Author: Bob Kernen

Categories
Mobile Apps Podcasting Radio

Radio Has the Necessary Elements for Success in Podcasting

By: Bob Kernen

You’ve probably noticed the buzz around podcasting lately. You know it’s gone mainstream when the NY Times puts it on the front page of its Sunday business section as it did on May 8. One of the best things about the apps we build here at jācapps is the podcasting feature. It is second only to the stream in popularity.

And the podcasting numbers back that up. Last year 46 million Americans listened to a podcast, and this year that number is expected to hit 57 million, according to Edison Research. What was once a niche has gone mainstream, as evidenced by the 110 million downloads of NPR’s “Serial” podcast last year. But those numbers present some challenges. As the Times article describes, the only currently reliable metric for podcasts is downloads, but that is a pretty rough metric, especially for advertisers who have no idea if their ads in the podcast are even being heard.

But with the numbers and the trend lines headed straight up, it is inevitable that these problems will ultimately be solved. That’s where some of the most innovative players in the space are focused. Companies like Art19 are working out issues of measurement and monetization in some incredibly clever ways. Others, like Clammr, are tackling the issue of content discovery in a universe of as many as 350,000 different podcasts. Of course, long-time podcast players like Libsyn, Blubrry, Midroll (acquired by Scripps last year) and Spreaker, as well as big dogs like Apple and Google are in the space as well. Apple basically invented the concept, and loaned it the name since “podcast” originally referred to the iPod. Google via their Android operating system has had a less consistent relationship, dropping its own podcasting app in 2012 only to reintroduce a podcast directory this year.

What does it all mean? If you want to learn more about the podcasting space and meet lots of people doing it you should think about attending Podcast Movement in Chicago this July.

Radio has many of the elements necessary for success in podcasting:

  • Talent and expertise in audio production
  • Skills and experience in audio storytelling
  • Built in distribution channels (website and mobile app)
  • On-air promotional channel

What all of these tools mean is that your station can create more professional, better produced content than much of the “two guys with a mic” content that is so prevalent in the podcasting world. Be prepared that it may take time to find the program that connects, but the best way to find it is to get as many at-bats as possible. The marginal cost of creating a show is so low, that it pays to try lots of different topics, talent and approaches. You’ll also find that a little production value goes a long way.

And once you’ve produced it, you can use your on-air broadcast to help that new, on-demand content find its audience. So unlike other podcasters who battle each other to connect with Apple’s one (yes, one) employee in charge of deciding who gets promotion on the iTunes Store, you can reach out to your entire audience. And with advertising CPMs of $20 – $100, it’s possible to turn a successful podcast into real revenue.

To learn more about Podcast Movement or your mobile strategy contact us at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.

Categories
Mobile Apps Radio

Mobile Can Help Connect Your Message to Local Listeners

By: Bob Kernen

At jācapps I’ve been talking about the importance of location technology for over two years. Ever since I saw a demonstration of iBeacon technology at a Mobile Mondays program in 2013, I’ve been convinced that it is the next big thing. It makes perfect sense. The devices (and the people carrying them) are mobile, so place is one of the key drivers of context for how we interact with our world. Suddenly, there is a whole layer of information available to us about where we are in space. Connecting that with our intentions at any given moment makes the world a friendlier place.

And it turns out that users are open to exposing their location if given a good reason. According to the Pew Research Center, nine in ten of us use location services. Now much of this is driven by mapping and weather, but the research shows that if you give people a good reason, or something valuable, for the privilege.

The key is for the user benefit to be clear. We’ve all seen the pop-ups on our phones when an app asks to access our location. Your first thought is always “why?” Followed by what am I getting for this? And, is it something I want? While weather and mapping apps get a 90% acceptance rate, messaging apps only get 30% acceptance. But if your station is able to deliver value – a coupon, a location sensitive message, or a special offer, it’s more likely that that user will tap “okay” when asked about accessing their location. Once they do, you can learn a lot about their behavior and their presence.

Broadcasting’s big edge today is the fact that it is local. Mobile can help connect your local message to your listener on the device that they have with them all the time. So look for ways to provide your listeners and your clients with a way to connect at the time and place they want.

To learn more about how location technology can support your mobile strategy contact us at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.

