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7 Ways To Keep Listeners And Readers Coming Back To Your Podcast

You’ve built your PodCast/Blog property (website).

Fantastic!

The next honest question to ask yourself is…

Once you get your audience’s attention, how can you keep them coming back?

Make your PodCast/Blog creative, informative and dynamic!

Articles and other timely and “on-point” content published on your site should be relevant, interesting, and well written, well spoken and easy to understand.

Unique content will also give your site a greater chance of reaching your intended targeted audience through higher search engine placement.

Here are seven ways to keep listeners and readers coming back for more.

1. Run Short-Term Specials

Internet users love bargains and deals, and sales are a sure way to capture their attention time and again. You might enact short sales periods to motivate people to take action?

Giving them six months to make a final decision may just help them avoid making that decision at all.

Let your audience know that the products/services on special are always changing (dynamic) to encourage them to visit your site often. Keep your site “dynamic”! Ever-changing and perpetually evolving.

Try getting creative with your specials. For example, consider giving away a free token product or service rather than bopping them over the head with a direct discount.

2. Piggyback On Topics And Trends

Internet travelers often look online to learn more about interesting topics in the news.

Creating a link between your PodCast/Blog/Business model and a hot new’s story can be a essential way to attract listeners and readers to your Web world.

This is a common tactic used often by public relations firms to obtain media coverage for their clients, and could work equally well for you.

For example, following a significant court ruling, an attorney could write an article or be a guest expert for your PodCast/Blog about the impact the ruling might have on your listeners/readers.

3. Update Information Frequently. Provide Dynamic Content

Why would a Web traveler want to return to a Web site that rarely changes? Keeping your information up-to-date and even up-to-the-minute sends a more defined message to visitors that your PodCast/Blog/Business model is serious about doing business.

4. Conduct Contests & Giveaways

This is a great way to get visitors excited about your Web site and what you do. Consider asking users for (input) feedback, so that your contest can double as a market research tool.

Keep in mind that prizes and awards need not to be extravagant, but should be exude fun and be in direct correlation with your intended target market.

As an added bonus:

You can ask entrants whether or not they would like to be notified of any special news and/or information when they initially enter your contest.

Note: Be sure to protect yourself legally. Please ensure that you are following any and all federal and/or state regulations that may govern this type of special promotion.

Was the contest you ran a total success?

The answer can better help you hone in on your online marketing, podcasting and blogging efforts.

5. Send Out An Email Ezine (Online Newsletter)

This popular promotional tactic is an effective one. Don’t expect to build a list of thousands of subscribers, but focus instead on building a high quality list of targeted readers. When sending an e-mail newsletter, keep it short, informative. Company promotions are expected, but don’t overdo it. The free list management tools and reporting tools at America Web Works can help make your newsletter a success.

6. Seek Out & Join Targeted Email Groups

If you have the time, participating in a targeted email list is a great way to connect with potential listeners and readers. The object is to keep your “brand” at the top of their mind.

An email list is a community of subscribers who are interested in a particular topic, and may exchange between 1 to 100 email letters daily.

Participation in an email group works best when you reach out to a niche’ market. For example, the owner of a computer store might join a mailing list for computer owners. By participating as an expert, the store owner is able to promote his business to a community of prospective clients.

Note: When participating in any email list(s), keep the content of your email non-promotional, while using your special “signature fine” (which should always be placed just below your email “closing” salutation) to provide a brief promotional message.

For example:

For the best computer services in the entire universe… Visit: www.domain.com

7. Get To Know your Audience

An solid understanding of the needs and goals of your audience is the best way to ensure that your marketing efforts are maximized.

Statistics and tracking reports will help you gauge the interests of visitors to your Web site, which is a good reason to utilize a site-traffic analysis tool.

Web site usage statistics will help you understand how people come to your site, and what they do once they have arrived. Are they finding what they want, or do certain pages on your site trigger them to leave?

Happy PodCast Marketing!

About Tony Marino, Ph.D., Marketing

Dr. Tony Marino is not only the CEO of America Web Works (http://www.AmericaWebWorks.com), he is also host of the PodCast Radio Show ( http://radio.weblogs.com/0144135/ ), the Founder of the http://www.AudioVideoStreams.com, the International ePublisher’s Association, Christian Times eBusiness Newsletter and the author of the ePublishing Master’s Course at: http://www.ePublisherUniversity.com Additionally, he holds Email Compliance Officer status for many of today’s leading Network Marketing companies.

He has also worked with the likes of legendary Direct Marketers Ted Nicholas and Gary Halbert. Best-Selling Authors, Harvey McKay, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. ABC Television’s, Jimmie Kimmel and NBC’s, Carson Daly. Online Marketers, Dale Calvert and Jay Abraham just to name a few. His offices are location in Portland and Los Angeles and he’d love to hear from you anytime!

http://www.AmericaWebWorks.com - 866-824-9684

June 13th, 2007

Podcasting Technology: What is it?

Podcasting: Everyone is talking about it. But what exactly is it, and how does it work? Simply defined, podcasting is the dissemination of syndicated files, either audio or video in content, over the Web for use on handheld audio/video equipment and computers. The term itself is a combination of two words, “iPod” and “broadcasting.” The word refers to both the file that’s downloaded and the technology to transfer it. Keep in mind that an iPod is not necessary for accessing podcasts. A podcast is also known as an audio subscription service. Listeners can subscribe to and download as many podcasts as they want. As a new method of downloading and transferring information, podcasting is revolutionizing the way we communicate. Podcasts differ from streaming video and audio. Podcasts are usually a continuous series of programs, with many episodes featured in serial format. Podcast subscribers can listen to the content on MP3 players or computers whenever they want. Unlike streaming video, no Internet connection is necessary to review the content of a podcast. But, due to their nature as stored files, podcasts can never be experienced live, in real time - again, unlike streaming video.

Podcasters, or people who create podcasts, have Web sites where their content is available for downloading. Can any old Joe start his own podcast? For better or worse, the answer is yes. All a would-be podcaster has to do is put his files on a web server that’s accessible to the public. The file should have an internet address (URI). Podcast files can be any kind of files, from a PDF to a text file. The files can contain audio or video content. The would-be podcaster begins to create a series of files, creating a feed or list of URIs, so the entries in the series can be easily found and downloaded. Each entry is usually accompanied by a date, a title and some kind of content overview. The podcaster links the file to an identifiable place on the web server. This place is usually permanent, and it’s called the feed URI.

The popularity of these informational feeds has grown astronomically since 2004, when podcasting first became popular among bloggers and software developers. Podcasts cover all sorts of subjects, from technology to politics, to art and literature. Apple made podcasting part of its iTunes package in 2005, and last year, Sony Entertainment released a statement saying that its Play station Portable would be compatible with podcasts.

Now, podcasting has become a part of conventional media. The technology is being used by news stations and newspapers around the world, including The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, the BBC, ABC in Australia, and Sirius satellite radio. The popularity of podcasting is expected to continue to grow, as print media becomes a less vital part of day-to-day communication. Check out New Technology TV for more information.

John Richardson is a popular reviewer of consumer electronics and has served as a product development consultant for several consumer electronics manufacturers including Dish Network, visit his website: Big Mouth TV

May 29th, 2007

How Podcasting Works

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 first podcast by the end of the next chapter!

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 dialogue 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.

All the best for your online success

Written by Darryl Power editor of Podcasting for profit

Discover how To Start Make Money The Easy Way By Podcasting?

May 20th, 2007