"Multimedia-ize" Your Display Ads with Embedded Playback Widgets

Simple banner and other format (e.g., box) display ads are usually static .jpg or .png images that solicit site visitors to "click through" to more information; i.e., the core message or "call to action" such as registering to attend a webinar or live event or to download a white paper, etc.

Aside from using eye-catching graphics and concise text, there's really little else that display ads can do to entice visitors to click on the ad and take the desired action. The formats of these ads are usually set in stone and do not allow for much detailed information to be delivered in an compelling format.

Pharma Marketing Network offers more value to our advertisers who purchase display ads to run on the network by "multimedia-izing" the ad! That is, we take your simple static image and combine with an embedded widget to playback an audio or video clip or even display a Twitter timeline. An example of a display ad with an embedded audio playback widget is shown in the image below:

(click on image for an enlarged view)

In this particular case, the ad appears on Pharma Marketing Blog. The top portion of the ad is what you might see in a typical simple display ad; i.e., a combination of graphics and text that links to the sponsor's landing page.

Inserted at the bottom is a widget that allows viewers of the ad to play back a short, 1 to 2 minute audio snippet from an Pharma Marketing Talk interview or a PharmaGuy Audio Snippet. Youtube videos and Twitter timelines can also be embedded within display ads.

So, which is more compelling and likely to generate clickthroughs? A simple graphical display ad or an audio-enhanced display ad as described above?

For details about display ads of all types -- including audio-enhanced display ads -- please contact sales@pharma-mkting.com

Pharma Marketing Talk Podcast: More Than 15 Minutes of Fame!

As of July, 2012, Pharma Marketing Talk podcasts have been listened to a total of about 192,000 times. 2012 podcasts have received, on average, nearly 1,800 listens each and a few have received 3,000, 6,000, 8,000 or 10,000 listens. Of course, by now even more people have listened to these shows, which typically run about 30 minutes in length.

[For an update, see Pharma Marketing Talk: 2012 Stats and Top 5 Shows]

Each podcast is promoted before and after the interview to the thousands of subscribers to Pharma Marketing News, followers of @Pharmaguy on Twitter, and readers of Pharma Marketing Blog. This promotion gives our guest clients much more than 15 minutes of fame within the online pharma community!

Here is how podcasts are promoted via the Network:

• Podcast promotion page, which includes a summary of the discussion topic, lists of guests (including short bios), background information, list of topics and/or questions to be discussed, links to additional resources (eg, white papers, press releases, etc.) and, of course, information about listening or calling in to the live show. This promo page (see an example here) remains on the Pharma Marketing Network indefinitely.
• The podcast is included in the Pharma Marketing Talk RSS Feed and posts made to this feed are AUTOMATICALLY posted as threads in the Pharma Marketing Talk Forum where it gets added social media and search engine visibility!
• Listing the podcast in the online Conference Calendar. The listing includes the title of podcast, date and time of podcast, short description of podcast, photo of guest, and link to the podcast promotion  page. See example below (click on image for enlarged view).

• Same listing in the email Conference Calendar Update sent to all subscribers every 2 weeks.
• Box Ad promoting the podcast before and/or after the interview (see Conference Calendar Update). See example below (click on image for enlarged view).

• One or two Tweets about the podcast via  the @Pharmaguy Twitter account is posted before AND after the live interview/discussion.
• A Playback Widget for the show is available after the show is archived on BlogTalkRadio and iTunes. This widget is included in the podcast promo page so that the audio is played back as soon as the page is accessed. Guests can also copy this widget and place in on their web sites and/or blogs. 

For more information about Pharma Marketing Talk podcasts click here. If you are interested in being a guest on a Pharma Marketing Talk podcast, please fill out this ONLINE FORM today! or call 215-504-4164 or e-mail request@talk.pharma-mkting.com.

Leverage Your Podcast Interview

Here's a typical scenario editors and publishers like me often encounter.