Categories
Mobile Apps

Mobile Drives Surge in Digital Advertising

By: Bob Kernen

Double digit growth is impressive almost any time, but when something experiences double digit growth for 20 straight years that is really impressive. That is what digital advertising has done since Bill Clinton was president, and nobody knew anything about a girl named Monica.

But even with that impressive number from the IAB, here’s an even more impressive one: growth of mobile advertising grew 66 percent – in just one year, from 2014 to 2015. Mobile advertising rang up $20.7B in 2015.

This is tremendous news for anyone with a mobile strategy. What it means is that your mobile presence no longer has to be looked at as a cost center, but can be a real revenue driver. When you look at what’s possible on mobile, not just tiny awful banners, but real marketing with rich media elements, strong interactivity and valuable data gathering, the possibilities are endless. And in a time when broadcast media struggles to “attribute” their advertising to actual sales and ROI, mobile becomes the perfect vehicle to show your advertisers how their marketing is working through your channel.

More good news was found in pricing data. While digital has challenged CPM rates for several years now, in 2015 pricing actually improved, despite growth of low-cost programmatic ad buying. Also, driving rates up was the growth of digital video advertising. This includes desktop as well as mobile, but the rates being paid for rich media (audio and video) are impressive, and broadcasters and media companies are really well positioned to take advantage of this.

If you have questions or want to discuss ways to improve your mobile monetization, check out our webinar and white paper, or contact us at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com and we can help you take advantage.

Categories
Mobile Apps Radio

Listening is Shifting Toward Mobile

Another Monday, another set of data confirming what most of us know intuitively – people really like their smartphones and use them for everything! According to the new “Share of Ear” research from Edison Research, and as reported by Steve Goldstein, 19% of audio consumption is on the smartphone. That means that one minute out of every 5 consumers spend listening to audio content is on a smartphone. And if you look at just the younger demographics, the numbers are closer to one out of three minutes. That’s a lot of people with ear buds in, or Bluetooth-ed to some other device perhaps in their home or their car.

For anyone in the mobile space, this comes as no surprise at all. We’ve witnessed how the smartphone has, blob-like, taken over one area of information or media consumption after another. Search, travel, social media, video – one by one all have shifted to majority usage on mobile phones. This device is the closest thing to a sci-fi-like “neural implant” we’ve ever seen. We are a species that has become more and more connected to these devices and they’ve become more and more deeply hardwired into our very existence.

Another interesting stat is that consumers who listen on smartphones “every day” is 34%. And once again, (the children shall lead them) among 13-34 year-old users that number is 68%.

So if listening is shifting rapidly (or, arguably, has already shifted) to mobile, your audio product is right there on the palm-top next to all of your competition. Whether you’re a radio station, or an Internet streamer, you’re sitting beside Spotify, AppleMusic, Rhapsody, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and literally thousands of digital stations, plus the user’s own music collection. Your product has to be better. That means live, social, on-demand, and with all the personality and other brand attributes your audience loves you for.

Most importantly you have to tell your audience where to find you. Use your broadcast to let them know that they can find your station on its own app, and all the reasons your app is the best place to listen, like social interaction, on-demand content, newsfeeds, whatever else you’re providing them. And rest assured that all this smartphone listening can be measured by Nielsen’s mobile SDK.

TuneIn is fine for discovery, but your biggest fans deserve more. NextRadio is great, too, but it still has major distribution hurdles to clear. App usage habits are becoming ingrained now – so you want your app to be part of that habit.

To learn more about how connecting with your audience on mobile contact us at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.

Categories
Connected Car Mobile Apps

The OS in Your Car

By: Bob Kernen

At this late date in the digital revolution, most of us have made our decisions about the tech we like – you’re either a Mac person or a PC person, an iPhone person or an Android person. The new choice consumers are now being asked to make has to do with which operating system (OS) they want in their car.

Ford Sync was the first to market in 2008, but soon every major manufacturer had its own “connected car” system — Cue, Uconnect, lots of others, too. Usually with a touchscreen and a decidedly proprietary look and feel. Then in 2014, the big tech dogs announced that they were getting into the automotive game. Apple and Google both announced that they wanted a piece of your dash, too. Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto are now rolling out in new vehicles, and you only have to see a recent TV commercial for Chevy, or VW or Audi to see these systems in action.

