What Are Podcasts and Why Should You Care?
What Are Podcasts and Why Should You Care?
For years, I have read that I should have a podcast. I didn’t do it because I wasn’t quite sure what one was and how to make one. Well, over the last several months, I have begun noticing a lot of online marketers starting their own podcasts. They have been not only branding themselves and becoming an authority in their niche – But, they have also been driving MASSIVE TRAFFIC to their websites and landing pages.
It’s an amazing opportunity!
So, what is a Podcast?
A podcast is simply an audio (and, lately, even a video) series that is automatically delivered to people who have subscribed to it’s “feed” through iTunes, Soundcloud, Feedburner or any of a number of other podcasting services. These audio or video files are automatically delivered to your computer, your iPhones, iPods, MacBooks, iPad or EVEN Most other MP3 devices, so you can listen to each new installment without having to go looking for it online.
(Or even having to remember that you’ve subscribed to it! It just shows up when you sync your device and you can say, “Oh, yeah, I wanted that.”)
But Why Should I Do One?
There are many reasons to do podcasts, but for online marketing, the main reason to do anything is to increase your traffic which will, in turn, grow your “list” and increase your income. Podcasting can do both! very effectively and its online growing and growing.
When you create your podcast series and set it up with good keyword research, then record regular podcasts with good (or, let’s say it, even great) information, you can begin to get people to subscribe to your feed by letting the people you already know (your list, the people who read your blog, your friends on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, etc.) about it.
Once it starts getting subscribers, it will start moving up in the search engines. And if it’s on iTunes, it will start moving up in the iTunes listings for specific searches.
As it does that, more people will begin to know about you. You can offer your listeners special offers to get them on your list, and you can direct them to products that you have made or that you are affiliated with that will benefit them in their quest for information.
In other words, you can build a bigger list of people to sell stuff to and live the “Laptop Lifestyle” like me… LMAO.
Setting up a podcast is relatively easy, and once it is set up, you simply need to record new episodes on a regular basis. If you’re already blogging regularly, this is very easy to do.
There are lots of resources on the Internet that will help you get set up. I recommend using a WordPress blog with built-in podcasting plugins to make it super easy. Also, there are a TON of videos on youtube to help you get set up.
Want my help setting up your website for you?
I’ve also recently discovered an amazing online course that teaches how to set one up using that plugin, all the way from the planning through editing, then setting up your plugin and attaching it to iTunes to publish. It’s called The Podcaster’s Masterclass – https://www.udemy.com/podcasting-masterclass/ – and is very complete and also quite easy to get through.
