150,000. Easily five times what you could get on your own when applying for cards. Get cash out on this program as well.
Advantages
There will be NO impact on your personal credit with this type of financing. You need a good credit score or a guarantor with good credit to get an approval. With good personal credit, get unsecured credit cards with a personal guarantee. And with good business credit, get unsecured credit cards without a personal guarantee.
Check out business credit. It should be your goal to build business credit, even if you can get funding elsewhere. Business credit will help your company for years to come. Business credit is credit linked to your EIN and not your SSN.
This credit is available without a personal guarantee. It is available regardless of personal credit. You can get business credit immediately. Business credit is the only way to get money for a business when you don’t have collateral, cash flow, good personal credit, or a guarantor.
Get a First Time Business Loan Through SBA Loans
Guaranteed by the federal government. Issued by participating lenders, usually banks. They offer a lot of the perks of traditional loans, such as lower interest rates and favorable terms. Due to government guarantee, lenders are able to offer them to those with a lower credit score than would typically be required.
Eligibility for SBA Loans
Lenders and loan programs have unique eligibility requirements. In general, eligibility is based on what a business does to receive its income, the character of its ownership, and where the business operates. Hence even those with bad credit may qualify for startup funding.
Normally, businesses must meet size standards, be able to repay, and have a sound business purpose. The lender will provide you with a full list of eligibility requirements for your loan. See www.sba.gov/document/support–table-size-standards.
More About Eligibility for SBA Loans
General eligibility also includes:
- Being a for-profit business – the business must be officially registered and operating legally
- Doing business in the US – the business must be physically located and operating in the US or its territories
- Having vested equity – the owner must have invested their own time or money in the business
- Exhausting other funding options – the business must not be able to get funds from any other financial lender
Ideal credit scores for an SBA loan are 680 or above. There are a number of SBA loan programs, each one designed to work for different needs and situations. Some of the most common SBA loan programs include:
- 7(a) loans
- 504 loans
- Microloans
- Disaster loans
- Express loans
These are just a few the of the options available. Find out more at SBA.gov.
Demolish your funding problems with 27 killer ways to get cash for your business.
Which SBA Loan is Best?
The thing about SBA loans is that they each have a specific purpose. For example, if your business has suffered due to a natural disaster, you need a disaster loan. If you need $50,000 or less, a microloan may be the best option. But the 7(a) loan program is the most versatile.
SBA 7 (a) Loan Program Details
A standard 7(a) loan can be for up to $5 million. The maximum SBA guarantee is 85% for loans up to $150,000 and 75% for loans greater than $150,000. The interest rate varies but cannot exceed the SBA maximum. The turnaround is 5 – 10 business days. These funds can be used for a number of things, and the minimum credit score is 640. But of course the higher the better.
Who Do SBA Loans Work Best For?
These loans work well for those that are not in a hurry to get funding
The approval and funding process can take a while, especially with the government red tape required for the government guarantee. If you can wait, meet all the requirements, and want a more traditional type of loan, SBA loans are an option.
Get a First Time Business Loan with Equipment Financing
Businesses looking to buy or lease equipment can use equipment financing. Rates vary widely depending on risk factors. You usually can get approval with a 650 or better credit score. This is for major equipment only, not a combination of a lot of small equipment. These loans work well for those that have good credit and just need to finance some equipment. The equipment is the collateral, so that helps out some with rates.
Demolish your funding problems with 27 killer ways to get cash for your business.
Get a First Time Business Loan with a Traditional Line of Credit
This is similar to a traditional term loan in terms of where you get it, and approval requirements. However, it is revolving financing more like a credit card. Typically have better interest rates that credit cards. They work well for those who qualify for traditional term loans but want revolving credit rather than a term loan.
Which Types of Small Business Loans are Best for Your Business?
If you know what types of business loans are available to your business, you can make a more educated decision about which types of business loans will work best for you. Knowing what’s out there is only half the battle. You also have to understand your own eligibility and funding needs.
Get a First Time Business Loan: Takeaways
All businesses need funding. Traditional term loans are not the only option. Other options exist to help you money faster. Or funding despite bad credit. And you can better rates and terms than you would get with a traditional term loan.
The post Get Your First Time Business Loan appeared first on Credit Suite.
An Aushcwitz Survivor Dies in a New York Nursing Home
At 94, Felicia Friedman succumbed to Covid-19 and bureaucratic bungling.
The post An Aushcwitz Survivor Dies in a New York Nursing Home appeared first on ROI Credit Builders.
Podcast Discovery 101: How to Find Podcasts Easily
The growth in podcasts is significant for listeners looking for a show that appeals to their individual interests. Plus, it’s great for marketers and business owners looking for new platforms to advertise on and new audiences to reach.
While you won’t find any lack of podcasts, the sheer volume out there makes it time-consuming to slim down your choices and find appealing podcasts.
In this guide, we explore both how to find podcasts as well as how to get your own podcast discovered.
