I was reminded of this crucial distinction when I perused the results of RAJAR’s latest MIDAS research. RAJAR, the UK’s radio measurement entity, publishes a semiannual look at British consumption of Internet-delivered audio that examines trends in digital radio, streaming and podcasting akin to our own Internet and Multimedia Research Series here in the States, and I am always interested to see how the behavior of UK digital consumers agrees and differs from our own here in the US.

I’ll have more to say about the podcasting statistics in a later post (they show continued growth in uptake, from 7.2 million podcast consumers in October 2008 to 7.8 million today,) but for now I wanted to focus on this telling statistic: while 4.2 million say they listen to podcasts at least once a week, only 28% find time to listen to all the podcasts they download (the typical user reported subscribing to 5.2 podcasts per week.)

I freely admit that I rarely listen to everything in my queue, and often weeks will go by before I will listen to an episode. Some subscriptions I have never caught up with, and others remain weekly staples. The vast stew of unlistened-to podcast episodes in my iTunes folder is very reminiscent of my TiVo “Now Playing” page, which also contains dozens of shows (and one entire series) that I’ve never watched. I suspect, if you own a DVR, that you have had a similar experience.

It’s easy to subscribe to episodic content–less so to find time to fit it all in. If you are a podcaster with a program centered on information or news content in a given niche, you know that listeners have multiple ways to get the content you offer (after all, you also got it somewhere.) What keeps listeners coming back, week after week, is you–character development, roles, trust, and your story. Even the most compelling podcasts, however, can pile up in someone’s feed reader amidst the plethora of audio and video available on the Internet.

That’s where scarcity can be your friend. If you are a terrestrial broadcaster thinking about podcasting your morning show, think hard about how often you want to seed content to your feed–sure, a quick, daily 2-minute joke or benchmark is an easy thing to snack on, but think long and hard before you attempt something long-form on a daily basis. More frequent podcasts may work if you are Dawn and Drew, because they aren’t repurposing broadcast content. But the more unlistened-to or unwatched shows I have piled up for a given program, the more daunting it is to tackle them–and the more likely I am to just choose a nuclear option.

All of which brings me to online video maven Tim Street, and how he handles the production of his wildly popular French Maid TV series. Tim’s very clever idea was to film a “how-to” series for men, with the subject of each video demonstrated by women dressed as French Maids. Some of the topics he has covered include how to change your oil, how to register a domain and (of course!) how to podcast. What makes Tim a very smart guy is that these topics are ripe for sponsorship–and he doesn’t shoot an episode until a sponsor pays for it. This means that he is able to monetize his show–and design it around a sponsor–from day one, and it also has the beneficial side effect of making new episodes scarce–i.e., valuable. Viewers know that a new French Maid TV episode is an event, so they make the time to watch it. Sponsors know this as well, which means that they have a little control over when the campaign is viewed (I’ve discussed podcasting’s problem with variable campaign length and asynchronous consumption before) and they also know that because Tim isn’t littering YouTube with hundreds of French Maid TV episodes a year, that they are sponsoring an actual, special event.

Now, this isn’t the prescription for everyone. But it may be that the best thing you could do with your podcast content is to make less of it, not more.

(Reposted from The Infinite Dial)

Those that attended got a firsthand look at who uses podcasts and how they use them. Some key points, as highlighted on Twitter at #poddata inlcuded:

• 1 in 5 Americans (22%) have listened to a podcast.
• 59% men 41% women, 18-44 demo = 60% of podcast users.
• Most downloadable media is consumed via desktop, mobile growing.
• Podcast users are very active on social networks – mainly Myspace and Facebook
• 24% of podcast consumers feel “emotional connection” with their favorite podcasts.
• Podcast consumers are more receptive to advertisers heard in podcast vs heard via internet radi.
• Producers need to do a better job of selling the portable aspects.

…and so many more.

