Search Engine Marketing Tips – Part II of a Four Part Series

In our continuation of the series on Search Engine Marketing and Optimization, I will start at the beginning, and cover the basics of what people search for and share my very best search engine marketing tips with you here..

Keywords are the Key

The most important factor in doing and attracting business on the internet begins with words. Knowing how to use words effectively is the key to getting results. But how do you know which words to use in order to get the results you want?

We have all heard of keywords. We know that these are the words consumers enter into a search box to find what they’re looking for. It’s’ a good idea to start with words you think they would likely use. However, not all words are equal. Some are used more frequently than others; and if you choose the wrong words you could limit traffic to your site. There are programs which can analyze keywords for you, but test marketing words is the only way to know for sure which ones work the best.

As the owner of your business, you know your products and services better than anyone else. This gives you an advantage. Use this knowledge to generate the keywords that pertain best to your specific site. This will give you a good start in the search optimization process.

Next, you have to think of other words. Remember that not everyone will know exactly what they are searching for. For example, imagine a website which sells seeds. Someone who wants to plant a garden from scratch may not know exactly which seeds they want or which will grow best in their particular area. To attract traffic to your site, you will need to envision a list of general keywords which someone in this situation might use to begin their search.

An excellent way to find useful keywords is to research your competitors’ sites. Which words are they using? Are they using them in different ways than you are? Studying the competition is a valuable way to mine information for your own keyword generation.

Do not overlook the powerful keyword research tools that are currently available. These sites are great places to help you determine the best keywords for your products, services and market.

You should end up with a list of hundreds, maybe even thousands of keywords. You want to have plenty of options to choose from. Single keywords are fine, but it is an even better idea to combine words into unique phrases. This is known as ‘long tail marketing’, and it is a very popular technique for achieving higher search engine rankings.

For example, consider the seeds again. ‘Seeds’ is a well-known search term, but ‘seed sellers in Orange County’ narrows the search to a specific group of searchers, ensuring serious customers will find your site.

How Search Engines Relate to Content

Search engine optimization should be built into every aspect of your website. Since search engines look for keywords on unique web pages, making sure to put those keywords in all of your content, including titles, headlines, links and other elements, can help boost your rankings. However, for long-term results, a bit more is required. A website must regularly produce fresh content to make itself relevant to search engines. Continually refreshing your site’s content will go a long way towards securing a high spot in the rankings for your keywords.

There are many ways in which content benefits your site in a Search Engine Marketing campaign utilizing SEO as a tool. Spend some time thinking about what you want to offer to your search traffic. Make sure your unique content fills a need. This can be done in a variety of ways:

• Provide informational articles which demonstrate your expertise in a certain area your customers will find relevant
• Uncertain visitors can reassured via how-to articles which will convince them to buy your product
• Feature product reviews and customer testimonials to solidify your credibility and reputation as a seller
• To gain greater exposure across the Internet, be sure that your site appears in article directories

It is vital to keep your website fresh by continually updating content. Search engines crawl and rank the content on your site. It generally takes a few months, or even a bit longer, before you will have enough results to let you know whether your optimized content is working effectively. That is why this should not be the only marketing tool you use for Search Engine Marketing. Come back tomorrow for my next blog post, in which we will explore other available tools.

Search Engine Marketing – Part I of a Four Part Series

Search Engine Marketing is a term you’ve probably heard many times. But what exactly does it mean? The term refers to the different ways in which companies get noticed and attract customers to their websites. Some of the related areas include pay per click, click through rates and search engine optimization. In this four-part series, we will explore these different areas and how you can use them to build your business.

Search Engine Marketing, or SEM, has been around for years, but it is always changing and improving in order to maximize profits. It does take some knowledge of the process in order to make it work well for you and improve business on your site.

There are several different tools involved in the Search Engine Marketing process. In this report, you will learn how to understand and use them in order to optimize your website and increase profits.

The History of Search Engines

Let’s begin with a little history on the subject. After the invention of the internet brought a world of information to our fingertips, the most important next step was to come up with a way to easily search this infinite field for specific, relevant results. Tech programmers and mathematicians worked together to develop algorithms which allowed people to locate information quickly using search engines. These search engines grouped relevant results together within the given search parameters.

