Podcast Freq

If you want to get the best bang for your buck, plan on podcasting for the long haul.

Podcasters who “test” things out with one or two podcasts and then give up may think that they’ve given it a try but in truth, they’ve only dabbled.

It takes time for a podcast to build an audience and it takes a dedicated effort to promote a new podcast. I wouldn’t even try to measure whether or not a podcast is doing well until I’ve been working on it for about six months. The main think I look for is growth. Am I reaching more listeners this month than last month?

I’m a niche podcaster. I don’t reach hundreds of thousands of listeners like big dog podcaster Leo LaPorte or podcast daddy Adam Curry. I don’t even try to compare myself to high profile podcasters who reach a wide audience. It would be nuts to do so but I’m afraid that is just what many new podcasters do.

They hear about how millions of people have iPods and are hungry to feed them. (It’s true!) They think if they launch a show they’re going to quickly tap into those millions, but for the most part - unless you have a great marketing plan, you’re going to be a drop in the bucket in the podcasting directories at first and you’ll have to work to earn your audience.

Sometimes a new podcast catches a break early. Cara Mirabella of The Household Helper found her brand new podcast featured prominently in the iTunes podcast directory for several weeks and enjoyed a wonderful burst of subscriber activity, quickly reaching upwards of a thousand downloads per show.

Now when I say ‘catches a break’ I don’t want to suggest that Cara won her featured spot only by chance. No one really knows for sure how one podcast gets chosen over another but we do know that you’re more likely to be chosen when you have completed your meta deta well and have taken the time to create an attractive ‘album art’ image for your iTunes directory listing.

The good news is that you can make a very good living with a niche podcast. You don’t need a hundred thousand listeners to make money. You just need the RIGHT listeners for your content and a good marketing funnel they’ll enjoy tumbling into.

So don’t just dabble. Make up your mind that you’re doing to be in this for a full season.

Over at the Zune Directory it has been announced that podcasters will be able to submit their podcasts on 13 November. At the moment, I think they have taken the top podcasts only so make a note in your diary for the 13th…here is part of the announcement…

“The reason we are doing this is to seed the catalog with a base level of podcasts that Zune users and podcasters can build on over the next few months. Being a long-time podcaster, I understand that most content providers want to know about where their podcasts are being distributed and thus would want to actually submit his or her feed to us. It has been exciting over the past few weeks to have so many podcasters contact me and request inclusion in the new Marketplace podcast area – the catalog will have the first 1000 or so from us, but the rest will come from the podcasting community.

Please plan on downloading the new Zune Marketplace software on November 13th, then visit the main podcast section in the software to “Suggest a Podcast” for inclusion in the public Podcast Marketplace. ”

Now I know that I am an iTunes and iPod user but the Zune Directory will have increasing importance to podcasters…it no dout will become the second most popular directory relatively quickly so you need to think about having your show available and also buttons on your site for Zune subscription.

zune, podcasting directory, podcasts, itunes, zune marketplace

So today we are up to D in the series of how to promote your podcast through free resources. You can be producing great content but the most important factor is to ensure people can find you.

D=Directories. Directories are a free resource you can use to promote your show and ensure that your podcast is visible to podcast listeners. Key to most podcasters is iTunes which remains the biggest directory and therefore being listed in the Apple’s directory - to me, is a must. Before going to the directories - here is a list that will help you, ensure that you spend your time thinking of a description that will be attractive to searchers - and preferably with keywords for the search engines. Most directories ask for the same information so it will save time if you have a succinct, yet eye catching description and a list of tags that you want to use before visiting the sites.
Also don’t forget the niche areas. There are many geographic specific directories and also topic specific. Although the readership will be lower, for topic specific you have a much higher chance of catching the eye.
If you are willing to invest more time, then you may think of running your own directory site. For example, you can run your own niche podcast directory from podcastdirectories4sale.com. This way you make money as well as building your name as a podcaster!

Mashable.com has just put together a 70+ list of podcasting resources which is an excellent summary.

“Podcasting may not have lived up to the early hype, but with iPods and other MP3 players still selling like crazy, the potential audience for these audio shows is huge. We’ve compiled a monster list of 70+ tools and resources for podcasters and wannabes.”

A great list of all podcasting areas - tutorials, directories, advertising, forums - well worth checking out.

I have had real problems this week with my podcast feed, to the point when I thought “Is it worth it?” That is from a true podcast enthusiast. The issue is the my feed is managed by the hosting service and they just refuse to answer my e-mails etc

I felt alone, just not knowing where to turn and trapped to the hosting service. Then I used Facebook to contact Rob Safuto of Blubrry. He replied to my question within a minute, offered help, offered to help me to try and find a solution. Whether he can help me, whether I go with the solution that is irrelevant….by reaching out Rob has ensured that
1) My faith in the podcasting community has been restored.
2) I will be an evangelist for Blubrry.

If you are podcasting alone, you can often feel there is nowhere to turn….for me there is a lesson that as podcasters we should help each other, support each other to ensure that we thrive together. I have always tried to help people, now I will ALWAYS help as soon as I can…that is why The Podcast Sisters was created.

I am just checking out EveryZing which is described as
” the most powerful digital media merchandising platform available today. Media companies of all sizes leverage our unique ability to drive the volume of online content consumption and create new and powerful revenue streams. Through our speech to text, search and optimization technologies, and consumer-facing website, we create greater opportunities for consumer and advertiser access to online content. The company’s best-in-class technology and comprehensive set of advertising services enable our partners to profit from their content by launching digital channels that deliver the entertainment, news and information that consumers crave.”

