7 Steps to Creating a Podcast From an Article

Posted on 11. Mar, 2010 by admin in Podcasts

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I love to write once and repurpose the articles I write into as many marketing opportunities as a I can that will reach the greatest number of people. While podcasting has always intrigued me, I never wanted to take the time to create additional content for an audience who prefers to listen to their information rather than read it. Then it occurred to me that I could create podcasts from my articles by simply reading them (with some feeling and inflection) and integrate that into my weekly article marketing plan.

Podcasting is the process of creating audio files (most commonly in MP3 format) available online so that users can automatically download the files to listen whenever they want. Many will listen to the file via their computer, but since the file is portable, the listener can also download the file to the mp3 player, much in the same way they would download and listen to music.

Here’s my 7 step process to creating podcasts from my articles:

1. Write article. Yes, you have to begin here, as without content, you have no podcast.

2. Create introduction. There are actually 3 parts to your introduction. In the first part, give your podcast a name and create an introduction to who you are and what you do. Here’s an example:

“Hi and welcome to the (your name here) podcast. I’m (your name and title and description). What I do at (my company name) is….(your 10 second audio commercial).”

In the second part of the introduction, I create a short sponsor message. Instead of finding paying sponsors, which is a very viable option, I create sponsors by buying domain names for affiliate products that I routinely recommend and then use that domain name and description of my product as my sponsor. In this way I leverage the information I already have at hand (recommendations of trusted products and services for which I’m an affiliate) without the hassle of seeking out paying sponsorships.

So, the second part of my introduction might be constructed to say something like, “Our sponsor this week is XYZStorytelling.com. What if you had a FAIL-PROOF SHORTCUT to consistently capture attention, whether you’re closing a sale, writing promotional copy, or captivating at a cocktail party? This new teleseminar will teach you how at XYZStorytelling.com.”

The third part of the introduction gives the listener the title of your podcast, as in this example: “This week’s (podcast name) podcast is called, (your podcast title here).”

3. Create outtroduction. This is the exiting information that you say at the end of every podcast. For maximum effectiveness, incorporate your website’s primary call to action here. My call to action is sending people to pick up their free copy of the ebook giveaway that I provide when they sign up for my email newsletter list. Here’s an example: “Thanks for joining me for another (your podcast name) podcast. As your free gift, please pick up your copy of my ebook, (your free giveway here), at (your website URL).

4. Prepare for recording. In order to sound natural and relaxed yet animated and interesting, you’ll probably want to rehearse the reading of your article a couple of times before actually recording it. Initially I was copying and pasting my article into a Word document and enlarging the type so that I could easily read it. Then, I discovered a fr*ee online teleprompter call CuePrompter.com. Now I copy and paste my entire podcast, including the intro, article, and outtro into CuePrompter, set the speed to 3, rehearse with the teleprompter a couple of times until I’m comfortable, and then I’m ready to record.

5. Record the podcast. You can record your podcast on any type of audio recording software, like Audacity, or through a teleconference bridgeline service that records phone calls. I use an audio recording service that permits me to record and distribute my podcasts. Because your podcast will be fairly short (6 minutes or so), if you stammer or stumble during the recording process, it’s simple to just begin again.

6. Upload the podcast. Once you have your completed recording, you can upload the podcast into your podcast distribution service or your podcast website. The link to your service or to your podcast website should be readily available on your primary website, in your email newsletter, and on your blog.

7. Post to podcast sites. If you don’t use a podcasting distribution service, you can manually submit your podcast to various directories online and enter the appropriate distribution information there. That may include info like the podcast title, your name and company name, category for podcast, podcast album art, and keywords to describe the podcast. I’ve found a comprehensive listing of podcast directories at http://www.podcastingnews.com/topics/Podcast_Directory.html.

Instead of reinventing the wheel by creating new content for a new marketing medium, the podcast, simply repurpose the material you’ve already created. This is a very effective strategy to get the word out about your products and services to an entirely new market!

What is Podcasting, and How Can Podcasting Boost Your Business?

Posted on 09. Mar, 2010 by admin in Podcasts

“So what is podcasting all about?” you might ask. Podcasting is all about audio. You can make an MP3 (or other format) audio file full of valuable content and distribute it via the internet.

Many people and companies produce podcasts on a regular basis, and they have subscribers who are notified every time there’s a newly uploaded podcast.

Users can download podcasts to listen to on their computer while offline or on portable music players. Despite its name, podcasts are not made only for iPods but for any device capable of playing MP3 and other audio types.

Many tech people and those in the internet industry have adopted podcasting as an important way of distributing content and marketing material.

Podcasts allow you to create content that is different from articles and other written forms. They allow your listeners to hear you and even interact with you if the podcast includes a teleconference or phone recording. This will help build trust and boost your credibility, as long as your podcasts are full of valuable information.

Know what is the best part about podcasting? The best thing is that anyone can produce a podcast; you don’t have to be a professional audio producer or a techie to be successful with this technique.

Podcasts can be subscribed to via RSS feeds. RSS lets users know when a new podcast is ready and attaches the file to the feed.

If your reader supports podcasting, you can even listen to it in the reader, or automatically download it and listen to it at their convenience. It only takes a bit of imagination to discover what podcasts can be used for – information content, interviews, music clips, news, radio shows, commentaries, webcasts, story telling, instructional and many more uses. The opportunities are endless.

Technology such as VoIP is increasingly being used for podcasts. This adds a whole new level of functionality to podcasting and one that savvy users are taking advantage of.

If you want to make a name for yourself in the internet marketing or affiliate marketing world (or any other industry), then running a weekly podcasting session and encouraging people to join in are effective ways to do that.

People will look forward to your next recording and you can, of course, subtly promote your products and services in the podcasts. As long as you’re providing great value, podcasts make an excellent way to build trust with your customers and prospects, and increase your bottom line.

What are the top benefits of podcasting? They include:

1. Branding

Podcasting allows you to build a brand for your business. This is particularly true if your podcasts follow a similar format each week and have a catchy musical introduction.

2. Asynchronous broadcasting

People do not have to tune in at a specific time as with old-fashioned webcasts. They can listen to your podcast anytime, anywhere.

3. Little effort required

Even the most technologically challenged users are able to use podcasts – they just download the MP3 and play it on their computer or portable device. This makes it highly accessible to anyone.

4. Relationship and trust building

By broadcasting yourself for your audience to hear, you instantly strike up credibility. Once your visitors know that you are a real person because they can hear your voice, the barriers come down and they subconsciously start to trust and like you more.

This is a great way to strengthen the relationship between you and your website visitors and listeners.

Now that you know what podcasting’s main benefits are, you can start using it today to grow and promote your business to a new level.