If you missed the webcast never fear. Here it is for your viewing pleasure.

The Podcast Consumer Revealed 2009

Download the slides.

Thanks very much to all who made this possible, especially Tom Webster of Edison Research. Thanks also to Arbitron and Chris MacDonlad of the ADM.

However, once you look past the “glass half empty” headline you’ll see real opportunity. Opportunity to do so much better. Opportunity that was really the reason a group of forward thinking people decided to form the Association for Downloadable Media.  How about, “Podcasting Not Too Profitable…Yet!”

First, let’s look at some of the facts about podcasting consumption. After all, you can’t make money on a product or service unless there are people using it, right? Well podcasting is being used…alot. This fact will be reinforced by data to be presented during our May 21st webcast with Edison Research’s Tom Webster and that same fact was noted in data the aforementioned eMarketer have themselves touted as recently as March 9th of this year. “As a percentage of Internet users, podcast downloaders will grow from 9% in 2008 to 17% in 2013.”

To be clear, when eMarketer states that “The appetite for podcasts is fairly light” they are referencing the appetite of media buyers, not podcast users. So, it’s not a matter of finding audience, it’s a matter of increasing the appetite of advertisers for, or even making them aware of the existence of, that audience.

We must seize the opportunity. Or as Tom Webster says in his Infinite Dial post, “Projections generally describe a possible future–perhaps even a probable future–but not the only future. The key is, what are podcasters going to do to change it?” Downloadable media producers (in this case podcasters, must work harder, whether it’s  an organized manner through the ADM, or by individually approaching advertisers to sing the praises of reaching consumers through this new and highly personal medium.

While eMarketer* “projects” ad spending will increase to $43 million in 2013, we will continue to champion a medium that is growing in appeal and audience to those that seek to reach that audience. Enough so that the current projection looks like chump change when we look back at it.

(*Update: As noted below the “projection” was that of Zenith Optimedia rather than eMarketer’s.)

In addition to his thoughts below, I would advocate online or podcast only content made available by radio stations. Whether it be the long unedited version of an on-air interview, the 4th hour of a 3 hour morning show, episodes featuring character’s from the station,  or anything else you can imagine.

Mark also references the measurement of podcast plays and downloads that warrants some discussion, especially as it pertains to iTunes, but that’s for another time. Here’s Mark…

When it comes to radio station podcasts, we’re generally talking about two flavors:

One is the Public Radio kind, usually weekly shows with beginnings, middles, and ends or clips of information updates or highlights.

The other is the commercial radio podcast – often three hours of this or four hours of that.

The myth of podcasting is that this long-form way is the way listeners want to consume our content simply because it’s the way they consume our content over the air – a context in which they have no choice in the matter, by the way.

Actually, they do have a choice – it’s to tune in and out, ever-hopeful for a “hit” or “highlight.”  And tune in and out is exactly what they do.

But wait, doesn’t an on-demand environment give us the ideal opportunity to showcase the “hits” or “highlights” that our active listeners demand?

Let me ask this another way:  What’s likely to be more popular, the brief clip of the 47-year-old woman startling the judges with her vocal talents on Britain’s Got Talent – or the entire episode of Britain’s Got Talent?

Public Radio shows are generally like episodes in a series (for longer form stuff) or immediate and disposable, but useful in the moment (for shorter form stuff).  Or – in rare cases – the entertainment value of the whole (i.e., Car Talk) can’t easily be atomized into its parts.

Commercial radio shows, by contrast, almost uniformly lack beginnings, middles, or ends.  Arguably, the first hour of your morning show is not much different from the last.  And – by design – you do not usually need to hear the first hour to appreciate the ones which follow.  Nor, I would argue, do you need to hear today’s show if you miss it.  Indeed, today’s show is relatively similar to tomorrow’s show and yesterday’s show.  Wait a few hours, and like the movie Groundhog Day it will all come back again.