I like the fact that it offers the ability for listeners or potential listeners to search your podcast database. I have added it to both The Engaging Brand and The Podcast Sisters to see how it works and whether it delivers value to the listener. It does seem amazing - I searched for Seth Godin and up popped the search results for The Engaging Brand. Often listeners don’t want all your content and maybe this will be one tool that can help them find what they are looking for?

Rob Safuto from Blubrry has just produced a video that highlights Songbird

From the website - “Songbird™ is a desktop Web player, a digital jukebox and Web browser mash-up. Like Firefox®, it is built from Mozilla®, cross-platform and open source.” For all the features check out the Songbird feature

I love the ability to search from the jukebox directly to a website - and I also love how quickly the program pulls the shows from the sites. Worth checking out.

I have a fear for 2007 that I really do hope does not come true. Podcasting was all about bringing the ability of braodcasting to the masses, it is about niche areas, “amateur” set ups, ordinary people living an extraordinary dream. What I think would be sad, would be if the corporations and the big names dominate the directories. This way it becomes a self fulfulling prophecy of success as it gets harder for new or smaller podcasts to be found, to grow. I don’t subscibe to any larger ones with a couple of exceptions…I like to find the gems out there…the raw, unadultered passion for their subject. So how do we ensure that the essence of podcasting remains..accessibility to producing, and accessibility to new podcasts. So how can we do it?

1) Subscribe to one new podcast a week and support the smaller podcasters.

2) Blog about the great ones you find.

3) When giving an MP3 player, mobile as a present preload with some smaller great podcasts.

4) Ring in with comments to the smaller players so they don’t pod fade.

5) Digg them, or vote at Podcast Alley…the larger ones will always be top - why not vote for some of the smaller ones?

Seth Godin said small is the next big……and I firmly believe in that. I love the smaller shows because you can tell that they don’t do it for the money, don’t do it for celebrity just pure passion for their subject.

Finally, I am not against the bigger ones, not against celebrity…not at all, podcasting need stars. I have so much respect for them. I just want to ensure that as consumers we don’t lose the sight of the gems out there.

I am a member of the Blubrry network with my Engaging Brand podcast. Blubrry is a refreshing twist on directories as it has more of a community feel for both listeners and podcasters. It is designed by podcasters - CEO Todd Cochrane runs the hugely popular Geek News Central. No one has asked me to write about them, I just find them great for building an audience

So why did I join and what do I find different about them?

1) They find revenue streams for you, but you only opt in if you want to.
2) The site allows you to put your branding on your podcast - not just album art.
3) It is a one click subscribe option for listeners.
4) It has social networking aspect built into the site.
5) Advertising revenue is 70% to podcasters and 30% to Blubrry.
6) It has a flash player code that you can build into your site so that people can play your cast easily.
7) They produce really good podcasts to go along with the site to help you understand the power of the Blubrry community.

They also run a podcast that interviews members of the community as a way of advertising your podcast. This is especially great if you are new or are trying to build your name in the podcasting world.

Great stuff and how I believe directories will develop in the future.

Digg has now added podcasting to their features which is another great way to promote your podcast and build your listenership.
It is also a great way to find some new listens to give you more ideas for your own - pop over and would love you to digg mine - The Engaging Brand!

There are 5 ways of measuring the success of your podcast

1) Measure clicks. You can rank podcasts by the amount of click activity at popular podcast directories. This is not downloads but shows the level of interest readers of the site have in certain podcasts. This is usually the method for Top 25 lists.
2) Measure downloads. Although there is a level of inaccuracy in measuring downloads it is a good measure. Most hosting sites offer a basic statistic of downloads. The most accurate tend to be the ones on individual shows, which go via IP address. Often the subscriber stat is affected by the directories checking for new content. You can use 3rd party trackers like Podtrac to verify your hosts figures
3) Voting. Another approach directories use, is to have users vote on or rate podcasts. This works on how motivated people are to vote for their favourite. For instance Podcast Alley is one site that does this - here you can the business section that The Engaging Brand is in.
4) Reviews: There are also several sites that review podcasts. As reviewers become established, they may become an effective way to learn about new podcasts
5) What were your personal aims of the podcast? If your aim was to get one out there and produce on a regular basis then no ranking or reviews will matter - the ultimate success is against your personal aims.

I saw today that Podcast Alley has started to show some tutorials - not only for podcasters but also for people who want to find the right podcasts to listen to - check it out here.

Holiday season approaches and also at other times of the year we all suffer from mind tiredness! So if you are planning a break remember that you can record some shows up front and set them to post them at a later date. Most hosting sites have this facility, often in the advanced section.

This is a really good way to take a break without podfading or breaking the schedule.

I have just come across Podango which is a site that descibes itself as a radio tation for podcasts. You can volunteer to be a station owner and then bring together podcasts that relate to your subject. People then subscribe to your station. This may be a good way to
1) Build your personal brand
2) Subscribe to podcasts on your area that will build your knowledge.
3) It is another support forum for ideas.
4) A way of marketing your content.

I have subscribed to a radio station to see how it works, if I like then I may volunteer to be a station owner. I will let you know the outcome.

When you submit your podcast to iTunes - you can check to see where you are in the charts by choosing podcasting, then your category and sub category. This can give you an insight into your listeners - but also don’t forget that on the home page right at the bottom in the centre you can change the country. By default it is on your home country listing, but you can also choose other countries to see if you are popular in other countries.