What are Podcasts and How Can They Help Your Business?

Posted on 08. Mar, 2010 by admin in Podcasts

So What exactly Is A Podcast?

The word Podcast gets thrown around a lot these days but what exactly is a Podcast?  Think of a podcast as a radio show that you can subscribe to or download at any time.  It may help to think of it kind of like TIVO for audio programs.  In fact, a podcast is a web feed of audio or video files placed on the Internet for anyone to subscribe to, or download. Search online and you’ll find a range of Podcasts available on nearly every topic imaginable.  They range from entertainment focused to educational to business oriented and everywhere in between.  

A podcast differs from a simple download in that new content may be automatically delivered. Users need not click into your website for important specials since all of this information may be automatically downloaded.  A podcast show consists of a series of individual episodes that you can listen to and view on-line or offline whenever and wherever you want.

While podcasting has been around for about five years now remarkably, the term itself, has only been around since 2004.  It’s a contraction of IPod (The most popular MP3 player) and broadcasting.  However, you don’t even have to have an MP3 player to listen to programs. You can ’subscribe’ to an entire podcast series using software on your PC or listen to a single episode at a time by using a web browser.  Subscribing to a podcast ensures that all new shows are automatically downloaded to your computer as they are published, and even better subscribing is generally free.  

If you do happen to have an MP3 player, the next time you sync your device, your podcasts will be downloaded for listening on the go.  If you don’t want to subscribe, but rather just want a copy of a particular episode, you can just click the “Download” button to save to your hard disk. Once downloaded you can then manage it and play it like you would any other audio file.  What distinguishes podcasts from other audio or video media is that the content is accessible to its audience(s) whenever, wherever, and however they want.

What are the business applications of Podcasting?

The podcast is a real advantage for business travelers and salespeople who are constantly on the go.  Since they are frequently in transit they can learn about what a company is offering while they travel.  They’re able to stay in the loop about changes that are occurring in the industry or a particular company while on the way to their next meeting.

Whenever a business wants to change its marketing emphasis, their podcast will change with them.  Podcasts enable potential customers to find out more about a particular company and its range of products and service without feeling pressured by a salesperson.  Rather, a friendly voice explaining what makes the company unique will better serve to convert a potential client into a customer.

Podcasts also save on manpower. An extensive sales force is typically required to detail a company’s newest offers and innovations. With a podcast, visitors click in and are directed to any new information the company wants to present.

The other really great thing about podcasts is that they have an incredibly wide reach.  Clients from across the world can access information on companies or products and learn about them in a simple, direct manner at any time, and without having to be tied to a computer.

Especially important is the utilization of pod cast directories which list podcast shows along with the links to their original websites.  These directories publicize the available podcasts.  Among the more popular of the podcast directories are Yahoo Podcasts, Odeo, Podcast Alley and Podcasting News.  

When using directories it’s important to select genre and content categories that make it easier for listeners to find your podcast.  Once you are listed with a directory, you will begin to get visitors from these directories to your website.
 
In order to encourage visitors to listen your podcast you’ll need to start by creating an enticing title that tells them just enough about your product to intrigue them.
 
More important than having a great title though is having even better content.  An outline for your podcast will enable you to be sure you don’t lose your audience, and cover all the points you want to hit.  How long your podcast will be is directly related to how much news you have to share and the extent to which you can keep that news fresh and exciting.  Frequency of updates is also an important issue to address.  This will likely depend on the nature of what you’re discussing and how quickly things change in that industry.

They range from entertainment focused to educational to business oriented and everywhere in between. Podcasts are basically like online radio shows that can be downloaded, or subscribed to. When used effectively they can be a powerful marketing tool for any sort of business.

What are the Benefits of Podcasting as your Marketing Strategy? Can you Make Money With Podcasting?

Posted on 07. Mar, 2010 by admin in Podcasts

Now, I am going to give you what the benefits of podcasting are as your marketing strategy. You’ll discover the benefits of podcasting and the advantages of using podcasting as your marketing tools.

READ THIS: If you are interested in podcasting and looking for the benefits of podcasting as your marketing strategy.

My investigations reveal that most podcast listeners are also early adopters of this new technology means they are typically savvier internet users who realize when they are being marketed to. For this reason, you simply can’t produce a podcast that is purely a hard sales pitch about your product or service for several minutes. Actually, people will never listen to your podcast if you’re just trying to sell them something!

I high encourage that your podcast must be quality relevancy content-driven, interesting, and informative, and must offer real value to your listeners. Podcasting is a way to get in touch with a segment of your audience; to provide information, entertainment, or news; to establish your credibility in your industry… and perhaps include a “soft sell.”

Personally, I believe that podcasting is one of the effective ways to communicate with promising customers or subscribers. Podcasting is a next generation of blogging. If you research well or look around yourself on the internet, you will find that blogging is one of the most popular strategies for internet entrepreneurs to make quick extra money online. Same as blogging, podcasting is a new technology for internet entrepreneurs who are always looking for how to make quick extra money at home online.

I am going to give you the example of how using podcasting benefit to your home based internet marketing business online. You’ll find the examples below.

For example, let’s say you sell winemaking supplies and you want to get into podcasting. A terrific podcast for you to record would be a general show that discusses winemaking; it could feature interviews with industry leaders, reviews of different wines, and so on.

A subscriber to this show would be interested in wine – your targeted market as a seller of winemaking supplies. Most subscribers to podcasts will not listen to even a few minutes of a show unless they have a very specific interest in the topic. This means the value of a listener who subscribes to your podcast is greater than it would be for almost any other advertising medium.

As a marketing tool, podcasting gives you the ability to take advantage of this highly targeted, high-value listener. I strongly believe that using new technology to grow your home based internet marketing business is a good idea. Sometimes, you can be outstanding among your competitors easily. I recommend you to look forward and go one step ahead to your competitors always if you want to stay wherever you are and grow your own home based business.

There are many powerful reasons to consider adding podcasting to your list of marketing strategies. You’ll discover the benefits of podcasting and the advantages of using podcasting as your marketing tool here.

- Podcasting provides an additional communication channel for your home based internet marketing business. The increased online presence it gives you also adds to your reputation, reliability and credibility as an expert in your specified area.

- Podcasting increases your online visibility to your target market and search engines. By listing your podcast at some of the many podcast directories, you’ll help both search engines and individuals find your podcast more easily. Actually, there are reports that Yahoo is building technology for users to search for RSS content such as podcasts. This is the same situation as when you submit your articles to article directories. You are trying to increase your reputation, reliability and creditability through your podcast, articles, and RSS content.