So in spite of millions invested in proprietary in-car systems, most of the major manufacturers have conceded that people don’t want another choice, they want the choice they’ve already made (iPhone or Android) to work in their car, too.

There are some trade-offs. If you use CarPlay or Android Auto in your car, you may lose easy access to some of your car’s key functions – climate control, radio, etc. – but you will gain access to any apps on your phone that are enabled for these connected car systems. There are also still other in-car systems that you may bump into like SmartDeviceLink (Ford and Toyota), MirrorLink and even Panasonic’s One Connect.

So what’s a content provider or marketer to do? You have to add to your growing and ever more complicated digital strategy a plan for getting into this important environment. But it’s not entirely straightforward. There are lots of rules (you know, because safety) about what you can display on the car’s screen, and not every piece of content or functionality is going to make it to the dashboard. When thinking about it, think about the “3 M’s” – Media, Messaging and Mapping.

Your mobile app is the best way in, as your app can be enabled for any of these systems, and at jācapps we have focused on this crucial “connected car” space as part of our App Everywhere℠ strategy. We can help you to understand how to best deliver your content in this important, but highly restricted space.

In the future, maybe your car will become nothing but a giant “peripheral” to your smartphone, but as a car lover from Motown, I hope not.

To learn more about how to stay connected contact us at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.

Categories
Mobile Apps

5 Reasons Mobile Ads Fail

All the statistics say the same thing: advertisers are moving to mobile.  It is the fastest growing ad medium by far, with 49% growth forecast for this year.

The mobile platform is tremendously powerful, but the problem is that most mobile advertising sucks. Here are some of the reasons why and some things that can be done about it.

  1. Mobile banners are terrible. These tiny units do a poor job of communicating a brand message simply because of their size in what is already a tight user interface. The click-thru rate on these ads is microscopic, even more so if you believe the research that 60% of click-thrus are mistakes. If you insist on using these units – a lot can be bought cheaply across large networks – keep the messaging simple, like five words simple. Which brings me to the second failing of mobile advertising:
  2. The creative wasn’t made for mobile. No, you can’t repurpose that 728×90 leaderboard ad for mobile. The images and copy on it will render so small that nobody will be able to read it. Take the time and invest the money to have your designer create mobile optimized creative. Look for options like sponsorships and interstitials that make a stronger impression than a banner. That will improve both your brand messaging, and your interaction rate. Which is the next challenge for mobile advertising:
  3. The mobile interaction model is different. Once your brand figures out the right brand messaging, think hard about the result you want from the impression. A basic click-thru to a website doesn’t make a lot of sense, especially if the website the user clicks through to isn’t mobile optimized. A mobile user is unlikely to “surf” through a site. Instead go for quick, simple actions. Get the user to download an app, grab a coupon or purchase.  The interaction, like the creative, should be optimized for the mobile environment.
  4. Good targeting is crucial. Mobile gives you the opportunity to be on the most personal of media, and if your advertising seems shotgun, it won’t connect. Understand the app you’re placing your ad on, and take advantage of any data you can get about the individual user to target just those people most receptive to your message.
  5. Location matters. The biggest opportunity for mobile advertising is the opportunity to know where the user is, so that messaging can take advantage of geo-targeting by identifying that user in space and pushing them the right message.  If it’s lunchtime it makes sense for a quick serve restaurant to advertise. It makes even more sense if it’s lunchtime, and you know they’re on the move in that restaurant’s neighborhood.

We’re happy to help you optimize your mobile advertising or your mobile strategy.  If you want input contact Beth Ayers or Bob Kernen at 248-353-9030, or email sales@jacapps.com.

Categories
Mobile Apps

5 Questions to Ask Your Mobile Developer

By: Bob Kernen

Choosing someone to help you plan and execute your mobile strategy can be daunting. If you’re like most media or agency people you mostly know about mobile as a user. You may be super-smart about digital in general, but mobile is a challenging beast.  So before you make a decision about the company you want to develop your mobile strategy, you should ask them these five key questions:

  1. Which platforms do they develop for? This is such an important question because you want to make sure your app is widely distributed without paying a lot extra for tiny slices of the consumer market. Most developers will offer iOS (iPhone) and Android development. With these two platforms your app will be available to well over 95% of the users in North America. Some firms will also offer support for Windows Phone or even Amazon devices, but these devices make up a very small proportion of the devices in the market, so you’re paying a lot for not a lot of gain. If you’re in Europe or Asia, Windows Phone may make more sense to have.
     
