“Lies, damn lies, and statistics.” To the old cliché it might be worth adding “number of internet downloads” because working out just how many people are consuming your content is the source of countless applications, rules of thumb, and the occasional touch of snake oil (yes,
I still get pitched with measured “hits” in 2011). It gets even more interesting with podcasting.
Nobody likes to produce to an empty room, so how do you know if people are engaging with you? While most podcasters are going to have a blog (even if it’s just to power the RSS feeds for your show), there are some great strategies and ideas to discover your listeners and interact with them. Here are three, and feel free to add your own.
One of the important areas you have to remember is that people listening to your podcast are not likely to be next to their computer when they do listen, and if they are out and about they might not be in the best place to use a smartphone or tablet to carry out the action. So you need to make any call to action memorable and simple.
If you want something, ask for it. That’s a rule you want to remember here, because you want to get that listener interaction. The time honoured way is to offer some sort of inducement, and that’s why competitions should be considered. It doesn’t need to be a fantastic prize (unless you’ve got a sponsor who’d like to help out with that). An Amazon digital voucher is always a good place to start.
You could always combine the competition with a survey. Asking your audience a “question of the month” is a great format, and as well as engaging with them and starting a two-way conversation, any survey should always ask the basic demographic details of those taking part. Why? Because when you start to approach advertisers, they’ll really appreciate that kind of information (so make sure you tell people why you’re asking for the demographic data, be honest).
Finally, your podcast is just a file on the internet, so tracking downloads is a valid method. There are various plug-ins for blogging platforms that will help you do this, and some of them are tailored for use with podcasts. Personally I’m a fan of Blubrry’s service that’s wrapped up in their Powerpress plug-in for WordPress, but there are others out there you can use.
The flaw in relying on a counter is that downloads don’t necessarily mean listeners – go and check your podcast queue to see how many podcasts you have unplayed and you’ll see what I mean. That’s why the call to actions in your podcast are important. They may be reinforced with links on the show notes, but fundamentally they are discovered when people listen. Keep them simple, make them easy to remember (consider using a custom bit.ly link such as bit.ly/blogworld), and make sure to keep your own records on what works and what doesn’t – it’ll be different for every podcast audience!
Image: TwiT at MacWorld 2008″ cc Macinate / Flickr
jimmy choo bridaland jimmy choo outlet Nike Lebron shoes andNike ZOOM LeBron new burberry replica burberry lebron 8 v2i want to look some pandora jewellery; pandora jewellery beads cheap nfl jerseys or jersey supply and religion jeans, you can leave a email to me! thank you! nike air max 2011white air maxnike griffey maxreligions jeanstrue religions jeans true religion jeans outletbears jersey blackhawks jerseyken griffey shoes air griffey maxken griffey jr shoes
air griffey max 2lebron 8 south beach,cheap Nike Air Max 2009cheap Nike Air Max 2010cheap Nike Air Max 2011cheap Nike Air Max 24 -7cheap Nike Air Max 360cheap Nike Air Max 87cheap Nike Air Max 88 Mencheap Nike Air Max 89 Mencheap Nike Air Max 90cheap Nike Air Max 91 Mencheap Nike Air Max 92 Mencheap Nike Air Max 93 Mencheap Nike Air Max 95
cheap Nike Air Max ACGcheap Nike Air Max Classic BWcheap Nike Air Max LTDcheap Nike Air Max Preview EU Mencheap Nike Air Max Skyline Mencheap Nike Air Max Tn Mencheap Nike Air Zenyth Mencheap Nike Griffey MaxNike Griffey max,Nike TN 2011,Nike air max skyline,bape shoes,Adidas Shoes 2011,Air Griffey Max Fury 2012,Air Jordan High Heels,black Air Jordan Shoes,Air Jordan Wool Boots
Jordan CMFT Max 12Leather,cheap Jordan Sandals,Ken Griffey Jr Jerseys,Ken Griffey Shoes 2011,Ken Griffey Shoes Womens,Nike ACG Boots sale,cheap Nike Aina Chukka,Nike Air 1/2 Cent Penny,Nike Air Foamposite One,Nike Air Max 2009 shoes,Nike Air Max 2010 shoes,Nike Air Max 24-7 shoes
white Nike Air Max 95,cheap Nike Air Max 95 Boots,Nike Air Max NM Nomo,Nike Air Max Uptempo 97,cheap Nike Heels for Women,Nike Ken Griffey Shoes
Nike TN 2011 shoes ,Nike Zoom Lebron shoes,Women’s Nike Dunk SB
cheap Pandora Necklacescheap Pandora Ringscheap Pandora Setscheap Pondora Packages
herve leger bandage dressesmoncler down jacketmoncler doudounesmoncler coatcheap moncler jacket
lebron 8 south beach
Nike ZOOM LeBron
Nike Lebron shoes
lebron 8 v2Nike Air Max LeBron 8 V2
detroit lions jersey
cheap authentic jerseys
cheap nfl jerseys
youth nfl jerseys
nfl jerseys wholesale
religion jeans outlet
true religion store
true religions
true religion billy
true religion men
men Bootcut jeans
men Flare jeans
men Skinny jeans
straight leg jean
true religion women
women bootcut jeans
women Flare jeans
cut off jeans shorts
girls skinny jeans
straight legs jeans
nike shox shoes
sb dunks
true religion joey
true religions jeans
true religion men jeans
cheap religion jeans
cheap true religion men jeans
true religion boys jeans
true religion billy mens
true religion cargo pants
true religion corduroy jeans
true religion capris
true religion joey jeans
cheap religion jeans
true religion mens skinny
True Religion Straight Leg
true religion womens jeans
true religion denim jeans
true religion denim shorts
true religion straight leg jeans
True Religion Wide Leg
skinny bootcut jeans
True Religion lizzy
True Religion joey rainbow
True Religion casey legging
True Religion lone star
True Religion stella
True Religion shirts for women
true religion brand
cheap true religion jeans
true religion brand jeans
true religion uk
moncler vest
moncler uk
moncler women jackets
moncler men jackets