- My investigations show that podcasting allows you to provide value-added offerings that are available only in audio format. For example, let’s say you run a web site that provides investment advice to individuals. A terrific bonus for one of your products could be a subscription to a weekly podcast of your “Hot Stock Tip of the Week.”

- Podcasting lets your listeners take your message with them on their portable MP3 players. This makes it easy for people to listen to your podcast while commuting, or even while working out at the gym. Of course, the main benefit of producing a well-prepared, quality & relevancy content-driven podcast is that it will drive more traffic to your web site, which should have a dramatic impact on your sales and profits! The more traffic you have, the more make money business opportunities you get!

- Sometimes, the audio messages can be more memorable and more describable than text. My studies show that the average person retains around 10% of what they read, but 20% of what they hear.

Finally, in this article, you have learned what the benefits of podcasting are as your marketing tool. As my studies hardly from Internet Marketing Center (IMC), I strongly believe that there are a TON of make money business opportunities on the internet. Also, podcasting is one of the most effective ways to make quick extra money at home online. Podcasting is a new generation of how to drive your quality & relevancy content to your customers or subscribers. You’ll make quick extra money and grow your home based internet marketing business dramatically if you know how to use podcasting properly. My final words are to TEST everything you have to do and TAKE your action today!

Learn more how to make quick extra money at home and how to build highly successful home based internet marketing business. You’ll learn from people who made money over $60,000,000 online in one year. Also, you’ll save your time and money a lot!

Podcasting For Profit

Posted on 06. Mar, 2010 by admin in Podcasts

How can I understand podcasting?

If you were to ask someone on the street what podcasting is, most of them will not have any idea what you are talking about. They will ask if you said “broadcasting.”

You might explain to them that it is a special audio file that you can listen to on your MP3 player. But even then you would not be doing it justice. Here are some other ways of understanding what podcasting is.

That is one way to think of podcasting: the information that you are interested in delivered to you, without the stuff you don’t want. Some people have called podcasting TiVo radio.

Another way to think of podcasting is like a radio program that is only about your specific interests and when you click the link or synchronize your MP3 player with your computer, it gets downloaded to you automatically.

And a third way to think of podcasting is a targeted audio program for businesses to add value to their customers and prospects, and for organizations to pass information on to their users.

However you think of podcasting, other people will still give you a funny look because it is still in its infancy. In fact, the term “podcasting” was only coined in 2004! It won’t be long, though, and everyone will be talking about it.

How does it work?

Essentially, podcasting allows you to select the things you’d like to listen to, subscribe to them, have them downloaded to your computer or portable audio device, and listen to them when you want to. Once you’ve subscribed, they will update automatically for you, like a magazine you don’t think about until the subscription arrives in your mailbox every month.

What is the advantage of a podcast over other types of broadcasting? Podcasts assimilate radio, portable CD players, and satellite radio, into one convenient format, and allow new uses not previously available.

So what is it that you can listen to? What kinds of podcasting are available? The answer to those questions is this: everything you can possibly imagine! You will be amazed at the volume and variety of podcasts out there and the possibilities that exist.

Just as the Internet has allowed pretty much anybody to create visual files of information and entertainment, called web pages, podcasting has allowed virtually anybody to create audio files of information and entertainment.

While the technical details are not important here, all someone needs in order to become a podcaster is a computer and an Internet hook-up.

You don’t even need a microphone to create your first podcast. (You may want to get one later, but you don’t need one now).

In fact, if you have a telephone and can browse the Internet, you will be able to listen to podcasts and even create your own.

Who can podcast? Anyone can podcast! We’ll go into much greater detail later about who might want to podcast, but generally speaking, there are several reasons why everyone would want to podcast:

Organizations like churches and nonprofits will podcast to keep people up to date with what’s going on, providing news, seminars and speeches, meeting transcriptions, etc.

Businesses will podcast to maintain their name in the marketplace, offer information on products or strategies, and position themselves as the expert in their industry.

Individuals will podcast if they have something to say to the world. Opinions, rants, and artistic offerings are all fair game in podcasting.

Podcasting formats are as varied as the types of podcasts available.

Some podcasts are like monologues where one person simply shares their ideas into a microphone for the listener to hear. Other podcasts are a dialogged between two or more people and may or may not follow format.

Some podcasts are unscripted while others seem to be very scripted. Podcasting contain music, interviews, and while audio podcasts are quite popular now, audio/video podcasts are slowly gaining popularity as well.

How Podcasting Can Help Your Business

Posted on 04. Mar, 2010 by admin in Podcasts

If you have a business, podcasting has many applications that allow you to get in front of your customers, get your name out there, and ultimately make you more money. It’s a great way to boost your business with a very small investment of money and time.

If you are not ready to make the leap to full time podcaster, there are other ideas. For example, you can podcast on an area of the industry you currently work in as an employee.

Show yourself to be interested in learning more about the business and you could find yourself considered as an up-and-comer when the next round of promotions happens at your office.

Alternatively, you can moonlight outside of your job as a podcaster. You can do this on a free basis as a hobby or in the capacity of an entrepreneur looking to eventually build your part-time business into a full-time career.

Palmcasting is a similar concept to podcasting, except it applies to PDA devices which can receive and play podcasts. Punchcasting is a way of receiving podcasts in your smartphone without having to sync it onto your computer first. It requires that you have a smartphone with RSS.

The future of podcasting is wide open right now because it is still a fledgling industry without a regulatory body. While podcasting is just catching on and only a couple years old, people are already talking about zencasting or vidcasting which is similar to podcasting but contains video as well.

But it doesn’t stop there. Visionaries will see beyond podcasting and even though it is exciting and new, technology advances so rapidly that it will get old very quickly. What is around the corner and how will podcasting influence it?

Soon, we may find highly interactive vidcasts that are automatically made available to us without us having to subscribe to them.

Based simply on our browsing or online buying habits and the technology will be streamlined enough that computers will automatically come with the programs that go out and catch the podcasts without having to download additional programs.

If you are really excited about the opportunity to podcast, then take a moment to select two or three topics and start brainstorming some subtopics that might be interesting to podcast on.

You can probably already see some opportunities for you to start a business or increase your current business through podcasting. You may want to create some subtopics under each heading to start thinking about specific podcasts that you can do.

If you want to make the leap from hobbyist to professional, to either boost current business or start a new business, you can. You’ll need a couple extra programs to create a quality sound. Here are some recommendations to get you started.

While technically, you can get started with the microphone that probably came with your computer, you’ll want to likely invest in a slightly better microphone or if you have more than one person speaking in your podcast, you’ll need to get more than one microphone.

A good place to start without having to rob a bank is to buy a USB microphone at an office supply store. They are affordably priced and unless you are planning studio quality production, they will do an excellent job for you.