A PR person calls calls or emails to tell me about his or her client's new product or service. I explain that I usually don't publish press releases in Pharma Marketing News, my monthly electronic newsletter. I suggest that the client Sponsor a Forum dedicated to the company. The client will then be able to self-publish (post) all their press releases, white papers, etc.
What more can I do? My readers want me to inform them about new products and services that may help them in their jobs. Also, I want PR people to be successful, especially if it helps me and my readers. Therefore, I agree to a phone interview.

If the fit is good and the founder or CEO knows his or her stuff, I usually invite him or her to be a guest on the Pharma Marketing Talk live BlogTalkRadio Show and podcast (see "Pharmaguy Interviews: More Than 15 Minutes of Fame!"). I've done over 200 of these shows. You can find a complete list of archived shows (podcasts) here.

Usually, the show is part of a larger campaign such as an "Advertorial" (for more information about that see "Promoting Your Products & Services" and download this pdf file).

A fair amount of promotion is included with each show I produce. First, there's the show information page, which includes the title of the show, brief description, guest bios and photos, date and time of the live show, background information, list of questions or topics to be discussed, and instructions for participating LIVE by phone or online. After the show, this page includes a "widget" that automatically plays the podcast when the page is viewed. There's also a link to the BlogTalkRadio page where you can hear it. See "Solving the Medical Marketing Blues" as an example.

Pharma Marketing Talk (PMT) shows may be listed in the online Conference Calendar and in the Conference Calendar Update sent by email every two weeks to subscribers of Pharma Marketing News. I also notify my thousands of Twitter followers about the show. The show information is also posted in the Pharma Marketing Talk Forum under Events.

Most of this promotion occurs before the live show. In this busy world, however, who has time to listen live, especially in the middle of the afternoon when most of my shows air. Of course, I could change the air time to make it more convenient for live listens, but it's still not likely that more than a few dozen will show up. [BTW, people can listen live online via the Web or call in to listen and/or ask questions live during the show.]

Most people listen to the podcast audio archive of the show, which is kept online indefinitely and is available to download (mp3 format) for listening on mp3 devices such as the iPhone or iPad. The promotional page also stays on the PMN site indefinitely and there is a list of show archives available as well. This makes it easy for PMN visitors to find shows and for the shows to be indexed by search engines.

If you search for "Sanofi-Aventis facebook" on Google, for example, you will find the PMT podcast interview of Dennis Urbaniak, VP US Diabetes at sanofi-aventis, in the #2 position with a link to "What Sanofi-Aventis Learned from Its FaceBook Experience & What the Experts Recommend It Do Now." The #1 link, BTW, is the Pharma Marketing Blog post "Disgruntled Patient Shuts Down sanofi-aventis Facebook Page," which explains the issue being discussed.

As a result of all this promotion, the Sanofi-Aventis facebook podcast has been listened to over 1,300 times since it was recorded. The PMT show had 130 live listeners via the web and 37 people calling in.

Obviously, not every show is as popular as this. On average, podcasts of shows that aired in 2010 have been listened to 486 times (aver live listeners = 19; aver call ins = 9).

[For an update, see Pharma Marketing Talk: 2012 Stats and Top 5 Shows]


As time goes on, this number will increase.

The question is How can you increase the number of listeners to YOUR podcast? Here are a few suggestions:

• You can promote the podcast to your clients via email and/or via your website. You can place the BlogTalkRadio widget -- the same widget I use -- on a page on your website and even in your HTML-formatted email messages! It costs you nothing to link to the podcast or download the widget.
• If you order an Advertorial Promotion Package (see "Promoting Your Products & Services" and download this pdf file), a podcast may be included. The article will include a box ad about the podcast with a direct link to the podcast promo page on PMN.
• A sidebar ad can also be included in a reprint of a relevant Pharma Marketing News article reprint (past or upcoming article) that includes a link to the podcast.
• Order a text transcript of the interview. You can then easily create a summary of the discussion to post on your website or as a press release.

If you are interested learning more about the Pharma Marketing Talk show and how to leverage the podcast archive to reach more PMN subscribers, please Contact Us and we will be very happy to discuss the details and get you a quotation/insertion order.