You
Are Here: Home
> Resource
Articles > Web
Presentation > Article
|
Untitled Document
Top
Picks for
Sunday, 07 Sep 2008
|
10
Tips For Podcasting Success
by
Sharon Housley
As podcasts increase in popularity, listeners have more choices.
So while you might be ahead of the competition, you should still
be thinking about ways that you can make your podcast unique
and stand out from similarly themed podcasts.
1. Plan Accordingly. When making the decision
and commitment to podcast, it is important to think beyond the
moment. Before starting, think about the time the podcast production
will take. How will podcasting fit into a current schedule?
How frequently will you podcast? How will hosting of podcasting
files be handled? If the podcast is excessively popular, how
will fees be generated to pay for hosting? What is the common
theme that threads all podcasts in a series together? Think
not only of a broad theme, but also various episodic themes
that fit into a broader theme. What will make you distinct or
different from others podcasting about similar content? By approaching
podcasting with a little forethought, you will set yourself
up for success.
2. Original Content. Just like any media company,
in order to attract and maintain an audience, you will need
to provide original content, or at the very least, present the
content in an original way. Think about a long term strategy
that will help your show distinguish itself from others.
3. Get to The Point. Jibber Jabber is fun,
but not to the point of excluding quality content. Listeners
in today's society don't have time for incessant rambling. If
you have a point to make, make it in a reasonable amount of
time. Minimize the fluff and focus on quality content.
4. Do Your Homework. Not only is faulty information
a liability, but incorrect information will hurt a broadcasters
long term reputation--just like a journalist's credibility is
paramount to their success. It is important that the information
that you provide is accurate. While being a shock jock might
have short-term appeal to listeners, most will remain loyal
to a source that has properly vetted all of their information.
5. Consistency. The best content is consistent
content. Podcasts should contain compelling content with episodic
titles, that are united in common broad theme. The format of
the podcast should be consistent, persistent and stable. Each
show should be about the same length and contain a common format.
6. Timeless Content. Content that is timeless
has a long shelf life. Broadcasters will benefit more from content
that is timeless and can be effectively archived. "How
to" content that solves problems will often have long term
appeal and listening life. When choosing topics, consider the
long term effects of a specific piece and determine whether
it will fit with the broad theme of the show.
7. Articulate Words. The quality of the audio
content does matter. Think of the last time you heard a good
song, on a poorly tuned radio station; regardless of how much
you like the song, most of us would move the dial along. Listeners
will not want to strain to hear a podcast; pay particular attention
to articulation. Another important item worth noting is that
Podcasts have global reach and often global appeal. Minimizing
an accent will often extend the podcast's listening audience.
8. Optimize Podcasts. Podcast titles should
be optimized to incorporate data that relates to the contents
of the podcast. Think about the themes when selecting a podcast
channel title and description. Use critical and related keywords
and phrases that relate to a common theme. The text in the feed
is important for both feed optimization and for attracting listeners.
Many of the podcast directories index the contents of podcasts
using the information contained in the channel and item's, titles
and descriptions. Use these text fields to effectively capture
the interest of listeners.
9. Listener Expectations. Invariably listeners
will come to expect certain things from broadcasters. In order
to maintain a listening audience, it is important that broadcasts
are consistent and satisfy the expectations of listeners. While
it is okay to experiment, straying to far from what a listener
expects will often disappoint.
10. Archive. Many new listeners will want
to review previous broadcasts. Consider ways to make older shows
available through archives. Archives allow broadcasters another
channel to benefit from the content. Maintaining archives of
older podcasts might bring in new listeners and satisfy listeners
who just can't get enough. Podcasts require effort, but by following
basic guidelines and thinking things through, podcasts can be
instrumental in increasing web traffic and communications within
a community.
Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll
software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds and podcasts.
In addition Sharon manages marketing for NotePage,
a wireless text messaging software company.
| Hot
Recommendations |
 |
|
| Internet
Mastery Center Blog |
| | 