It is quite easy to podcast; I’m sure you’re surprised at how easy it is. It’s quite another thing though, to maintain a podcast on an ongoing basis. A lot has been discussed about the regularity of podcasts and exactly how frequent a podcast needs to be.

While it is true that the frequency of a podcast does depend largely on the material that is covered, it is also true that subscribers may not be able to listen as frequently as you want to podcast.

If you have a lot of material and are looking to make a daily podcast you might want to consider a very short podcast of two to five minutes.

Like e-mail that gets stacked up in your inbox, podcasts that don’t get listen to compile a very quickly if a subscriber doesn’t get a chance to heara few of them in a row. Often what happens after that is a delete the whole batch, figure they’ve missed too much vital information, and unsubscribe.

On the other hand, too infrequent of a podcast will mean that people do not feel the same ownership in listening as they would from something a little more regular.

When it’s all said and done, you need to know what material you need to cover and how much time you have to spend on podcasts in order to determine how frequently you are going to podcast. This is the length to width ratio: the length of your podcast in relation to the width of the material.

Look at other podcasts to see what kind of material may cover and the relationship that has to the frequency they produce these podcasts. CNN, for example, can produce a daily podcast that is very short because of the nature of its headline style material.

Their podcasts are very short. A podcast covering the world of baseball, might be better off podcasting every week since they will be able to talk about a couple of the games is well is some news

Vidcasting ? Video Podcasting Will Revolutionize How you Distribute your Video Web Content

Posted on 03. Mar, 2010 by admin in Podcasts

The internet has always been a dicey proposition for videographers looking to distribute their content. The disciplines that lend themselves to producing the best looking and most engaging content in conventional delivery channels (DVD, television, etc) do not lend themselves to the internet.

The problems are multifold. First and foremost is the issue of bandwidth – or the lack of it. High quality video generally means huge files, and consequently more time required to download the files to be played on the client’s computer. While the state of internet bandwidth is nowhere near as abysmal as it was just a few years ago – however even with current advances in bandwidth – the delivery of a file several hundred megabytes can be trying to even the most patient of potential viewers.

The second problem is the lack of an accepted video standard and assurance that your client has the proper software required to view the video in the format you’ve chosen to present it. For example – Quicktime is a wonderful technology and is embraced by most video producers due to it’s basis in Mac/Final Cut – however there’s a good percentage of Windows machines out there that don’t have Quicktime installed. Windows Media Player is dicey, and unless you install a few third party plugins cannot be viewed on the Macintosh. Flash video is a godsend for cross platform acceptance – especially with the advent of Flash 8 video and the most recent codecs – but there are sacrifices in quality.

…then you have to develop your web presence.

It’s easy to see why so many talented video producers have such bad web presences, with videos that work sporadically, or don’t work on a good percentage of client’s computers. Trying to account for all of the variables in content delivery usually falls well outside of their realm of expertise.

About a year ago, I was facing this dilemma, when I found what I believe to be the perfect solution. I found podcasting, or vidcasting (video podcasting) to be a perfect solution to the bulk of these problems. Podcasting enabled me to simplify how I delivered my content through the utilization of iTunes as a delivery vehicle, ensured that anyone viewing my content had the appropriate software, allowed me to keep the quality of my content high by utilizing the most current codecs, and also enabled me to keep my viewers notified of the newest additions to my library via subscriptions!

By simply placing a link within my website, and emails, pointing to my Podcast inside of the apple iTunes store, I could very easily utilize well established distribution channels to get my work out there. Millions of people have iTunes, and access to the music store. By default, they have everything they need to see my content. It’s just a matter of creating the content and pointing them in the right direction! It couldn’t be easier.

From this point, it was simply a matter of learning how to podcast.

The hardest part of getting the podcast up and running was understanding exactly how a podcast works, and getting everything properly prepared. I hope to help you through that learning curve, by explaining everything in simple language. The concept isn’t difficult whatsoever.

First, let’s define what a podcast is.

A podcast is a text file located on the internet that points to a group of media files. This text file is called a newsfeed (or an RSS feed), and acts like a roadmap to media files that are also located on the internet. When someone views a podcast, what they are actually doing is reading this text file, and being pointed to the appropriate media files.

The program that reads the text file (newsfeed) is called an aggregator. The aggregator reads the text file, and grabs the media files that it is being pointed to. All of this is done in the background, giving you the illusion of “single” show that has multiple episodes. In reality, however, it’s just a bunch of files located on the internet tied together via this text file.

This text file must follow a certain format, in order to assure compatibility across the range of aggregators out there (e.g., iTunes). The structure of the text file defines the details of the show (the show’s title, description, etc), and where to find the show’s episodes. It’s done in a pretty straightforward manner.

For an example of how a newsfeed looks, check out Apple’s technical document on podcast structure.

http://www.apple.com/itunes/store/podcaststechspecs.html#_Toc526931673

“Channel” defines the shows, and “item” defines the episodes. Once you have the file created, to add more episodes, you simply add another “item” pointing to a new file.

That’s how a podcast is structured.

Next, we’re going to tell you what you need to get your podcast up and running. There are two options. The first is what you will need if you want to do it all yourself. The second (and our preference) is the simpler route, which is to get a podcast host. These instructions presume that you already have your video converted into M4V format and ready to go.

To set up a podcast by yourself, you will need to do the following:

1: Find web space available for you to upload your media files to.

There are plenty of web hosts available for you to choose from. From Google, do a search for “Web Hosting”. I recommend getting a Linux/PHP based host – because they are simpler to configure than Microsoft based hosting. As a general rule, try to find the most web space available, with the greatest amount of traffic allotted for your site. As your podcast grows in popularity – you don’t want to get sacked with extra traffic fees.

Before settling for a host, it also is in your best interests to do a little research to make sure they have a decent reputation. Lots of hosts over-sell their plans in order to get more business. There are lots of horror stories I’ve read of people that found their websites censured for excessive traffic when they were nowhere near the limits their plan advertised. A little research can help you avoid falling victim to an unscrupulous host.

2: Upload your media files (mp3 files, pictures and video files) to your new host.

You will most likely transfer your media files to your host through what’s called FTP. FTP is “File Transfer Protocol”. On Windows, I like “Wise FTP” by AceBit the best. On Macintosh, my favorite is Cyberduck. You can find both on Google.

One thing to keep in mind is whether or not your media files are supported by your web hosting company. If you’re simply podcasting your audio sermons, MP3 is pretty much universally supported. If you’re podcasting video files (M4V or MP4), you might need to configure your server to recognize those files. This is done via what’s called a “mime type” and is set up in a file called .htaccess on your web server.

