Webcast outreach comes down to “basic PR.”

“The average cost of a Webcast, without post production, runs around $8,000,” explained

Friedman. “That involves the hosting, the archiving, and also the outreach. That’s something we did not talk about today, but it’s important. Okay, you’re doing a Webcast, now who’s watching? That comes down to basic PR.” When DWJ produced “Baby Bowl,” Freidman says they contacted some 400 websites, mainly by email, to encourage them to log on, so they could take the feed and their viewers could see it. “We got 2,000 hits, but how do you express that in viewers, 15 million? It’s like television in the ‘70’s, we don’t know the answer, yet.”

Webcasting adds “oomph to your PR campaign” says Friedman

Webcasting is one of the newest ways to add oomph to a PR campaign. Media, as well as consumer, partners, international affiliates, employees, and any other target audience you can think of, can “Browse in when they like, where they like.

When to do one:  Be creative like Payless Shoe Source, Inc. did with “Baby Bowl I”

When you consider adding video to your PR campaign and want to get across something important, that’s what will lead you to your first Webcast, too.

Payless Shoe Source, Inc. had an important story to tell about it new technology for better fitting shoes and the importance of properly fitting shoes for children. With the help of Barkley Evergreen & Partners, Inc., Kansas City, MO, and DWJ Television, Payless launched a massive PR effort that included a great visual- ten babies crawling competitively across a mock football field with professional football player coaches. “Some of the babies were sons of the players, and some were not,” said Friedman.

Staged just before the Super Bowl, the “Payless Shoe Source Baby Bowl I,” was created to launch the Baby’s First Shoes program. It truly was a “made-for-television” event – but for at least three reasons, it was also made-for-the-Internet.

First, it had visual appeal. Second, a VNR, SMT and satellite feed were already planned, so the video production needed for the Webcast was already arranged. And third, PayLess’s target audience included a wide universe of people – from the racers’ families, to new and potential consumers, to its own retail family (more than 4,000 stores across the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada. “It was a great kicker for television, and we produced it like a live event with four cameras with a director and a switch feed,” Friedman.

How to do a successful Webcast

It’s important to remember that TV is the frame of reference for anyone watching video over the Internet. Hire Webcasting experts who know how to produce interesting and compelling television. If your Webcast features a news conference or panel discussion, the event should be well lit and professionally shot. Multiple angels on a speaker and shots of people in the live audience will make people in the Internet audience feel like they’re there. Integrate video and graphics into your Webcast to bring speeches to life.

Your Webcast gets a dedicated URL (Web address) that can be placed anywhere – on your Web site, on a broadcaster’s Web site, even on multiple Web sites. One click, and viewers watch the event as it happens.  You should archive highlights of your Webcast so people can watch weeks or even months later.

Getting the Word Out

As with any PR vehicle, a Webcast needs a target audience. Are you aiming for media? Consumers? Business associates?

Unless yours is a message intended only for a select few, the URL for the Webcast should be included on all press releases and media alerts. Also, the Webcast can be promoted in advance on your Website and others, and in email to targeted viewers.  Don’t forget to register your Webcast URL with search engines like Yahoo!, and sites that deliver news releases.

What to expect:

If you’re among the growing numbers of people with high-speed connection at home or work, you’re going to see Webcasts that are coming closer and closer to broadcast television quality. If you’ve got a lower-speed modem, the audio should be as good as what you’d hear over the radio, and the video will be a little jerky but still very watchable.

EPK

An EPK – with a capital E- is a traditional electronic press kit that includes b-roll and sound bites. “It can include streaming video, graphics, text and hyperlinks,” said Genovesi. “It is a great add-on to a VNR, because it gives our media placement staff something extra to offer news producers while extending the depth, reach and lifespan of your story. Short news staffs enjoy using your client’s b-roll, when they can not cover the event themselves.”

eVNR

At its simplest level, an eVNR can be a streaming video version of your VNR. At its most complex, an eVNR campaign can include different video clips targeted to different audiences or updated video clips over a period of time. “It provides a richer experiences for Web cruisers, and a pathway to more information,” said Genovesi. “We believe eVNRs demand “placement” just like regular VNRs.  For example, if the story is on a medical breakthrough, one of the many Web sites DWJ might approach is www.drkoop.com

eSMT

DWJ puts your expert on camera and let that expert answer direct questions from the media. It takes place in real time over the Internet. The media, mostly Internet journalists, can e-mail questions in advance and during the event. Archived or streaming b-roll, graphics and background text materials can also be available on the eSMT site. Later, within 24 hours or sooner, journalists can get an saved version of the entire eSMT and a personalized package that includes just the answers to his or her specific questions.

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George S. McQuade III, V.P. Internet Accounts, MAYO Communications, Los Angeles, www.mayocommunications.com is the West Coast correspondent for O’Dyre PR Daily. He can reached at 818.340.5300 or email: extremepr@socal.rr.com