If I miss Hannity today, no sweat.  I’ll just catch him tomorrow.  One listener call on Dr. Laura can be substituted for any other listener call.  Thus the very consistency of the show reduces its value in an active on-demand environment.  When something is the same all the time, it’s never special – or at least any one show in its entirety is never essential.

Further, even though you can count your podcast downloads you generally can’t count the degree to which a listener is hearing the whole podcast – or any of it, for that matter.  My iPod doesn’t care whether or not I hear what is on it – it dutifully downloads podcast updates regardless.  No wonder most podcasts are heard online – not on portable devices.  At least a few minutes of them, anyways.

What this all suggests – at least in part – is that when we transform the radio show to the podcast we are thinking about the medium all wrong.  In an on-demand world for much of commercial radio, the unit of currency is not the “show,” it’s the “hit,” the “highlight.”

Sure folks will still listen to the long-form audio, but what many of them would prefer is that we carve out the “hits” – those special moments worth actively seeking out and hearing.  The “water cooler” gems.  Not the mundane same-old same-old that characterizes much of what lay between the “hits”

Listen, more folks will read your email if there’s only one short message in it.  And more folks will click your audio if it contains just the “hit” they’re looking for – and only the hit.

This, after all, is why people buy songs instead of albums.

Listening to radio over the air is as different from listening on-demand as an album is different from a song.

Share your content accordingly.

Reach Mark through his company and website Mark Ramsey Media

1. SPIN-OFF: While this didn’t work very well for the M.A.S.H. spin-off, AfterMASH, it was a formula for success for All in the Family. That show had spin-offs and spin-offs of spin-offs, including Maude, The Jeffersons, Archie Bunker’s Place, Gloria, 704 Hauser, Good Times, and Checking In. Your podcast has probably grown in areas beyond where it originated, so capitalize on that, and create a spin-off show for this new audience segment. GeekBriefTV has done this successfully with The Big Trip, iCali, Dear Cali, and CarnivoreTV. Each of these shows is satisfying a sub-set her their audience and, in turn, increasing their downloads and ad revenue.
2. CONSISTENCY: I know this point has been beaten to death, as it applies to both podcasts and blogs. You must put out fresh content on a regular basis, otherwise your numbers will drop off. The listenership of my podcast, The Dave and Matt Show, had a significant drop-off when we went on hiatus. This condition is evident in this year’s TV season with shows coming back from hiatus. Skellie has a great post about blog frequency. Of course, this doesn’t have to mean you have to produce a new show each time. If you have a healthy archive of episodes, you can create a “best-of” episode, a “bloopers” show, or have someone guest-host your show.
3. CHANGE IT UP: This tip borders on Darwinistic, but if you find that your audience is dwindling (downloads, ratings, viewership, etc.), then shake things up and evolve over time. One of the best media podcasts out there, in my opinion, is Shelly Palmer’s MediaBytes. He is perhaps the best aggregator of media business news out there, and he puts his own spin on the news from his many (many, many) years in the industry. However, if you listen to the first episodes, they are quite different in format than what you hear today.
4. NETWORKS: One way to ensure the longevity of your podcast property is to not hang your hat on the one show’s name. For instance, one consistently funny show I listen to is Pacific Coast Hellway. The producer, Mark Yoshimoto-Nemcoff, has made slight adjustments to the show’s format to keep it fresh. However, the property is the show, and vice-versa. When I met with the producers of the Wedding Podcast Network, I thought their move to have their enterprise under a “network” moniker was brilliant. They have around 10 shows in their network right now. If one fails, the network lives on. Similarly, if Private Practice gets cancelled, ABC network isn’t going anywhere.
5. DON’T CALL IT A PODCAST: Now, this isn’t a hard and fast rule, but if you call your show a podcast, you’ve instantly narrowed the perception of what your audience should expect. You’ve identified your show by the medium on which it is distributed. The”pod” portion of podcast has confused a lot of non-listeners into thinking that you have to have an iPod to listen to a podcast. However, according to Edison Media Research, more than two-thirds of podcast consumers listen/view podcasts on a computer over a portable device. Today, people can watch a podcast on an a phone, a computer, a television, a portable media player, an AppleTV, and a refrigerator (seriously). If you call your show a “show”, it doesn’t paint you into a corner in terms of distribution. Leo LaPorte was sort of on the right track when he started calling his podcasts “netcasts.”