To find out more information, if you need it, google “.htaccess mime types” for a detailed explanation.

3: Once you have uploaded the files, and thereby know where the files are located, it’s time to create the newsfeed.

Make sure that your newsfeed mimics the format we showed you earlier. If you follow that format, you should be good to go. Create your channel, and add all of your items.

Once you have created your newsfeed file, upload it to your server as well. Test it out by going to feedvalidator.org. If your feed comes back invalid, it will give suggestions as to how to fix your feed. If it comes back saying the feed is valid, then you’re good to go! Start submitting it to channels like yahoo, and the iTunes music store.

Those are all of the steps required to get a podcast up and running, if you wish to do it all yourself!

The other alternative is to get what is called a podcast host.

Podcast hosts take care of all of the hosting, newsfeed creation and testing for you. When you contract a podcast host, you don’t need to worry about file types, ensuring that your feed is valid, or finding web space. They take care of all of that for you. With a podcast host, you simply upload the media file, give it a name and a description, and you’re done. This is the easiest way to make a podcast.

After a few months of maintaining our podcast and constantly updating the feed to reflect new additions to our podcast, this is the direction we chose to go. It really simplified the production process, and actually ended up costing us less per month than what we were paying before. This is an excellent option to consider for someone who doesn’t want to bother with the tech side of podcasting.

There are a lot of podcast hosts out there offering different packages. When determining which one to contract – look at the following things:

1. How much do they charge vs. how much space do you get for your podcasts?

2. Do they limit your bandwidth? (This is particularly important. One host we went with charged for bandwidth beyond a certain point, and it cost us a pretty penny.) It’s best to get a podcast host with “unmetered bandwidth”. This means they don’t charge you extra if your podcast becomes popular.

3. Do they support transferring of the podcasts to another domain? This is also very important. If you, for whatever reason, become dis-satisfied with the service or want to transfer it to another location, will they facilitate this for you? We had to recreate two of our podcasts from scratch because one host wouldn’t give us the ability to redirect our existing podcast to our new host.

4. Do they have good technical support for questions you may have?

My favorite podcast host is AvMyPodcast.com. They have unmetered bandwidth and great plans available for very reasonable charges. AvMyPodcast is especially great for it’s technical support, and includes automatic iTunes and Yahoo submissions. They even offer instructional pages to teach you how to podcast.

Whether you decide to go it yourself, or contract a podcast host, it’s definitely worth getting into vidcasting. It has been a godsend for streamlining the distribution of my videos to clients.

Good luck, and happy podcasting!

Podcasting for Profits

Posted on 02. Mar, 2010 by admin in Podcasts

A podcast is a collection of digital media distributed over the Internet using syndication feeds for playback on portable media players (such as iPods) and personal computers. Believe it or not, you can make a successful internet business out of podcasting. In order to do so, your podcast has to be innovative and informative in order to rise above the competition. You may also be able to get sponsorship for your podcast.

One of the newest forms of internet business is podcasting. Podcasting for profit involves making and distributing podcasts in order to generate revenue. Podcast profits can be made through actually selling the podcast, but they are more likely to be generated through donations, sponsorship and networking.

It is possible to make money through podcasts, but you need to think about how it will generate revenue. Podcasts that cost money to download usually only do well if they contain information that is popular, relevant, and insightful. Podcasts that people have to pay for face serious competition from all the free podcasts available. This doesn’t mean that podcasting isn’t a good way to make money; you just usually need to find other ways of generating revenue besides just selling the podcast.

One popular way of making money through podcasts is by providing a way of allowing people to make donations. Although many may not be willing to pay for a podcast, they may be willing to make a donation in order to keep your podcast alive. In order to receive money from donations, you will need to provide a link on your website where people can easily make a donation. Paypal is a reputable service that offers a donation button you can put on your site.

People are not going to donate money to a service that does not provide a quality podcast. In order to make money from donations, you will need to provide a podcast that people think is worth contributing to. Donations are a great way to generate revenue for newer podcasts that have not yet built up a steady listening base.

Commercial sponsorship is another good way for your podcast to generate revenue. It is not unknown for sponsors to approach podcasters that have a large base of listeners, but usually you have to approach the sponsors. Before approaching companies to try and persuade them to sponsor your podcast, you should have a good idea of the type of sponsors you want and the type of sponsors that would benefit from sponsoring your podcast. You should also have accrued a good listening base and show a good understanding of the business.

You can also profit from your podcast through the revenue generated by your website. Your podcast can direct people to your website, which will have its own ways of generating revenue. In order to generate revenue through the website, it is essential to have a quality website that provides pertinent and engaging information.

The information on the website should tie in with the subject of the podcast and provide information about it. A blog is one way to keep people coming back to your website on a frequent basis, in order to see any new updates. A newsletter can also direct people to specific items on the website and inform them of any new happenings regarding the podcast.

Another good way to get the word out about your podcast and attract listeners is to create an Apple iTunes account and submit your podcast to the iTunes directory. This is a very simple process that will allow a large number of people to find and listen to your podcast.

You don’t even have to be listed in the Apple iTunes directory to make money from your podcast, as there are other podcast directories that can direct people to your podcast. Your website alone may be enough to gain listeners to the podcast, but the iTunes directory will net you more listeners and subscribers, and is worth considering if you really want to make money podcasting.

Podcast profits don’t just happen, they need to be planned. You can’t create a podcast and expect the profits to just start rolling in. If you want to profit from your podcast, you need to spend some time thinking about how it will generate revenue. Proper planning and marketing strategy will provide a positive image of your podcast that people will want to experience. As a result, they will pay to watch it and you will profit from your internet business ideas!

Podcasting Search Engine – The Good And The Not So Good

Posted on 01. Mar, 2010 by admin in Podcasts

It is much easier for search engines to index text blogs than podcasts or videoblogs. At present, search engines are using link text and the text surrounding the links to podcasts and videoblogs as a means to index their contents. The situation is admittedly a far cry from the ideal but the great strides being seen in the development of technologies towards the indexing of these mediacasts are very encouraging.

Podcasting in Relation to Search Engines

Podcasting is the method of distributing multi-media files over the Internet using either the RSS or atom-syndication formats, for playback on mobile devices and personal computers. This may include, but is not limited to, audio programs and music videos. Podcast can mean both the content and method of delivery while a podcaster is the host or author of a podcast.

The websites of podcasters may offer direct download or streaming of their files. A podcast usually features a single type of show with new episodes introduced regularly or sporadically, although there are podcast networks that feature multiple shows on the same feed. It can be downloaded automatically using software capable of reading RSS or atom feeds.