How to Find Podcasts That Interest You
If you’re overwhelmed by the number of podcasts out there, it’s not surprising. How many podcasts are there exactly? The latest research shows there are over 47 million episodes available, and the number is growing.
As an article on Pacific Content states, there are “Too many podcasts. Not enough time.”
Keeping up with new episodes and freshly-launched podcasts are tough enough, and that’s before finding time to read the backlog of podcasts we’ve got lined up.
Even if we don’t listen to a podcast, 75 percent of U.S. adults are at least aware of them, and with mobile devices, I think it’s safe to assume this number will keep growing.
With so many podcasts available, how do you find the ones you want to listen to?
1: How to Find Podcasts by Performing a Discovery Google Search
The quickest and easiest way to find podcasts is Google. Just choose your niche, and type in “business podcasts,” “health podcasts,” “relationship podcasts,” or whichever topic interests you the most. Google isn’t your only choice, though.
2: How to Find Podcasts Using the Search Bar in the Main Podcast Host Sites
There’s no shortage of podcast hosting sites. With a quick search on Google, you’ll find:
- Buzzsprout
- Podbean
- Anchor
- Riverside
- Spreaker
There isn’t space to talk you through all of them, so I’ll use Spreaker as an example.
On Spreaker, go to the “listen” option at the top of the page and click. You’ll then get a list of subheads, including “staff picks,” ”crime,” and “featured,” where you’ll find plenty of podcasts to browse through.
3: How to Find Podcasts Using New and Emerging Podcast Discovery Tools
Regular podcast listeners may well be familiar with some of the newer discovery tools. These tools take the effort out of finding podcasts.
Below, I will outline some of the most prominent tools, explain how to use them, their advantages, and their main features, starting with Listen Notes.
Listen Notes
If you’re trying to find a podcast, Listen Notes calls itself “the best podcast search engine,” but it does a lot more than purely serve as a discovery tool.
To give you a better idea, you could:
- spot cross-promotion opportunities with other podcasters and use them for networking
- build podcast apps with Listen Notes API
- find information about topics for content ideas
The site is packed with features, too:
- “listen later,” where you create your playlists
- a “submit your podcast” option
- a discover tab for finding new podcasts
- the podcast academy, which provides tutorials and articles
- hot, best, curated, and “find similar podcasts” search functions
- classified ads, where you’ll find guest spots and cross-promotion opportunities
Listennotes.com takes you straight to the main search engine, so you can just type in “business growth” or “digital marketing,” or whatever interests you. Doing this will bring up a list of podcasts so you can dive in and see which ones appeal to you most.
It’s also worth typing in “trending” to see what’s happening and what’s capturing other users’ imaginations.
Another way to find podcasts is to go to the “discover” link at the top of the page. Here, you’ll find a drop-down list to select from.
Listen Notes is free, but you can sign up for a paid membership to access the “super” search engine and other features.
The site’s main advantages are its ease of use and navigation, and if you’re just looking for podcasts in your niche, you shouldn’t find any real disadvantages.
Pod Hunt
Pod Hunt promises “the best podcasts daily.” When you visit the site, you’ll go straight to the main search engine, where you can start your search.
In the example above, the search term is “technolog.” Once you’ve got a list of podcasts, you can click through to whichever one grabs your attention.
Along the top of the page, you’ll also find:
- episodes, for a list of recent episodes
- categories, which show an extensive range of A-Z topics
- collections, where you’ll discover curated podcasts
- feeds, where you can find the top podcast episodes
You can also sign up for the site’s newsletter or submit an episode from the main search engine page.
You might find Pod Hunt is not quite as sophisticated as Listen Notes, and there are fewer features. However, it’s a good site if you want to do a quick search.
Podchaser
Podchaser lets you find podcasts, curated lists, ratings, reviews, and guest appearances. The search page brings up a list of the latest episodes, or you can use the white search box at the top of the page to find podcasts in your preferred niche.
The right side of the page shows you the most popular categories, where you’ll find easy access to business, comedy, true crime, and news podcasts, among others. You’ll also find trending creators with well-known names like Barack Obama, Trevor Noah, and Joe Rogan.
It’s free, but if you want to “supercharge your broadcast planning and outreach,” you can request further details.
There are no apparent drawbacks. It’s a simply structured, easy-to-use search site.
Spreaker
Spreaker is podcast creation software and app. It organizes, curates, and delivers content through live audio feeds, simplifying everything and making it straightforward to find podcasts and import your podcast library.
Spreaker is also favorable to creators by using RSS feeds for direct distribution and monetization. It’s compatible with the iPhone and the iPad, and you just need to download the app to begin.
Its key features include:
- short-form audio highlights, enabling you to find podcasts of interest for you
- a personalized audio feed, which features recommendations
- a live playlist showing you the latest content
- nine categories, including “true crime” and “self-improvement”
The app’s biggest advantages are the time it saves looking for the content you want and how easy it is to find podcasts.
Castro
Castro is another podcast app you can download from the Apple App Store. It provides a single playlist known as the “Queue.”
