Most Valuable Podcast – Pimp For Votes Or Link Bait? You Decide

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Fly-Over Marketing guy and regular audio comment contributor to Six Pixels of Separation – The Twist Image Podcast, Kevin Behringer, has started a Most Valuable Podcast survey over here: Most Valuable Podcast Voting Now Open! and Six Pixels of Separation made the -sweet 16- final list.
I thought the least I could do was vote for myself and then realized that he-s pitting Podcasts against one another, and I have been put up against one of my favorites – American Copywriter (which sucks the big RSS). Tug and John are two of the best and brightest Podcasters out there (and a big reason why I started Six Pixels of Separation), so how pathetic am I that I was slightly tempted to vote for them over me (don-t go high-five-ing yourselves just yet Tug and John, I came to my senses).
So why do I hesitate to Blog about this -contest-? We-ve all become so cynical about this sort of Survey Monkey-driven stuff (myself included). Is Fly Over Marketing doing this to get some link love (or link bait) and popularity? Does pimping for votes here make me a bad Blogger? After all, if Six Pixels of Separation is so good, then people will naturally vote for it and would not need me to nudge them to do so.
So, while it is flattering that Kevin has put me on this list, I see all of the other Podcasts represented and I-m left a little empty and guilty feeling. I follow all of these Podcasts. I consider most of the hosts of these Podcasts friends (some of them good friends). I respect them all. I listen to them all. I know, it-s not very competitive of me, but that may be the main point: there does not have to be one Most Valuable Podcast, because all of them are so varied and different and do co-exist quite happily. It’s like only having only one Avatar in Second Life – not much of a community if that happened.
In a marketing world where we use terms of warfare when describing the competition, the only solace I take from the Most Valuable Podcast Blog posting is that I-m on the right path by listening to the best and brightest talk about marketing, communications, advertising and PR – maybe there are no MVPs in Social Media?
So thanks for thinking of, but I would rather look at the list of Podcasts as a directory and less as a ranking. I-m also reminded to add some of these people to my Pod Roll (on the left-hand side of this Blog).
Here is the Sweet 16 (and they are, sweet indeed):
Across the Sound.
Six Pixels of Separation.
Managing the Gray.
Inside PR.
For Immediate Release.
The Accidental Creative.
The Engaging Brand.
Forward Podcast.
Trafcom News.
CrayonCast.
Marketing Martini.
American Copywriter.
Diary of a Shameless Self Promoter.
The Client Side.
New Comm Road.
The M Show.

8 comments

  1. Kevin,
    I don’t think you’re link baiting in a bad way… at all. I think there are some great ways to drive recognition to one’s Blog (like you did) and it’s very flattering – how about link baiting in a good way (which there is nothing wrong with).
    I just don’t know if there is one MVP in terms of Podcasts – because of how different they all are, but more importantly, because (to me) it is like asking me which child I prefer most.
    I love your passion, the initiative and the visibility you’ve brought to Podcasts that really do deserve more ears and attention… I guess I just don’t like having to rank them or to choose one over the other.
    That being said, it’s your Blog and your contest, so have fun with it πŸ™‚
    All of this will make for a fine audio comment from you on the next Six Pixels of Separation πŸ™‚

  2. Mitch:
    I completely agree with you.
    That’s the reason that I set up the “matches” randomly because I didn’t want to have to set “seedings” for 1 vs 16, etc. It’s not possible because I agree that there is no “best podcast” and this certainly won’t bring one to the forefront.
    I could do the Time magazine copout and say that ALL of them are the MVP. I may put something together highlighting all of them by the end of it. Still playing with some ideas in my head.
    Thanks!
    Kevin

  3. I twittered about this and then told everyone to vote for SPOS since it has my vote above all others on the list and I mean that.
    Link Baiting is NOT always a bad term at all. Good strategy sometimes

  4. Thanks C.C. that’s more than a little flattering.
    Especially coming from you. The fact is that Jaffe and you are the Godfathers of 6POS – without a doubt. And Donna Papacosta is the Godmother.
    My first intro to Podcasts was being a guest on Donna’s show, then ATS and then speaking to you was the cincher.
    I also agree, wholeheartedly, that link baiting can be a very powerful and smart strategy.

  5. Hm.
    No, there’s no such thing as an MVP or MVB or whatever. It’s the same thing US News and World Report is waking up to. There is only what is best for you. For me, Managing the Gray, Six Pixels of Separation, New Comm Road – these are all valuable, and there is no one “best”. If all three are on my iPod, I’ll probably listen to the newest first, but all three will get heard.
    You never know where and when inspiration will strike, but I can affirm that it’s visited more than once for each of you when listening.

  6. Thanks Chris.
    I think you hit the nail on the head.
    I have a fistful of MVP – Most Valuable Podcasts – that’s “Podcasts” with an “s.” The ones that I want to hear right away and then there are the others that I do get to – they just take some time.

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