The term podcasting is technically a misnomer as it combines two words: iPod and broadcasting. It does not require an iPod or over-the-air broadcasting. The “pod” name association stemmed from the popularity of the iPod digital audio player during the time that podcasting began. A lot of other terms have been suggested for use but the term stuck and remained as such.

Like any other regular websites that aim to be found by searchers, search engines have much to contribute towards this end including podcasts. Podcast optimization can be achieved by promoting only one feed. Many podcasters commit the mistake of creating a podcast and then moving over to a different management system which entails promoting a new RSS feed. This usually results to a lot of different feeds for every podcast which may be disadvantageous in the long run.

Another way to get the most out of podcasts is by optimizing the audio file. The findability gap should be closed since a lot of people listen to a podcast on their computers as well as their MP3 players. A landing page can be optimized for each episode of the show as well as the category page. Subscription information that is very visible on the landing page is highly recommended.

Podcasters should also look into building correct and valid feeds with feed validation tools. Since iTunes do not redistribute, a separate feed must be built for it. Doing three separate feeds – a 2.0 feed, a media feed and an iTunes feed is ideal.

The inclusion of a transcript or summary depending on the podcast’s time span is needed. A landing page usually requires just a summary which is a well optimized page covering the podcast’s high points. Some search engines use speech-recognition to determine the relevancy of the podcast.

Quality podcasts may not be easy to find. This is especially true if the desired site is one that has already done the lifting for its searchers including podcast search engines, directories and round up sites. A huge variety of podcasts are available in a wide variety of genres.

The Podcasting Search Engines

Generally, major search engines are not indexing podcasts in a format that is easy to find. However, some podcast-specific search engines seem to have solved some of the problems. Podscope searches for the spoken words within the podcasts themselves. Yahoo! Podcasts is very user friendly and is one of the more consistent and useful in finding good podcasts. Singing Fish provides a whole ream of results by just typing in podcast or bring back audio results only when specified with the use of drop-down menus on the top left. Other worthy research engines includes Podzinger, Blinkx, BlogDigger and Lycos Audio Search.

Aside from search engines, podcast directories are virtual goldmines for finding good podcasts. The Podcast http://Alley.com includes the very useful Top Ten Podcasts of the Month as voted by listeners. The NPR Podcast Directory contains quality podcasts in a subject directory format. The http://Podcast.net categorizes podcasts of various subjects by tags which are available for free download. Podcast Bunker is likewise one of the best places to find quality podcasts on the web.

Search engines have become very useful especially to those who don’t particularly enjoy the search process. http://Podzinger.com allows the user to search podcasts in the same way as searching for anything else in the web. A word or phrase typed in will find relevant broadcasts and highlights the segment of the audio in which they occurred. It is not perfect but it serves the user’s need at this time. It works with a speech-recognition software which transforms audio into words. http://Podscope.com and Blinkx are sites that work in a similar way.

Podzinger and Blinkx are search engines that scour audio content for keywords by translating the audio into text and creating an index for quick searching. This is a step ahead of traditional search engines that can only identify keywords in a podcast’s Meta data such as the headline and introductory notes which describes the audio file’s general content.

Podzinger has officially ended its beta and lets users jump to the spot in a podcast where their search term appears. This is a welcome option to being forced to scan an entire program for pertinent parts such as with Blinkx. The design results to an uncluttered search page similar to those of Google. Podcasters can also link to a searchable index of their content in order to sell sponsored links to text in the index provided by Podzinger.

Both Podzinger and Blinkx include information about the source of the podcast as well as excerpts of text translated from the podcast. This comes with the added convenience of having relevant search terms highlighted. In this regard, Podzinger’s information is more extensive while allowing users to hear excerpts and determine its relevancy before downloading the entire podcast.

Podscope searches podcasts but scans only for sounds of syllable rather than full words. It has operated a keyword search engine for video and radio broadcast since 1999. By far, the Blinkx service is a bit more extensive as it scours thousands of podcast and offers search for 1 million hours of TV news video and the content of academic lectures.

The problem at hand for podcast search is the difficulty in finding what is really needed in podcasts. Relevant results cannot be attained without words thus the heavy reliance on speech recognition software that would help the public search for on-line video and radio content. Podcasts are a priority at this time due to popularity boom it is currently experiencing. The aim is to make the spoken word as searchable as the printed word.

Podcasting; It?s not Just for Ipods Anymore

Posted on 01. Mar, 2010 by admin in Podcasts

What is Podcasting?

Podcasting is broadcasting on iPods or other MP3 Players. Created by ex MTV host Adam Curry, Podcasting is a new method of communication for the internet – unfortunately, it’s still limited to your PC. But thanks to companies like Apple, creator of the iPod, podcasts can be downloaded to your personal media device and accessed at anytime. Your trusty mp3 player can become a true audiovisual media player – this handy companion is not just for music anymore.

Apple is developing iPods that can play videos, handle live streaming, make phone calls, etc. Popular television shows such as “Lost,” and “Desperate Housewives,” are main attractions. Motion picture editors are busy transforming hour long stories into six minute formatted ‘vcasts’ to be played on your iPod. This raises some alarming questions about the future of television programming – perhaps it will become as short as the average viewer’s attention span?

However, will people enjoy watching their favorite television show on a 2.5inch screen? IPod itself is continuously going through changes. The original model had the capacity to save three thousand songs, yet the current versions hold over a thousand. Please note that in order to listen to podcasts you do not need an Apple iPod. Any personal media device will probably meet the requirements, even your regular PC.

Retreiving Podcasts

Podcasting relies on RSS feeds (really simple syndication) technology. RSS is a family of XML file formats used for Web syndication. The RSS feed was chosen by Apple because it can handle multimedia attachments and facilitate content description, search and syndication.

The podshow itself is contained in an XML file. To retrieve this information it is necessary to have podcaster software. The purpose of this software is to constantly monitor the subscribed podshows and update them automatically. This reinforces the easy nature of the podcast – once you log on to your computer your favorite casts are ready. Simply add them to your media player and go, or listen there on your computer.

Podcaster software was initially made and sold by independent companies and offered as ‘standalone code’ compatible with the majority of media players. In June 2005 Apple jumped on the bandwagon and released itunes 4.9 which supplied native podcasting support.

There are currently several different ways to search for content on the internet, from keywords to sites that will provide a rating system. Unfortunately, even with all of these developments providers have not yet created a system of recommendation. Audience members have to subscribe to podcasts – an ‘intelligent sorting’ and registration system must be just around the corner. Voice search is another tool being developed; an intelligent search engine scans vocal tracks for more accurate data.

iTunes 4.9 is designed with the iPod in mind and is supported by Apple computers. Currently all new Macintosh computers come with it standard, but if you have an older model you can go to www.download-it-free.com/itunes/.

iTunes software is not exclusive to Apple or iPods; anyone with a window’s media player can take advantage of this free technology. It’s very user friendly; all podcasts are offered for free. To register for podcasts you can simply refer to the sidebar menu and click on podcasts. There you will find an extensive content list supported by iTunes.