It wasn’t necessary for us computer users to learn these complicated algorithms. The techies made the search capabilities user-friendly by setting up a search box where all we had to do was enter words or phrases, now known as keywords. By entering these keywords for a search, suddenly the whole wealth of information available on the internet became easily accessible on the screen in front of us.

The original algorithms have changed, and continue to do so, which means they are unpredictable. However, savvy marketers stepped in and developed a way to use these search results to direct searchers to a particular site or webpage. Online businesses were eager to use these search results to boost their business. But the engineers who developed the search technology also wanted to realize some profit from the effort they put into providing this free search capability to the public.

The search engine operators realized that businesses would be willing to pay a premium to have their companies appear on search result pages, regardless of how their search engine optimization was perfected. The most popular search engines, including Google and Yahoo, began to sell advertising space on their search result pages. This was the beginning of the sponsored ads and links which are now prevalent on these pages.

This idea worked well and brought in enormous revenue for both the advertisers and the search engines. These companies now offer marketing programs which allow businesses to bid on top ad placement within search results and learn how to use specific lists of keywords to create compelling ads.

The Basics of Search Engine Optimization

Of course, optimizing your website to appear high in the free search rankings is a very important part of maximizing your business. You will want to start this process right away. However, seeing profitable results does take some time. While you wait for the traffic from your search optimization to generate, it may be wise to invest in some paid search placement to keep your business flowing with immediate traffic.

The way in which search engines rank websites has changed a lot over the course of the past decade. While the basics remain the same, there is now more of a focus on ‘off page factors’, as opposed to ‘on page factors’. These are terms we will explore more in depth later in this article. The skyrocketing expansion of social media is also playing a huge role in how rankings are determined. It’s important to factor this trend into consideration.

In my next post, I will cover the basics of what people search for and how to improve your rankings in those searches.

30 Day Business Challenge

Earlier today I was reading a post from Geoff Hoff, my friend, co-author on two my books, and technology whisperer. Geoff has been ill recently and is now in the process of rebuilding his business from the ground up. He is challenging his readers to blog every day for the next thirty days, but I am challenging you to do more; I want you to think of this as a 30 Day Business Challenge where you will take action every day over the next month to move your business forward productively.

I will be joining you on this Challenge. My business may be at a very different level than yours is at the current time, but we must all make great effort on a very regular business if we are to succeed with our goals and dreams.

Geoff wrote…’For some time, I’ve known just below the surface that I was very dissatisfied with how things were going, with what I’d created and accomplished.’

Does this ring true with your online business? I felt this way during my first year online, and soon realized it was because I was not working and creating at my full potential. In fact, I was doing very mediocre work and my income reflected that. Once I committed to stepping up and playing full out everything changed.

Over the next few weeks I will be speaking at one event and hosting my own three day marketing workshop. I also have many family and personal commitments. But I promise to report back as to what I am doing each day as a part of this 30 Day Business Challenge. It may start with writing blog posts, but please be open to changing what you do on a daily basis to achieve the results you are worthy of achieving.

What will you be working on this month?

Today’s online world is more competitive than ever before, yet lots of people are catapulting themselves to success in record time. I’ve been working exclusively online since 2006, and based on my experience have come to the conclusion that there are three primary things you need to successfully get started online. Business you can do from your home computer, or from wherever in the world you happen to be is a worthwhile goal. These three crucial things you need are:

• A Blog
• A Book
• A Podcast

Take a few moments to think about this before I go on.

Why do I so vehemently believe you must have a blog, a book, and a podcast if you are going to build a lucrative business online? Because this gives you the opportunity to get in front of millions of people immediately, without having to do any paid advertising or even to leave the comfort of your home. Allow me to go into greater detail on this.

Your blog, which I recommend you have set up at YourName.com (my main site is at ConnieRagenGreen.com), becomes the hub or central location of everything you do in your business. I have often referred to a blog as being ‘Your Home on the Internet’. You own and control this site and may write about your topic in a way that will attract the right customers and clients to you. Make sure to have an ‘About’ page that tells readers more about who you are and what you intend to share on your site. Use your keywords in your post titles and this will help others to find you more easily. Share your posts on social media sites to let others know what you are doing and how you may serve them.

Your book gives you the platform to share as much or as little as you like about your topic, in a way that will help readers to more fully understand the specific topic or topics you are an expert on. Yes, everyone is an expert in some area or can become one with some effort. Whereas your blog covers a more general territory around your niche topic, your book is more specific. You can see all of my books here. Amazon changed everything when they opened up the world of publishing to all of us about six years ago. It is now easier and simpler to become a published author than it has ever been in recorded history.