These are just a few tips, and I encourage you to use the comments section to add your own. And please incorporate at least a few of these tips, because I wanted to listen to you experts-in-your-field for many years to come.

(Re-post from www.mattsnod.com)

Lots of folks came up to me afterwards to chat about this one! Here was my point: Downloadable media represents a solution for consumers who want to control their media and be the programmers of their own personal media experience. It’s one of the reasons I am so bullish on the space: regardless of the penetration and uptake of the word “podcasting” (which we currently have at 37%), the desire to listen to what you want, when you want and on whatever device you want will soon be ubiquitous. The “convenience” of podcasts is clearly a big selling point–why be tethered to a television set or a radio at a specific time and place when I can take content with me and consume it when I want? Kind of a no-brainer.

So, yes, the “convenience” of your podcast is a feature–even a benefit–but my point here is that it isn’t the feature you should lead with. What you should lead with is how incredible your content is, and why, even though it is available to be listened to at anytime, it should be listened to now, or at least on the day it is released. There are two very compelling reasons why:

1. If your content can be consumed any old time, then it is easy to put off until later–or never. In other words, given a choice between something that is time-sensitive or has some kind of urgency attached to it, and something that doesn’t, the squeaky wheel gets the grease every time. I find that there are a lot of podcasts in my iTunes repository that simply go unlistened to or unwatched because they get bumped to the back of the line behind more topical content. If there is no need to listen to a given podcast now, then it can often fall victim to the urgent.

   Note that this “need” doesn’t have to be tied to a date or time, but to a context: if you train your audience that your lawn-care podcast is meant to be listened to when you mow your lawn, then you can begin to habituate your audience to strapping on their iPod every time they fire up the Lawnmaster 5000–and be assured of a consistent weekly reach.

2. Closely related to that issue is the hard fact that currently a typical podcast ad or sponsorship campaign can take longer to show results than campaigns across other media. With money, you can do anything–and I know that with money I can ensure that a radio listener or tv viewer will see my message at least 3x within a given, short window. With podcasts, because they are consumed asynchronously and over varying lengths of time, I have no control over reach and frequency within a given time window. A typical audience member might hear my message three times in a week and a half, or three times over six weeks. When you are competing for ad and sponsorship dollars with media that have a firmer grip on that reality, you start behind the eight-ball.

Now, here is the part I needed to do a better job elaborating upon at the NME, so let’s cover it here. None of this means that you can’t have evergreen content (indeed, you should) or that you need to “live stream” everything–nonsense. You keep doing that content voodoo you do, edited and produced to the level you see fit, and containing whatever content makes you passionate. Ultimately, selling that passion across to your audience (and transferring it, where appropriate, to relevant advertisers and sponsors) is what successfully monetizing your content is all about. I am merely suggesting that podcasters take a tip from broadcast radio and do everything in your power to create true appointment media–content that you could consume tomorrow or next week if you want to, but at some opportunity cost.

Think about how broadcast radio (especially music radio) does this every day. Theoretically there is no difference between a classic rock station at 10 AM and one at 10 PM–you could hear the same music at any time (and there’s a topic for a future column…) So the best broadcast radio stations build appointments for listeners to check in at, say, “9″, “2″ and “5″ (get it? 9-2-5?) to get clues for a contest, or give away concert tickets at 4 PM, or feature big benchmarks or promotions on the day when most listeners get and begin to fill out their Arbitron diaries (for the diary markets) in order to be fresh and top-of-mind when the ratings process begins. Gaming the system? Sure–but it is all about being indispensable. If your content can be listened to any old time, then what’s the rush?