Other available resources for retrieving RSS feeds are:

www.newsgator.com: this website supports feeds from Forbes to Rolling Stone and everything in between. It currently uses Feed Station as their retrieval software, and the software is available for free when you register with newsgator.com.

Newsgator is convenient and is currently supported by various websites that have a podcast or blog. Just register for the feeds found on Newsgator supported sites.

my.yahoo.com: Are you already a yahoo email user? If so you might already be familiar with the process of adding a podcast to your personal content. If not then let me assure you it is quite simple. Go to My Yahoo and click ‘add content’. Then choose ‘multimedia’. Then it’s just as simple as clicking and adding what interests you most. Much like Newsgator, My Yahoo is supported by various independent blog or podcasters.

www.enewsblog.com: does not currently support podcasts, but you can register for automatic updates on blogs with eNewsBlog, as well as create your own. To add a blog from a supporting site click the eNewsBlog tab shown on the corresponding blog site.

The above are not necessarily the best examples, but are the very commonly found on podcasting and blog supporting sites.

A Top 10 list of podcasts as voted by visitors can be found at www.podcastalley.com.

Creating your own Podcast

After you have experienced a podcast you may wish to compose your own. Unless you are particularly handy, this isn’t easy. You will require the following equipment and software:

Head phones

A microphone

A computer

A program that records audio i.e. Window’s Media Player, or a more advanced program such as ePodcast Creator. A more affordable alternative to ePodcast Creator would be Audacity 1.2.3, which is available for free download at, audacity.sourceforge.net/, importantly it is both PC and Mac compatible.

It’s important to consider the quality of the recording; no one wants to hear any distortion these days – so try to keep unwanted background noise to a minimum.

A website to which you may upload the podcast

An RSS feed. To make finished content available to large audiences you must publish it on podcast supporting networks like itunes. But first you have to create an RSS feed.

There are two ways of doing this Manually using, www.rss-specifications.com/, or Download the software from places like FeedForAll at www.feedforall.com. Although the later option is easier, be aware that the software from FeedForAll is not free.

Lastly you need to keep in mind the following:
Bandwidth costs money; this cost is dependant on such factors as audience and file size. Once your podcast takes off you may notice that the cost of bandwidth increases proportionally with audience size – like most Producers you will almost certainly have very little control over how many downloads your media receives.

Also, it is almost impossible to “know” your audience. Some hosting providers will give you a log of audience members, but they are far too complex for the average Joe to understand. This makes it hard to direct your content to the audience, some more successful podcasters employ professionals to translate the information, but this of course increases costs.

These are just the basics. For those already familiar with digital recording you will digest this information much easier then to those who are starting from the beginning. Unfortunately because it is still a fairly new technology it doesn’t get any easier… yet.

Once you’ve played with the software, and have a basic idea of how to be creative in this medium, you can start thinking about crafting your own successful podcast.

Choose a topic that you know a lot about, it’s always better if your topic is 100% original because there’s no competition. If your material is not unique than spend time now thinking about fresh angles, hooks and gimmicks to make it stand out in the crowd!

Who is your target market? What age demographic do you most want to reach? Is the show directed towards a particular ethnic group or sex? All of these questions need answers, because all of your content should be aimed at a specific market to ensure penetration.

When the first episode goes to air it needs to make an impact! Tom Green performed stupid gags on people he knew on a local cable TV station – and it exploded all over the world. He didn’t have fancy graphics or advanced equipment, he was himself, and it worked.

There is an evolving ‘Show Format’ which has grown from a standard radio template into something sleeker and more dynamic. Where once a musical intro would fade to allow an announcer’s voice… Now it’s content, content, content, and the music often swells into composite synthesis that’s equally informative and way more entertaining.

Keep in mind that only 10% of the music content should be slow songs and or new artists, unless that’s central to the premise of the show.

Jump into it! Have your content organized and ready to go. Avoid wordy scripts that sound rehearsed. Write what you want to address in point form, in large type, either on paper or on your computer and ‘just do it’. Topics should be well researched; narrators must appear well informed or will lose audience interest.

If you plan to do interviews on your show, it’s important to keep questions short and to the point. Sometime the question can get lost or bogged down by excess wording and the guest may become confused and not answer or answer incorrectly. The question should be straight forward and simply worded.

Start small, keep it short, and broadcast only once a week. If your audience grows you may increase content accordingly. But the schedule should remain fixed and easy for an audience to follow.

Marketing and promoting your podcasts

Affiliate Marketing is a great resource for beginners. Visit websites that have content that relates to the format of your show, or local business looking to increase traffic, i.e. Lets say you creating a program entitled “Cooking with Stacey,” assume also there is a popular local butcher from whom you buy meat. If he (or she) has a website you may approach the butcher and offer to advertise your cooking show on his site. In turn you’ll be sure to mention the great cut of meat you found at Vinny’s for the show, etc.

When you’ve created your own podcast and made it available to the world, you need to tell everyone about it and drive an audience to listen.

Marketing maximizes audience potential. With podcasting there’s always the possibility of generating revenue, but only if people are aware of, and or interested in, your show. Successful podcasters understand the importance of creating awareness. If the work doesn’t shine in a crowded marketplace, the product is invisible in the medium.

So now you’re a lone podcaster with what could be a popular show… Now you’re wondering how to make enough profit to cover the cost of production. On my travels I’ve found some information on the various ways to gain revenue from podshows.

Micropayement- this is equivalent to asking for a fee in return for each presentation. Although it’s straight forward enough, it’s not the most reliable method. Think about it, why would someone pay for something they can get for free somewhere else? There are two versions of Micropayment employed in the marketplace today.

Pay-per view: think of movies on demand on your television via cable

Monthly Subscription: like your electric bill

Google Adsense Ads – their payment method is based on the amount of traffic your podcast generates.

Income Stream – often considered the most profitable, Producers sell a portion of their podcast to a recognized sponsor. Advertising is inside the show. The advertisers can pay a fee on monthly bases which is determined by your audience size. The problem with this is that most audiences perceive this as a shameful sell out.

Because the internet is open to piracy, in order to ensure that your show is not floating around free for anyone to access without a fee, providers need a form of security to protect their work. Systems such as ticket-master and online music stores have used verification images to authenticate downloads – and these have proven quite effective.