Your podcast brings your voice to your target audience in a way no other medium else can. I always say that allowing people to hear your voice is the next best thing to meeting them in person. Some people will resonate with the sound of your voice right away and want to engage you further through your products, courses, and coaching, and others, well, others won’t. Give people the chance to hear you as soon as possible. Find out more about my podcasts here. Apple’s iTunes has become a huge search engine, and people will be able to find your podcast, which means they are finding you when they search for the words you use to describe your topic.

You want to tie all three of these marketing tools – your blog, your book, and your podcast – together so that anyone who finds you in one place will also find you in the other two online locations. For example, I write about my podcasts and my books regularly on my blog. In my books I share more about my blogs and my podcasts. On my podcasts I tell listeners about my books and my blogs.

Does this seem too overwhelming to do all at once? The good news is that you can do it on your own timeline, as long as you commit to getting started as soon as possible. Start your blog today if you haven’t already. Put it in your marketing calendar (you do have one of these, don’t you?) to post at least twice a week during the first year and at least once a week for the following two years. That will give you one hundred posts that will become your body of work online. Look into starting your own podcast.

The good news about all of this is that the cost is extremely low. Invest in a Mentor to guide you towards your goals and you will be a successful online entrepreneur before you know it. Get started online! Business has never been so lucrative and so much fun. As an online entrepreneur, what is your plan to make this happen for yourself and for your business?

Get started with all three things – your blog, your book, and your podcast – by attending my
Weekend Marketer Live Workshop in Las Vegas October 10-12.
Contact me directly for discount pricing. I have nine spots remaining.

Get Organized Online to Grow Your Business

Are you always on a slippery slope when it comes to staying organized in your business? You aren’t alone. Cleaning up chaos and restoring order to your business is all about finding the right tools and methods that work with you, your clients, your contractors—and your unique type of business. Help is on the way, and I’m sharing seven of my best tips with you here.

Apply as many of these 7 ideas as you can to help you stop yourself from sliding down the slippery slope towards overwhelm. If you are willing to commit to making an effort to get organized online, your bottom line will thank you.

1. Create a Company Manual.In fact, create two—a master manual for yourself, and one with personal information missing for your VA or project manager.Your company manual should act as a complete package, should anything happen to you, so that whoever is cleaning up your business affairs can find everything they need, including your RoboForm or LastPass master password, site URLS, contractors to be paid, instructions, business documents—and the password to your computer!
2. Manage Your Taxes Now!Did you have to pay taxes last year? Is your business already bringing in more income? Then estimate and project your next year’s taxes—and start putting a portion of each month’s income into your business bank account or a business savings account for taxes; or set up a tax payment option directly in your online banking and pay a portion every month.At tax time, you won’t have to pay—and if you do, it will be minimal. (And maybe you’ll get a refund!)
3. Use Mobile Apps to Help You Get Organized Online.Is half your life lived on your smart phone? If your answer is ‘YES!’, consider using mobile apps to help you stay organized.You can download:
   • To-do lists
   • Schedulers
   • Expense tracking apps
   • Dictation and recording apps
   • Social media scheduling and tracking apps

   Plus all those personal apps that free up more time for your business are excellent as well.

4. Organize and Straighten Up Your Office.Once you have de-cluttered your physical workspace, fit maintaining it into your daily routine. File everything the moment you use it and take note of where clutter tends to build up again.Clutter is a sign that something is not working for you. So analyze what you are missing and do something about it. It might be a bigger in-tray, or a different place to put your pencil holder or a bulletin board instead of a wall calendar—but whatever gives you problems, don’t wait till clutter builds up again. Fix it straight away, make sure it works—and get back to keeping your office clean; an inspirational, organized, pleasant place to work.
5. Outsource Jobs Around the House.Don’t just outsource your online business tasks: Do the same for your physical space and offline responsibilities too.Pay the children to walk the dog. Invest in a cleaning service—and have them dust, polish and vacuum your office too. Ask your husband to split the cooking with you.
6. What’s Your Learning Style?Often when a method doesn’t work, it’s because it was recommended by someone with a different learning style than you. If you’re a tactile, visual learner, making online, text-based to-do lists is likely to have you abandoning this tactic in less than a week: Use visual apps that take advantage of shapes, graphics and color. Make paper lists and highlight the priorities in bright color.Similarly, if you are an auditory learner, record your to-do list daily. If you are always on your mobile, use an app.It’s all about fitting your method to your preferences—and lifestyle.
7. Find Better Ways to Store Your Stuff.This tip may seem obvious, but it’s amazing how often we manage to put up with things like awkwardly placed under-desk storage cabinets or shelves that are too short for our magazine holders.Take a look at your office storage. Is it working for you? Do you need more? Less? Just something different?As soon as you can, schedule a trip to places like Home Depot, Ikea, Walmart, and even Target where you can check out different storage options and reinvent your office.