Luckily, podcasters–especially independent subject matter experts who bring unsurpassed passion, commitment and focus to their programs–have one up on traditional media–the engagement of their audience, and their trust in you and the choices you make. For many of you, all you may have to do is “ask for the order” by reminding people to download your next show “next Friday at noon!” For podcasts that have a contextual or lifestyle hook, continually educate your viewers and listeners about how to use your show. Got a podcast about what is going on in your local market this weekend? Insist that it be listened to Friday on the way home. A fitness podcast? Take it with you every day to the gym. A meditation podcast? Call it “Lunchtime Meditation.”

The other advantage most new media producers have is a compelling web presence and a tightly integrated online community. If you give that community reasons to make a weekly (or semi-weekly, or bi-weekly) appointment with your show, and continually reinforce that with your community through a variety of social media outlets, they will come. Broadcasting your show live with an integrated chat or voice interaction component is certainly one way to drive appointment-based listening or viewing of a podcast that will be available for “convenient” consumption later, but not the only way. Even for highly edited or produced shows, there could be a time-sensitive interaction (download the show at noon and respond by five to hear your question on the very next show, for example–c’mon, y’all are more creative than I am!) Again, your ace in the hole here is the fact that podcasters are capable of maintaining deeper relationships and levels of trust with their audience than are most forms of media–never abuse that, but don’t hesitate to use it to your advantage by asking your audience to move your show a couple of notches up their consideration set.

Of course, the best way to be unmissable is to create unmissable content. I used my TiVo a lot this past year, but I watched American Idol and Lost on the nights they aired. From some of the new media stars I heard from and spoke with at the New Media Expo, I can tell you that it’s out there! But it never hurts to ask for the order, educate your audience, and make it inconvenient to put off your show for one day longer.

Thanks for reading.

-Tom

Tom Webster
Vice President, Strategy and Marketing
Edison Media Research
www.edisonresearch.com

A listener wrote me recently with a potential solution: ask your audience to evangelize your show. It’s so simple, really, and I’m surprised more of us aren’t already doing it. We all know that we are creating content in perhaps the most engaging media type ever, and while we’re all busy here trying to figure out how to (properly) use that engagement for advertising dollars, etc., we can also use it to further our reach. If we simply ask our audiences to tell their friends about our shows, even going so far as to explain that you don’t *need* an iPod to view/listen, it could really help. If only 10% of the audience does it, and they each tell two people, and only half of all the people told stick around, that’s a 10% increase in listener/viewership. That’s huge!

Let’s not forget that our audiences are our biggest asset. Be sure to protect them dearly, and they will likely do just about anything to help you.

The panel included Nathalie Schwarz from Channel 4, Matt Wells, Head of Audio from Guardian Unlimited, Sarah Prag from the BBC, and noted independent radio / podcast producers Hermeet Chadha and Karen Pearson. The session covered many issues around podcasting, including definition, production values, regulation, culture, expectations of both listeners and viewers, metrics, and the commercial realities of making podcasting pay.

ADM member Dean Whitbread from Talking Voices and the UK Podcasters Association takes part in the question and answer session in part two, talking about video and the Association for Downloadable Media initiative.

This is a two part podcast of the event.

Part One
Part Two

Now this is nothing new as the topic of “Podcasting” terminology was actually brought up in Leo Laporte’s keynote from last year, when he suggested that the name “Podcasting” was bad for the industry.

Since then, negative connotations with “user generated content”, the detrimental effect of not having Microsoft fully supporting podcasts (although this seems now to be resolved at least for the Zune 2) and the general misunderstanding that podcasting was only available on iPods, all seem to have validated Leos suggestion on calling for a terminology change.

