How to Use a Podcast for Internet Marketing
by Michael Murray
Published on this site: August 2nd, 2005 - See
more articles from this month
Although podcasting is trendy, it's vital to remember that
when you use a podcast for Internet marketing, your podcast
is really just another delivery mechanism - a way to get your
marketing message across.
Because it is a new delivery mechanism, there's a chance
you'll get so wrapped in the technology that you'll forget
the basics, the AIDA formula. You need to give people something
that they want to listen to, and you can't go wrong with the
AIDA formula. AIDA is used in copywriting, and is an acronym:
AIDA means Attract/ Attention, Interest, Desire, Action.
You need to get people's attention, arouse their interest
in your product, get them to want it, and finally take action
to buy it.
Using AIDA In Your Podcasts
You can use the AIDA formula to market your products via
podcasts in several ways.
Firstly, you can use the podcast to attract people to a Web
site where you're selling products related to the podcast
theme. The podcast is the attention-getter. You can have ads
on your site selling your products, and include mention of
them in the podcast too.
Next, include valuable information or entertainment in your
podcasts to make sure that people subscribe. When they subscribe,
you can market to them over and over again. This is the Interest
factor.
You arouse Desire by mentioning your products and their benefits
in your podcasts.
Finally, you need a call to Action, to ensure that people
take action. "Buy before midnight on Thursday, and receive_________"
Making Your First Podcast
Making a podcast (it's really just making an MP3 file)
couldn't be simpler. Here are the steps:
- Plug a microphone into your computer;
- Record your podcast using a program like Audacity at
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
(it's free);
- Create an RSS feed - more information on that here http://www.ipodder.org/whatIsPodcasting
(don't let the technical jargon make you nervous, the RSS
Feed is just a reference enclosure that lets listeners know
when you've put a new podcast online);
- Upload the podcast to your Web site, and then upload
the podcast's RSS Feed to a destination like Podcast Alley
at http://www.podcastalley.com/
so that you can start getting a mass of happy subscribers.
Get Interviewed On a Podcast
If you don't want to make your own podcasts, offer yourself
as an interviewee on other people's podcasts. This saves you
the trouble of recording your own material and putting it
online, and you can promote your products on someone else's
show as easily as you can on your own.
When you create your own podcasts, you'll want to ask people
to join you for an interview too. You can even ask people
to send you MP3 files of questions or tips, that you can include
in your podcast.
So there you have it: podcasting, another tool to add to
your Internet marketing toolbox. If the idea appeals, give
podcasting a try.
Michael Murray is a 22-year old full-time Internet
marketer and college student with Cerebral Palsy who lives
in sunny Orlando Florida. Need MORE TRAFFIC to your website
or affiliate links? "Turn Words Into Traffic" reveals
the secrets for driving thousands of NEW visitors to your
website or affiliate links without spending a dime on advertising!:
http://www.marketlikeapro.com/words.html
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