  2. Where is the development being done? Lots of firms “offshore” their development to far away places like India, China, Pakistan and eastern Europe. Nothing wrong with that, inherently, but it can complicate your project, as a lot of the work will be done by people who may have little understanding of your market, and things like changes and edits may have to be done “overnight” due to time differences. The key to a successful “offshore” project is who is managing the project from “onshore.” So you should make sure that the company has the personnel and the track record of managing these types of projects.
     
  3. How do they support your apps? Mobile is a fast-changing, dynamic environment and it is anything but a set-it-and-forget-it proposition. Your mobile development partner should be capable and ready to support your app as things like operating systems and devices change. Several times a year Apple and Google will make updates to their respective OSs and those changes can cause problems with your app. The developer should be taking care of those problems without having to charge you for every minor update. Also, new devices can cause issues and your developer should be prepared to support any device with more than 5% market share.
     
  4. How does your app work with new things like cars, TVs and watches? Apps are now for more than just phones. Lots of new devices offer apps, and your app developer should be able to deliver for you on these platforms if your client needs them to. If your client has a lot of video content, a smart TV app might make sense, and extensions for watches, and cars should definitely be a part of your app’s capabilities.
     
  5. What services do they provide beyond writing code? Top notch developers are obviously a must, but it’s important that you know what else you’re getting. Does your developer have designers (user interface as well as graphic), client support people, project managers and other strategists who can make sure that you don’t just end up with an app, but with the right app.

There are surely lots of other questions, but these should help you narrow your search. If you want input on your mobile strategy contact Beth Ayers or Bob Kernen at 248-353-9030, or email sales@jacapps.com.

Categories
Mobile Apps

Zap (XAPP) Your Mobile Revenue

By: Bob Kernen

By the end of 2015, more than 50% of all streaming listening was happening on mobile devices. We believe that this reflects the tremendous power of mobile listening. Consumers take their devices with them everywhere – more than half of us NEVER even turn them off – and they’ve grown accustomed to listening — to music, news, podcasts, etc. – to what they want whenever and wherever they want.

So the audience is there. Problem #1 solved. Problem #2 is tougher. The challenge of monetizing all this listening is really where mobile audio succeeds or fails. So far, it’s failed. And the reasons for this are many:

  • Mobile banner ads stink – microscopic CPMs, click-thru rates approaching zero.
  • Any mobile display ad really stinks on audio apps, which are dark most of the time they are in use.
  • Pre-roll audio and video, while more valuable have limited available inventory.
  • In-stream ads aren’t interactive
  • We know from Jacobs Media’s TechSurveys that higher ad loads are one of Pandora’s biggest challenges, so more inventory isn’t the answer.

The answer is an ad format that 1) commands high CPMs, 2) is interactive even when the app is dark, and 3) delivers value, including measurable ROI to advertisers. We think XAPP Ads ticks all three of these boxes. That’s why jacapps has partnered with XAPPmedia to offer these to our clients.

XAPP ads are a unique type of voice-response advertising that delivers audio sponsor messages that users can respond to with just their voice. They are completely hands and eyes free. Check out a sample of XAPP ads here.  These unique ad units allow your advertisers to choose from a variety of consumer actions including “visit our website,” “call now,” “download app” and more.

In a recent pilot program we did with XAPPmedia, we had interaction rates of over 5%. That included click-thrus on the companion display ad and voice interactions. That is more than 10X typical display ad interaction rates.

Now you can have these high-value ads on your mobile app and start generating real revenue from your mobile strategy. jacapps can set you up with XAPP ads, to learn more join us on Wednesday for our XAPP Ads webinar. You’ll see how XAPPs work and learn how to be a part of it.

We are committed to helping you drive your mobile monetization strategy. You can find out more about how to monetize mobile here, or if you’re going to NAB, set up some time to meet with us. Just email info@jacapps.com or call us at 248-353-9030.

