Spotlight on Podcasts: What They Are & Why You Should Care

Fact: A human’s attention span is shorter than a goldfish’s according to 2015 research.

If you don’t vary the format of your content, your readers will move on.

Most readers don’t stay on the same blog longer than nine months.

By varying the way you deliver your content, you will keep your readers’ interest from waning.

My 2015 post How to Create Blog Content Your Readers Will Love– Guaranteed! offered 12 different formats for explaining your information to your readers.

That was so last year.

During 2016, new mediums for disseminating information became popular like SlideShare, YouTube, and podcasts.

If you don’t change with the times, your blog, and blogging as a medium, will die a painful death.

This post will explain how to use podcasts when you blog as an alternative to traditional ways of blogging.

Podcasting:  What It is and Why You Should Care

by Guy Siverson

Today, I was asked about the finer points of podcasting and what makes it important to online marketers.  The following is my in-depth response to what podcasting is and why you should care.

What are Podcasts?

Simply put, podcasting is an audio file that people can listen to instead of reading.  It does not include images which would be associated with a video but it is easier to absorb for busy people who are on the go because they are not forced to sit and read the content in order to glean the associated details. Instead, they can go about their daily activities while listening to your content in the background.

However, from a marketing standpoint, it gets even better considering that there are podcast directories that you can be listed in which allow you to create links back to your site.  Links are the power engine of what makes people successful on the Web.

Using this methodology, one article can serve as a power source from multiple different directions.

1. You have the article itself which is hosted on your blog or website.
2. Images that are needed for the article can then be listed in photo directories.
3. You can use those images to create a YouTube or Vimeo presentation.
4. Then, you can create an audio podcast for people who are challenged in time with reading or watching what you have put together.

3 Free Offline Tools for Creating Your Podcasts

These following tools can be used for creating your podcast while not connected to the Web.  Keep in mind that you do get what you pay for and free is not necessarily always free.  It all depends on your needs and each provider’s ability to meet them.

1. Ardour – Price: FREE 
2. Audacity – Price: FREE 
3. WildVoice Podcast Studio – Price: FREE 

Paid Offline Tools for Creating Your Podcasts

If you want to kick things up a notch with your podcasting success, you may want to consider a for-pay version instead.

1. WebPod Studio – Price: $49.95 
2. SnapKast – Price: $79.99 
3. Propaganda – Price: $49.95 

Each of the details above is subject to change without notice but at the time of this writing, the information was accurate per the details which have been shared.

4 Free On-line Tools for Creating Your Podcast

If you would rather the convenience of having your presentations go straight to the Web, then the following platforms will likely be of more interest to you.  Please note, whether you are creating your presentation on or off the web it is important to note that you do indeed get what you pay for.

1. Podbean 2. PodOmatic 

3. SoundCloud 

4. TalkShoe 

1 Paid On-line Tool for Creating Your Podcasts

And, of course, this list would not be complete without mentioning 2 resources you can pay for while creating your podcast program.

1. Hipcast – Price: Plans start at $9.95/month  

Simple Steps to Creating Your Podcasts

Once you determine which of the above tools you will be using, it is time to create your presentation.  This is not as complicated as it might seem and given that different platforms do different things the exact process might be slightly different.

However, in general here is what you need to do.

1. Decide what you are going to be podcasting about.  This may require research, preparation, organization and whatever else is needed to get the ball rolling in the right direction.
2. Once you have the basis for the content it is time to use your preferred podcasting tool to create the actual content of the podcast.  Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect.  Especially when you are getting started it is better to get the product out to market than correcting every grammatical error that you find.  
3. The next step is to get your podcast listed which brings forward a whole other list of recourses for you to consider.

3 Free Distribution Channels for Your Podcasts

With podcast recorded you can now turn to free options for listing your podcast on a distribution channel.  These include but are not limited to

1. iTunes – Price: FREE 2. Podtrac – Price: FREE 3. ThePodcastNetwork – Price: FREE

Note: It should be noted here iTunes is a very popular distribution channel but there are paid opportunities that you may want to consider.

