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Listening to podcasts isn't something I enjoy or take time
for, quite frankly. I'm a visual learner and prefer to read
something rather than listen to it, as I find reading a much
quicker way to gather the info that I need. However, with
the proliferation of audio listening devices, like the whole
iPod family and other mp3 players, I have to acknowledge
that I'm in the minority, I believe. The world is listening
to a wide variety of audio files, much more so than ever
before in history, and I need to get on the bandwagon or be
lost in the dust.
What is a podcast, anyway? A podcast is an audio file that
you create in .mp3 format that is uploaded with an RSS
(Really Simple Syndication) file to your server for your
target market to download on any number of programs created
to receive or subscribe to your audio file so that they can
listen to it at their leisure on their computer or a
personal mp3 device.
Why should you create a podcast? I think it serves as a
marketing tool for the solo service professional, who might
want to do one of the following:
create an Internet radio show or talk show in which you
create content-rich broadcasts for your target market
conduct a teleclass series in which you interview experts
who have solutions to problems faced by your target market
promote a printed book, ebook, or CD/DVD series by releasing
promotional snippets to a wider audience
provide short and valuable expert tips to your target market
(my Get More Clients Online podcast consists of the weekly
article I write for my newsletter)
Many podcasts are about an hour in length, especially when
they consist of recordings of radio shows or teleclasses.
However, I think that the listening threshold for most
people is about 10 minutes. So, that means that your podcast
needs to be 10 minutes or less in length. If it's longer,
you really have to grab their attention in the first 10
minutes to keep them listening for the full amount of time.
Good content and a good speaking voice are key to
maintaining interest. Don't make your podcast one long
advertisement for your services or products -- share some
useful information with your target market to help them
solve their problems. And, you need to have a good speaking
voice. Nothing is worse than listening to someone read a
speech with a monotone delivery. So, for maximum impact when
you record your podcast (especially if you're just recording
yourself), get up and walk around, smile, gesture, or do
whatever you normally do when you deliver a speech. Modulate
your voice, in much the same way that you would when you
have a 1:1 conversation with someone -- put feeling and
emotion into your words. I pretend like I'm talking to my
best friend, and that helps me with a lively delivery.
What are the Steps to Creating a Podcast?
1. Listen to a few podcasts to get a feel for what others
are doing. To listen, you'll need a podcatcher (podcast
reader), which permits you to subscribe to podcasts in the
same way you subscribe to blogs. I favor iTunes as my
podcatcher of choice, which is a frëe online download.
You'll also need to find podcasts, and the quickest way to
do that is via podcast directories, which include the iTunes
store. Podcast Alley, one of the most popular podcasting
sites, has a large podcast directory, and Yahoo Podcasts has
a podcast search. To find others, simply search online for "podcast
directory."
2. Plan your podcast. Who is your target market? What do
they want to listen to? How will your podcast be unique from
others in your industry? What's your format (interview
others, host a teleclass, or record yourself)? How long will
your podcast be? How frequently will you deliver your
podcasts?
3. Record your podcast. Many people choose to record their
podcast with a frëe piece of software called Audacity. It
has an easy learning curve and advanced features for more
experienced podcasters. Mac users might want to look at
Garage Band. For best recording sound, don't use the
microphone that came with your computer or that is built
into your laptop. You'll want to get a more professional
one, such as the ones offered at Plantronics or Radio Shack.
4. Save and upload your podcast to your server. Once you've
created your podcast in an mp3 file, you have to save it and
upload it to a server via an FTP program (like CuteFTP) so
that it's readily available. You can upload it to your
website, or use one of the many podcasting hostíng services
available. The problem with uploading it to your website is
that audio files are space hogs, and you can quickly exhaust
all the storage capacity of your hostíng account, not to
mention your monthly bandwidth capacity if your podcast is
popular and is downloaded frequently. That's why I use a
fee-based audio service hostíng company, Audio Acrobat,
which offers me generous storage and bandwidth capacity for
a semi-annual fee. Another popular podcast hostíng company
is Hipcast.com.
5. Create your podcast feed. You can create your podcast
feed from scratch, but I recommend you use a feed service to
do so. If you use a podcasting hostíng service, this feature
is included in your service package. For everyone else, the
quickest way to create your podcast feed is through
Feedburner.com. This is the same service that creates RSS
feeds for blogs. The advantage of creating your podcast feed
from this site is that you can create a browser-friendly
feed, track your circulation, and enhance your feed with its
SmartCast technology.
