Summary: Blogging ABCs hosts Deborah Carney, Tricia Meyer, Vinny O'Hare, are joined by James Martell to have a panel discussion about why bloggers should consider podcasting, plus having guests on podcasts. Here is a link to a page where we show you the show you the basic software and equipment you need to get started podcasting. Here are some of our notes on why you should start podcasting on your blog: Connect on a personal level. Listen instead of read, listen while you do other things - on top of Mt Kilimanjaro, on a plane, while running, while working. Affiliate Buzz - Every two weeks at the start, weekly now. Charles Johnston got James started as a way to get readers of James' book to be able to hear James answer questions and let people get to know him. Gives your blog a personality in addition to words on a page. Affiliate Thing - another long lasting podcast that is on a regular schedule and widely listened too about issues in the affiliate marketing industry, but that covers other topics as well. Hosted by Shawn Collins and Lisa Picarille. People recognize your voice at conferences. Personalities come through better via voice or video. After listening to a podcast people can "hear" your voice when reading your posts. She Shops Around - Podcast that Tricia produces that helped her site's members get to know her better. Exposure: iTunes, podcast directory, podcatchers drive traffic to website from other locations. Be sure to leave contact information and clearly spoken links to your website at the end of your podcast so people can find your site that got the show from iTunes. Spell things out so that people have time to write it down or type it into their browsers. Article by James that includes list of podcasting directories to submit to. (Note: after podcast Deborah started down that page adding podcast rss feeds.) Force yourself into a schedule by having a live call and then record and post. Some conference call services: AccuConference Free Conference Call Another way is to have a co-host, so you keep each other to a schedule. Plus people generally like to here different voices and different opinions. Then add guests so that you have even more voice and regularity. Discussion creates new and better ideas. Arlene Martell's Podcast - initially pushed back from the idea for a podcast on her site EpilepsyMoms.com. Instead of a long term podcast she decided to have interviews and have a limited series of podcasts on specific topics with specific physicians and nutritionists. Her goal with her podcast was to educate parents of children with epilepsy and have them try the diet that has made such a difference in her child's life. Interviews via podcast instead of print interviews are more interactive. Makes your website comes to life, and when on a podcast the participants gain from the discussion, which gives the listeners new information as well. Blogger challenge: Think about the topic of your blog, find someone similar and just get on a call, talk about a topic and record your discussion for 20 mins. Put your contact info at the end. Post the link to your podcast here :) James: Some people don't like to hear their own voices: Get over it. Get a headset, write an outline and just do it. Tricia: Fresh content, give new life to your site, inspire yourself with new topics Vinny: New traffic for your site from your iTunes stream. Vinny and Deborah's Podcasting resources: Post with the info you need for the technical side of starting a podcast. Twitter: Tricia Meyer James Martell Vinny O'Hare Deborah aka Loxly Blogging ABCs Thanks to Geekcast.fm for hosting our podcasts. Please go visit them to hear more podcasts about internet marketing.