However, last year his voice was a solitary one and despite him re-branding his shows “NetCasts”, the rest of us were happy to soldier on under the banner of podcasting.

With this years Expo however, the tide seems to be turning.

• The show was much more serious with a distinct slant on video and providing digital content as an independent media producer.
• The tracks on monetization were well defined and well attended.
• There was no dismissal of commercial considerations and it felt good to be able to be one of the first to stand up and be counted as someone who is making a decent living as a digital media content creator.
• The keynotes focussed on the success stories of several New Media properties gaining ground in establishing themselves as valid and profitable ventures. All creating compelling content and utilizing the new distribution channels now available to all media creators.

For next year, the dropping of the term “Podcast” from the Expo title is actually the second major change that Tim and Emile Bourquin (the Expo organizers) have made to the Expo. As of next year, the Expo is moving to the convention capital of the world – Las Vegas. Along with the name change, this is an attempt to pro-actively grow the Expo (and by association the industry) by legitimizing the Expo to outsiders. The previous three years Expos have all been held in Ontario, California and based on remarks made in the excellent Podcast Brothers show, it would seem that Tim and Emile have met resistance to growing and legitimizing the Expo purely due to its location.

In two fell swoops, they’ve set the ground work for the show to grow significantly for next year.

So am I happy that they’ve dropped the Podcast entry from next years Expo and re-located?

Yes!

Is Podcasting dead?

Most certainly NO but I’m 100% behind the push to redefine the term to remove some of the barriers preventing new media content becoming more widely adopted.

But what exactly is New Media and why is it different to Podcasting?

I think there are several distinct attributes that define “New Media”

Content – New Media is all about the content. The content has to be compelling, original and worthy. The method of distribution is not the end game, it’s the content. This is the trap that we fall into by defining the industry by the delivery method. It’s not about Podcasting, it’s all about the content.

Consumer Choice – The New Media consumer wants choice. Choice on how, when and where they wish to consume their digital content. This extends to multiple formats, the ability to playback on any device they own, the removal of copy protection and the ability to move data between devices and locations.

Relationships – New Media has the potential to be a two way conversation between the producer and the audience. The audience has the ability to interact directly with the New Media producer and have their voice be heard.

Niche Markets – New Media is the perfect match for niche markets.

I do a weekly video tutorial all about Mac software – ScreenCastsOnline. It’s seen throughout the globe by thousands of people in virtually every country. I also produce High Definition premium content for the people in the audience who want more than the free content can provide. The premium content is chargeable and supports my efforts as a full time new media producer (as well as my mortgage, my family and my addiction to Apple products!). My web and media hosting costs are fully covered by AdSense ads. I have no staff, I do everything myself so, in effect, the production costs for the show are nil.

Compare that with traditional media costs. For example, a factual daytime show for the BBC costs between £10,000 to £60,000 per hour. Comedy starts at £110,000 rising to £600,000 for top shows.

Traditional (or old media) can’t service the potential vast numbers of niche markets available to the New Media producer, it’s just not economically feasible for them.

Digital Format – New Media is all bits and bytes. Whether audio, video, documentation, online web based or other content we’ve not even invented yet, it’s all digital.

Distribution – New Media is distributed via a low cost, highly scalable global distribution channel predominantly based on Real Simple Syndication or RSS.

Boundaries – New Media has no boundaries either legislative or geographic and can be distributed to a global audience just as easily by an individual as by a mega-corporation.

New Advertisement Models – New Media doesn’t need the old CPM ad models.

New Media has a target audience of niche markets, communities of like minded people who are actively seeking out new content and who are not adverse to consuming ads as long as they have relevance to them and their interests. Advertising via New Media takes on a whole new perspective when considering not just the cost of views but crucially, the cost of influence. This represents a complete sea change in the current advertising models and one that has the potential to be exceptionally powerful.

And yes, all these apply to “Podcasting” as it stands today but we need to move forward.