6. Publish and promote your podcast. If you use a podcasting
hostíng service, the service will publish your podcast and
notify various podcast directories about the availability of
your new podcast. Or, you can enter the info directly into
the major podcast directories. You'll also want to promote
the podcast on your website, blog, and in your email
newsletter. One of the easiest ways to do this is to add
feed subscription buttons (called chiclets) to your sites.
You'll have to cut and paste the HTML code into your
templates to create the chiclets. You can get directions on
how to publish subscription buttons from the various
podcasters you want to feature. Lastly, you'll want to
create "album art" for your podcast, or a graphic
representation that many podcatchers upload with the mp3
file. Album art may be from 170x170 to 300x300 pixels square
at 72 dpi. Any graphic designer can help you create this
graphics file.
7. Make monëy from your podcast. Advertising on podcasts is
still fairly new, but some companies like Fruitcast.com or
PodcasterAds.com are places to start. Another option is to
place Google Adsense listings on all of your sites listing
your podcast, or seek sponsors for your podcasts, just like
you would for a radio show.
Don't let the audio world pass you by! Podcasting is a very
inexpensive way of helping you get the word out about what
you do and what you offër to the world.
6. Using Frames. Don't use frames. Frames are a
thing of the 90's (and in the Internet world that is eons
ago) and are not even supported by some search engines. The
search engines that are able to index your site through
frames will most likely frown upon them. Whatever you are
trying to accomplish by using frames can usually be done
with the help of PHP includes or CSS (Cascading Style
Sheets). Some browsers are not frames-compatible, so there
is the danger of some visitors not being able to see your
site at all. Bookmarking of individual pages within a frame
becomes difficult without lengthly scripts being written.
7. Update Your Information. Not only does
information printed two or three years ago reflect badly on
your organization when it is read by a visitor, it is also
looked down upon by search engines. Web sites that
continuously update and grow their web sites usually
experience higher rankings than stagnant sites. When the
trick to SEO is offering visitors the most relevant
information, you can bet that the age of web pages is taken
into consideration by search engines. Consider creating a
section of your site devoted to news within your
organization, or have a constantly updated resources area.
Many shortfalls of web sites can easily be attributed to
designers who just don't keep the user or search engines in
mind. Search engine algorithms are quickly improving to try
and list the most user-friendly sites higher, given that the
content and link popularity are there to back it up. So
first and foremost, know your target market and make your
web site work for them before focusing on search engine
optimization. If you build it (properly), they will come.
Reason #6. No filters to worry about.
This is the next best feature to RSS feeds because you
don't have to worry about your message being passed through
some email filter.
By using RSS, your message gets delivered to 100% of your
subscribers.
This is a very powerful feature.
Reason #7. No more Sp@m complaints.
This is yet another great benefit to RSS because you
don't have to worry about "Sp@m" complaints or "Privacy
Policies" - again because they have to add your feed to
their reader, not the other way around with email.
Reason #8. You get Instant credibility.
By publishing your own RSS feed, you're establishing
yourself as an expert in the eyes of your readers and as
someone who knows his/her industry which will build "Trust".
Reason #9. Multiple ways to read your feed.
RSS is very versatile because it allows you to view the
feed in many different media platforms.
Some examples are, Browser Based readers, Software Based
readers, and the ability to view feeds on different
operating systems like windows and mac.
Reason #10. Frëe and Easy site promotion.
I like to save the best for last because RSS is a great
way to get frëe traffïc to your website without the need of
spending monëy on advertising.
This benefit alone will save you hundreds, if not
thousands, in yearly expenses to advertise your online
business.
Well... are those enough reasons for you to get started
with RSS?
I certainly hope so because they sure get me excited
everytime I read through them.
Just imagine for a minute your same message you worked so
hard on that you were going to send via email getting to
100% of your subscribers instantly -- On-Demand --
via your own RSS feed without ever having to worry about
email filters.
Your response rates would Double, if not, Triple, meaning
more $$Profits$$ in your pocket with less work.
Internet technology at its Best.
As I mentioned early in my article, the best way to take
advantage of RSS... Starting Today! ... is to set-up
your own dedicated RSS webpage on your website.
If you don't have time to set-up your own webpage I
recommend you set-up an account with
Blogger.com -- and then
head over to
FeedBurner.com -- and set-up an account there.
FeedBurner.com will auto-generate you a RSS subscription
page with whatever RSS feed URL you choose.
Well... there you have it, "RSS... And The 10 MOST
Powerful Reasons Why You Should Be Using It" and
more.
In conclusion, publishers using RSS as a communication
vehicle for there business are able to create keyword-rich,
themed content, establishing Trust, Credibility, and ongoing
communication with current and prospective subscribers
and/or customers. |
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