Through Castro, you can manage large numbers of podcasts and choose whether you want to listen to the podcasts straight away or if you want them sent to your inbox for later.
Main features include:
- enhanced audio options
- push notifications for immediate listening
- customized playback speeds and reduced listening times
- podcast sharing
To use it, just download the app for free, or pay $18.99 a year to unlock advanced features.
Podible
Podible promises “more time listening and less time digging.” Download the free app from the iTunes store, and you’ll find podcasts and discover similar shows.
Other features include:
- listening to classics
- podcast recommendations
- playlist creation
Using the app needs little description: Just install it, and you’ll soon find your way around.
The most significant advantage is the ease of finding podcasts that match your niche, and it gets positive feedback for its user interface.
The recommendations feature needs some work on the downside, and it’s been some time since Podible has updated its social media content.
4: How to Find Podcasts Using Niche Podcast Discovery Apps
Another way to find podcasts is through niche apps. These further refine your search by narrowing it down to niche topics it’s true crime, business, comedy, or tech.
These apps are growing in popularity due to their time-saving abilities. To give you an idea of what’s offered, I’ve highlighted a few below.
Laughable
You’ve probably guessed the Laughable app is the place to go to find comedy shows, but it acts as a gateway to other genres as well. For example, you can discover Oprah’s and Barack Obama’s podcast through the app.
It’s regularly updated, so there’s always fresh podcast content available. Other features worth exploring are:
- curated episodes and download options for offline listening
- finding comedians when they’re hosting or appearing as a guest.
- different playback speeds and the “subscribe” button for listening to actors, musicians, and athletes
Laughable is extremely popular and often rated among the best. Its top feature is the easy search function, where you’ll find podcasts, episodes, and series.
As for negatives, some users would like to see a playlist, and a reviewer felt downloading podcasts was more complicated than necessary.
Pinna
On Pinna, you’ll find a host of resources to keep children entertained. Pinna doesn’t just limit its content to apps. It’s an ad-free service that offers audiobooks and music.
A yearly fee gives you yearlong access to the shows, and Pinna provides a month’s free trial to begin with.
Once you get on the Pinna website, choose the subheading that most interests you and get exploring.
You’ll find shows like:
- Hero Hotel
- The Totally Unauthorized Minecraft Fan Show
- Opal Watson: Private Eye
Click on whichever show grabs your attention or your child’s imagination, and sign up for the free trial to start listening.
They have various categories of content for different age groups, where you’ll find:
- bedtime stories
- car trip stories
- play along with content
- learning content
Leela Kids
Leela Kids searches the internet for audio content suitable for children. You can download the app from the App Store or Google Play, and there are three steps to accessing content:
- Choose the age group and area of interest.
- Check through the results to find suitable content.
- Then, click and listen.
You can also opt into emails to get recommendations a couple of times a month.
Like other niche-specific sites, Leela Kids takes the effort to find podcasts online, and its ease of use is by far its biggest advantage.
How to Get Your Podcast Discovered
Maybe you’re a podcaster trying to get your show discovered, or perhaps you’re just thinking about starting one up, and you want to make it easier for others to find your podcast.
It might seem intimidating if you’re not sure where to start, but don’t worry. These next steps will help you promote your show.
Use keywords: You use SEO to get your other content discovered, and there’s no reason you shouldn’t make your podcasts SEO-friendly as well. You can research keywords with free tools like Ubersuggest, the Ubersuggest Chrome Extension, or Google Keyword planner.
When you’ve got your list of keywords ready, include them in titles and descriptions and add them to podcast directories for organic traffic.
Get social: That doesn’t mean just using prominent platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Instead, take advantage of the networking opportunities you’ll find on podcast directories.
Some directories listed in the article have a networking section so you can build relationships with fellow podcasters and get the word out.
Use your mailing list: Existing marketers have a ready audience thanks to their mailing lists. Share snippets and links in your newsletters and other marketing materials to help them find your podcasts.
Start marketing: Don’t just use your existing customer base. Start marketing to a broader audience. Finding guest post opportunities, issuing press releases when you’re doing something newsworthy, and writing guest blogs for your niche are a few ways you can spread the word.
Repurpose your content: The more places you share your podcast content, the better chance people will find the content you’ve created. For example, you could:
- share part of a transcript in your newsletter with a link to the whole show
- create short YouTube videos or get your podcast listed on apps
- make an infographic or meme to share on social media
Conclusion
Podcasts are growing in popularity, and successful shows like the Marketing School give absorbable content for listeners on the move.
However, the sheer volume of podcasts can sometimes make it hard to find the podcasts you’re searching for, which is where podcast directories and niche apps come in; they simplify your search to make it easier to find podcasts that match your interests. You can use similar methods to get your own podcast discovered.
If you want to advertise on podcasts or make one of your own but aren’t sure how. to get started, reach out to our agency. We can help!
Do you listen to podcasts? How do you find podcasts that capture your attention? Tell us below.
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