We need to get over the barriers and hurdles that simple terminology puts in our way.

We need to grow our audiences and establish “New Media” as a credible supplement to traditional media. Not as an alternative to traditional media, but a distinctive supplement.

So I’m happy to support the transition from “Podcasting” to whatever terminology becomes the norm. There’s probably a fair amount of discussion to be had around the whole area of terminology but for now here’s my first take:

I’m no longer a “Podcaster”, I’m a “New Media Producer”

I no longer have a “Podcast”, I have an “Internet TV show” which can be found in the Podcasts section of iTunes.

So sorry Leo, perhaps we should have listened to you last year (I still don’t like the term “NetCasts” though!).

Don McAllister – email

ScreenCastsOnline Website
Personal Blog – My Own Reality
Podcast-Monetizer Project

Podcasting requires some specific “best practices” to increase the search exposure of your audio, video and RSS content. Here are five tips that are sure to increase your traffic.

1. Accompany Audio and Video Content with Text

Search engines look at the content of your site to decide which keywords are relevant to your content and which phrases you will be listed for. Currently, search engines such as Google don’t index audio. That means they have no idea what is said in the audio or video files it find on your sit. For this reason it’s extremely important to include text content that can be indexed and listed in search results.

Including “show notes” is one obvious way you can do this. Each episode should have its own post on the blog with a description of the content that includes relevant search keywords. An easy way to get the entire content of each episode indexed is to post a transcript to your site as well. You can find a transcriptionist on Elance or you can also give CastingWords a try.

2. Use Complete and Keyword-Rich Data in Your Feed

Podcast directories such as iTunes and the Zune Marketplace are search engines, too. Including complete and strategic metadata (i.e. information about your show such as the author, title, category, etc.) in your feed increases the exposure you get in these directories. These directories look at the keywords in your title, author and description fields to determine which search phrases to list you for. Choose high volume and strategic search phrases to include in these fields.

3. Use a Blogging Platform to Publish Your Content and Feed

Using a blog to publish your podcast offers numerous promotional advantages. Search engines like indexing and listing blogs because they regularly provide fresh content. Also, the structure blog-based sites (i.e. the link architecture) makes it easy for the search spiders to quickly find and index all of your content. Each piece of content is given its own permanent URL that can be used in the search listings.

Using a blog to publish your podcast not only makes your site more search-engine friendly, it also just makes it easier to publish your feed and maintain your show. The platform that I use for all of my podcasts and those I set up for clients is WordPress.

4. Submit to the Most Popular Podcast and Blog Directories

Submitting your show to be listed in podcast and blog directories offers multiple benefits. First, these are also search engines with “eye balls” looking for new content on a daily basis. Each one is a potential source of new audience members. Second, these directories usually include a link back to your web site. Such backlinks help boost the “authority” of your site (an important criteria for favorable search listing). A link back to your site is like a vote for the quality of the content.

Recently I implemented promotional strategies for a clients brand new podcast. Within a few days they were listed for one of their primary search phrases on the first page of Google not once but four times. Not only did their primary site appear but also their listing in three other podcast directories. This was reinforced by complete, keyword-rich metadata in the feed that used by the directories to create a listing for the show.

5. Use Keywords in Your Post Titles

Getting ranked in the search engines is all about your content being seen as relevant and authoritative for given keywords. You can reinforce the relevancy of your content to a given phrase by using that phrase in specific ways on a page. For example, a search engine will often look at the title and headings when determining which phrases a page is relevant to. Using your targeted keyword phrase in the title of a post/page helps to reinforce the relevancy of that post/page to that phrase.

Conclusion

Regular efforts to search engine optimize your podcast and site will bring significant ROI when it comes to audience growth. SEO should be a regular part of your marketing efforts. There’s a lot more to SEO that is worth looking into, but these five tips will get you well on your way.

What is your experience with podcasting and SEO? Do you have any tips to share?