Categories
Mobile Apps

The Stream Is Mobile

By: Bob Kernen

A new report from consumer research company Parks Associates finds that 68% of smartphone users listen to music on their phones daily. That’s right, daily. This is huge news for radio, and a real call-to-action for stations to look closely at what they’re doing with their mobile apps. What this adds up to is an audience that spends, on average, 45 minutes a day listening to music.

Of course your station should be part of that mix, which means giving listeners a great mobile experience. That experience should include not just be access to your stream(s), but also on-demand audio and social engagement that will keep them listening longer.

You also need to remind your listeners about your mobile “accessibility” with frequent, creative on-air promotion. Remind listeners about all the places they can take you, whether it be to the beach, the gym, in their cubical, or in their home. Be specific with your promotions in order to plant the seed in the audience’s mind of where and when they can enjoy your station.

In addition to the time spent listening, mobile users are also consuming about 24 minutes of video per day. With production costs nearly negligible these days, there is no reason your station can’t be creating video content regularly. Whether at events or in studio, someone should be able to record some simple video with their own smartphone to post on your website and mobile app. The CPMs for video on mobile are impressive.

Parks Associates’ research also found that the highest usage was on carriers T*Mobile and Sprint. Could this perhaps be because those networks consumers skew a little younger? More importantly, this could be an opportunity for your sales department to be creative in developing partnerships with the carriers.

Finally, smartphone users are spending about 28 minutes a day playing games on their phones. At jacapps, we think there is a huge opportunity here for radio to create fun, engaging branded games that can extend time spent listening and just with your brand in general. This is definitely something to think about as you work on your mobile strategy.

If you want input on your mobile strategy, or want to learn more about monetizing your mobile assets contact Beth Ayers or me at 248-353-9030, or email sales@jacapps.com.

Categories
Mobile Apps

5 Questions To Ask Your Client About Their Mobile Strategy

By: Bob Kernen

We spend a lot of time talking to our clients about mobile. Frequently, they want to start right away talking apps. That’s great, we’re thrilled that they’re engaged and interested in this exploding media-tech space. But we always try to back them up a step or two so we can understand more about them, their audience and their product. Out of those interactions, we’ve begun to zero in on some basic questions that are crucial to a successful mobile strategy.

  1. What’s the big picture? Part of that process of stepping back is getting a more complete handle on their whole marketing and product plan. The best mobile strategy is one that integrates smoothly with everything else they’re doing, and lots of clients will make the mistake of thinking about digital as its own separate thing. It’s not. And it will only work if it’s a well thought out part of the big picture. So whether or not you have anything to do with the rest of the marketing plan, be sure to understand it. It’s the only way to craft a solution that will be successful.
  2. What’s the mobile value proposition? A lot of people think they just “need an app,” but it’s crucial to understand exactly what function that app is going to serve. Is it delivering the product (distribution), or is it a consumer engagement tool (marketing)? You have to help your client understand where in the consumer value chain their mobile strategy sits, and how it improves the customer experience. Identify the goals and memorialize them in a way that allows you to revisit them throughout the development and deployment process.
  3. What action are you trying to get the customer to take? Once you’re clear on the big picture and the value proposition, it’s time to dive into the details a little. Do you want more foot traffic? Are you looking to execute an e-commerce transaction? Or, is the product actually delivered via mobile? By knowing what the desired consumer action is in the app, you can design and prioritize functionality and make sure that what you want the user to do is easy and clear.
  4. How do you plan to drive engagement? We’ve seen lots of great apps die terrible deaths because the brand forgot to promote it. Before building even begins you should be working with your client to outline a promotional strategy that will get people to download and use the app. What tools do you have/need to get consumers to engage with your brand? What else is being done (this is where the “big picture” thinking back in #1 comes in again) that can be leveraged to drive interest in the app.
  5. What are your expectations from your marketing program? This may be the last item on the list, but it’s one of the most important. So often we see clients who get well into a mobile program and only then ask the question, “Are we succeeding?” Unfortunately, at that point, not only is it hard to know, it’s harder to change course. So, be very clear with your client about what success looks like. Determine the metrics that will be used to measure success, and know the variables that can influence those metrics so you can make any necessary mid-course corrections.

All of these questions are central to a successful mobile program, and you need to have this conversation with your client before you begin executing.

To learn more about monetizing your mobile assets contact Beth Ayers or me at 248-353-9030, or email sales@jacapps.com.