Benefits of using Podcasting for your Marketing Campaign

Podcasting is an ideal medium for PR and advertising to young audiences. As yet it’s barely regulated and rules regarding its broadcast generally center on copyright issues – profanity and sexuality are ****.

This is why podcasting is the medium of choice for companies such as Durex condoms – they are able to reach their target market and not be censored. When Durex first used podcasting as an advertising medium they increased their website traffic three fold by advertising on the “Dawn and Drew Show,” alone.

Another benefit of podcasting is an inherent ability to measure your investor’s return on investment (ROI). The ROI can be determined by analyzing sales performance in reference to the amount of the listeners visiting the website.

It has been proven that advertising on television or the radio has not had the same influence it has in the past. Not only are people becoming blind to the messages, but it is hard to motivate people from non-action to action. When people are vegging out on the couch watching the tube, the chances that they are going to jump up and go to your website because of a TV ad, is less likely than if they are already on the internet, then it is only a matter of click, click and the consumer is surfing your website.

The benefits of using Podcasting for your PR campaign are multi-dimensional. All available content including newspaper and magazine articles, press releases, news stories, and existing marketing media can all be translated into podcasts and be organized and distributed to users all over the internet. Every client should have news resources online that embody all PR and stories in a search engine ready website. Remember that having a brand ‘personality’ is the secret of secrets to success in audio and video entertainment and podcasting is no different; people must want to listen. Successful podcasters fill a need for information and turn promotion vehicles into stories shaped to fascinate audiences with shorter attention spans.

No podcast is complete without a text blog detailing the subject. Attack both mediums so search engines will have more data to sift and generate more favorable results.

There are many free flow information pathways for PR gurus. Innovative media pioneers take advantage of new technology when relaying their client messages – podcasting is just one of them. Remember, newswires, blog sites, chat rooms, discussion boards, viral / buzz promotions can now be easily converted to podcasts.

Sharing media lowers advertising costs and increases its effect. Peer to Peer distribution is a concept made familiar by Napster. Individuals share various files through the use of specific software. In the recent past it’s been p2p efforts pirating music. But this is still a valid process you may employ in your own effort to distribute your podcast. In order for it to work properly, both audience and producers need to embrace p2p sharing. Audience members need to have p2p software and have bandwidth to contribute to increase the efficiency of the network.

Is there a downside to P2P networks? Firewalls, slow connections and audience members who turn off their computers reduce its efficiency. Also there needs to be an incentive to make subscribers want to participate. Because a regular network takes fewer steps, many users prefer other, more simple means…

But right now let’s say that podshow audience members embrace your new p2p network, all your affiliated podshow producers will need to ensure that they to are p2p compatible and have the software to support the upload. If producers make the transfer easy enough to understand, more audience members will use it. This leads to cheaper bandwidth costs.

A fresh medium

Podcasting is a fresh medium. There has not yet been a comprehensive marketing plan developed to guarantee positive results with advertising in podcasts. Because the medium is still in its infancy, many advertisers are unsure of how to maximize its potential – pioneers are still experimenting.

More progressive marketers are researching information / entertainment hybrids or what they call ‘focused programming’ that will let them distribute a compelling message through traditional podcast channels. Podcasting’s challenge is similar to video-on-demand’s own situation – What does a brand have to say to consumers on an ongoing basis beyond a buy-me-now message? Brand as content producer is a trend that’s not likely to abate any time soon.

You can view podcasting’s role in two ways: advertising to an early-adopter audience and developing marketer-created podcasts to deepen customer or prospect relationships on your sites. A great example of this is “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” podcasts ( www.bravotv.com/Queer_Eye_for_the_Straight_Guy/Podcasts/) of HipTips and previously aired episodes. This is interesting on many levels, as it allows the network to deepen the relationship between the audience and the characters, and it’s a nearly cost-free way to build audience share between episodes.

Many networks sell advertising on their own sites. By providing an additional reason for people to visit sites, they can increase traffic and maximize revenues. For more on the above article go to: www.clickz.com/experts/brand/cmo/article.php/3520536

In the recent past many marketers have turned to email as a way to appeal to consumers. This form of marketing is quickly losing its success rating as consumers grow more and more intolerant of SPAM. Pheedo reports that by integrating online advertising into an RSS feed, a new online advertising technique, it has achieved measurably better results than e-mail for its client.

The online campaign for a free IT evaluation was conducted through specialist publication www.infoworld.com, which could offer direct access to IT professionals.

Pheedo said the six-week effort outperformed the best click through rate in email by over 26% as compared to the industry average of 8.7% CTR reported in DoubleClick’s Q4 2004 Email Trend Report. Furthermore, they were able to lower the effective CPM by three times of that over email, saving its client thousands of dollars.

Pheedo’s client realized its ailing email marketing campaign was in part due to e-mail’s unpleasant user experience. One benefit of placing ads in RSS feeds is you’re not competing in an overcrowded, SPAM and virus filled email inbox. In addition, marketing messages are increasingly becoming victims of email filters or the delete button.

RSS advertisements have many advantages over emails short comings. RSS is 100% opt-in. It has a 100% delivery rate, and when delivered to a two-pane news aggregator, the feed has a 100% open rate.

Steps taken to ensure positive results:

Identify those feeds read by the IT professionals that met its client’s target market requirements.

Understand the intricacies of the fairly cluttered environment of content aggregators to ensure the ads display correctly, or appear with relevant content.

Pheedo specifically developed technology to track RSS feeds for the purpose of advertising.

Podcasts are powerful weapons that can maximize brand exposure, but keeping track of your success is important. Currently there are a variety of ways to monitor relevant audience information – numbers, satisfaction levels and even minute by minute preferences.

www.feedburner.com is one of the more popular publisher services available. It helps monitor your feed, track circulation and implement revenue generating programs. Currently there are approximately 90,000 publishers taking advantage of Feedburner’s services.

www.syndicateiq.com is another resource out there helping Podcasters maximize potential. Syndicate IQ helps users monitor their RSS.

Although podcasting is proving to be a promising new marketing tool, its shortcomings include the inability to target specific audiences.

“RSS publishing still faces many hurdles: measuring traffic (on a subscriber level) is nearly impossible to do, which will relegate RSS to a broadcast marketing tool in the near term.”

“RSS is not well suited to promotional-offer-oriented content because it does not offer the targeting and personalization capabilities of e-mail.

Looking for more resources?

For a free consultation on Podcasting and other e-marketing services for your company, contact LCI at 416-408-4669, info@lifecaptureinteractive.com, or visit us at www.lifecaptureinteractive.com.

Sources:

www.pheedo.com

www.howtopodcastforprofit.com

www.jupiterresearch.com/bin/item.pl/home