Award Shows Competing? Podcast Awards, 2012 Stitcher Awards
While it’s definitely a feel-good move, getting an award for something is always a good feeling. Most times you don’t even know someone is listening or watching your show until you realize you have been nominated for an award. Then you get your friends together to vote for you in hopes you get a metal trophy that sits on your mantle.
What happens, though, if two award shows vie for your attention? That is what’s happening right now with podcasters. Podcast Awards is in it’s 8th season, while favorite podcatching site Stitcher decided to run an awards show of it’s own.
8th Annual Podcast Awards
The 8th Annual Podcast Awards show has recognized podcasters in 22 separate categories. In 2005, Todd Cochrane started the Podcast Awards to recognize those shows that excel in podcasting.
Two special categories include People’s Choice Award and Best Produced Podcast. With the other categories, you can only nominate one show per category. If you nominate Joe’s Podcast for Entertainment AND General, your nomination might be rejected. The only exception is the two categories. You can nominate in both and still nominate in one other category.
Nominations happen from October 1st – 15th. Once closed, 44 reviewers will look at all the nominations to qualify the show (as laid out from the PCA rules). Once verified the podcast has met the requirements, the nominee list will be posted. When voting opens on November 1st, nominees will have 15 days to promote their show to get votes. People can vote once a day.
This year’s show will feature an awards ceremony in Las Vegas during NMX.
2012 Stitcher Awards
Stitcher has announced they are also doing an awards show. The 2012 Stitcher Awards also started asking for nominees on October 2nd – 19th. They verify through Facebook, so you will have to connect to Facebook to participate. There are 19 categories to the Stitcher Awards.
Voting for nominees begin on October 22nd – November 9th. You can vote on a daily basis for your favorite show. Winners will be announced at a Live event in San Francisco at the end of the year.
The Problem with Competing Awards Shows
Some say competition is good. However, the big problem comes if someone gets nominated for both award shows. When you get nominated for anything, you try to get your fans to go and vote for you. If you are nominated for 2 award shows, it gets tougher. You basically have two choices:
- Choose one over the other and promote the heck out of it.
- Tell your audience to go to both sites and risk their loyalty by filling out two forms.
Option 1 could wind up making the wrong call and you don’t win where you might have won in the other show. Option 2 could frustrate your audience because they have to go to multiple websites and re-enter their information.
Podcasters – How to Promote Your Show for Nomination – Voting
I do have to admit; I am in it as well. I decided to promote my “Day in Tech History” podcast. If you nominate for PCA, make sure it’s under the EDUCATION category. If you nominate for Stitcher, it’s under “Best Educational and Learning”.
Promoting for nomination is a tough one. The key is to rally your listeners, friends and family to help you win. If you have to compete with larger audience shows, it’s important that you get more people that will vote for you.
Think of it this way: out of 100 listeners, 1-2 might nominate you. If you have 1,000 listeners that just listen to your show and don’t interact, you could see 10 nominations. 1,000 listeners that DO interact will most likely give you a hundred or more nominations.
Getting an award might require some Gorilla Marketing. You might also want to suggest that people nominate your show for a category that does not have major amounts of competition. Technology category – for example – is a large competition market.
Here is a Tip: Dust off your email lists and send a Mail Chimp message. You can set up Mail Chimp and send under 2,000 emails for free. They can track how many people read it, too.
Good luck in whichever podcast awards you try for. Let me know @recordapodcast what you want people to nominate – vote for and I’ll put it up on HTRP.