3 Paid Distribution Channels for Your Podcasts

1. blubrry.com – Price: Starts at $12/month 2. libsyn – $20/month 3. PodcastPeople – Price: Starts at $4.95/month 

Once you have your podcast created and on a distribution channel it is time to turn your attention to the marketing of your product.  There are many ways to accomplish this one of which is through the power of podcast directories.

3 Directories to Make Sure Your Podcasts Are Available On

The nice thing about these directories is that they are all free to use.  For ultimate success with getting your podcast presentation out to the masses on the Web, I would recommend having your presentation listed on all 3 properties.

1. PodcastAlley 2. PodcastDirectory 3. Podfeed 

3 Things to Remember When Creating Your Podcasts

1. Interlink Shorter Presentations

First, you do not need to give away the farm within each presentation.  People cannot easily retain presentations that go beyond 20 or 30 minutes.  

Let’s say you have a program that will go for 3 hours.  

Break it up into 6 videos with only one or two on the actual distribution channel.  The others can be waiting for your eager audience right on your website.

The more you do to drive people back to your website your podcasting marketing strategies the more momentum that you will be able to build.

2. Content is Still King

If you think you are going to be able to build a podcast community without giving away great value within your content, then you had better think again.

However, if you provide high-quality content that your audience will be more than pleased to consume then you have the makings of a very loyal following.  The best part is that people actually need to sign up in order to listen to your podcast which means you have a steadily growing subscriber base if you do things right.

3. Podcasting Increases Profits

Most people are not into marketing simply because they want to provide high-quality content out into the Web.  Profit really is the bottom line.

If that defines your reason for wanting to podcast, then follow a proven formula that works, which is

1. Identify the pain point of your audience and why they would want to listen to your presentation in the first place.
2. Believe in yourself and the value you offer to your community.  You may not know absolutely everything but you certainly know more than your audience else they wouldn’t be listening to you.
3. Build your relationship with your audience.  Yes, you are looking to make money online. However, if your audience senses this in a very bad way then it is likely that you will lose them.  Be a resource, not a salesman.
4. Decide exactly how you will be making money from your podcasting.  Ideas can overlap, but if you do no monetization for profits, your success will be negligible for obvious reasons.
5. Make sure to provide the solution for your listeners with the answers leading in the direction of whatever monetization efforts you have decided to pursue.

Concluding Thoughts About Podcasts, Marketing, and Your Success

As you can see, there is a lot to doing a podcast the right way.  However, once you choose what tools and resources you will or will not use the actual process does become much easier.

One thing is certain.

If you do nothing, nothing will be the result.

If you take massive action, then the corresponding results can become amazing.  Even better if you offer consistency within the process.

Author Bio: 

Guy Siverson is a Guest Blogger who has spent over 20 years helping people succeed on the Web.  His latest work empowers Affiliate Marketer’s to prosper financially.  One of his latest articles tells the story Of Freezer’s, Brides and Your Affiliate Marketers Dream.  He is available for private consultations as well as live or virtual speaking engagements by calling 702-439-4766 during normal business hours.

Host Blogger’s Commentary:

Takeaway: You need to vary your method of conveying information. Using podcasts is an alternative to traditional methods of transmitting your content that will add variety to your brand and keep members of your blogging community engaged.

Podcasting is not about to go away anytime soon. According to Google Trends, interest in podcasts has never been higher.

Using podcasts is an alternative to traditional methods of transmitting your content that will add variety to your brand and keep members of your blogging community engaged.

Click here to get your own downloadable PDF of free blogging tools.

Readers, please share so bloggers curious about podcasting become familiar with the medium as an alternative to a traditional blog post.

Do you use podcasts as a way of getting across your content? Do you listen to them? Would you consider trying to make a podcast broadcasting your content?

I look forward to your views in the comments section.

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