Marketing Your Podcast

The best way to increase the number of listeners you have is to tell everyone about your new podcast. If you have an email newsletter, then promote, and link to your podcast in your emails. If you have a blog, promote and link to your podcast there like I do in my sidebar. Include a signature ‘visit my podcast’ or ‘listen here’ in every email. And of course, don’t forget to promote your podcast on your website! Place a link to your podcast on your website, with a headshot photo, a call to action like ‘listen here’ and an intriguing headline.

Linking to and from favorite podcasts or other relevant podcasts is also a great way to increase your audience. And don’t worry if the number of listeners you have is small in the beginning. Podcasts are a medium and, like e-zines and blogs, tend to grow as word gets out. The key is to get listeners ‘hooked’ on your podcast so that they’re listening to every podcast regularly and talking to their friends and associates about it. The best way to get them hooked is to provide great content.

How to Use Podcasting: Tips and Suggestions
Tip #1 Make sure you speak in a strong, confident voice and add inflection. If you sound like you’re uncertain about what you’re saying, your listeners will think so too.

Tip #2 Make sure that your broadcasting frequency is consistent. You want people to make listening to your podcast a habit.

Tip#3 Offer variety. Include different guests and formats if possible. This will keep listeners intrigued and engaged.

Tip #4 Make sure that your podcast content is different from your blog content, articles and e-zine content. Chances are that listeners will explore all of your content, and if it is redundant they will lose interest.

Tip #5 Focus on content, not sales pitches. Your listeners will readily listen if you’re providing content that offers them a benefit. However, if it’s merely a sales pitch you’ll lose them immediately.

Tip #6 Plan on Podcasting for the long haul. Podcasters who “test” the medium with one or two podcasts lose out on the opportunity of building an audience. Podcasting is a medium that builds an audience over time and a “test run” won’t give you the results you’re looking for.

Tip #7 Don’t read directly from your script. Practice it a few times so that you know what you’re going to say and then let the podcast recording flow naturally.

Tip #8 Invite others to contribute to your podcast by calling in, speaking, or contributing topic ideas.

Tip #9 Include music at the beginning and end, and use the same music each time so that your audience begins to identify the music with your podcast.

Tip #10 Give each podcast a headline or title. Make sure that it offers your audience a benefit such as “10 Tips to Lifelong Happiness.”

Tip #11 Podcasting is a very personal medium. Talk to your audience like you’re talking to a friend, as if you’re having a one-on-one conversation.

Tip #12 Podcasting, like any marketing tool, needs to be tested and evaluated from time to time to make sure that you’re getting optimal exposure. Track downloads and test headlines for open rates. Track click through rates by sending audiences to specific web pages. Many audio/podcasting services give you important statistics on downloads, play time and listens to completion.  This makes it easy to know if people are listening and enables you to make quick changes to meet what your audience demands.

Tip #13 If you’re uneasy writing a podcast or audio script, you can outsource the project by hiring a freelance writer to create your script. Remember to personalize the script when you make your recording.

Tip #14 Before you begin Podcasting, research your competition’s podcasts or audio files. Find out what they do that you can do better and differently.

Tip #15 Before you begin Podcasting, visit and listen to numerous successful podcasts inside and outside of your industry. What makes the good ones good? What can you take away from the successful podcasts and make your own?

Adding a podcast to your marketing mix and to your website is a valuable and economical marketing tool that can bring you fantastic results. You’ll grow your target audience, build a community around your brand, product, or service, and – best of all – you’ll help people learn more. Podcasts are a win-win for both you and your customer.

How to Name Your Podcast

Choosing a name for your podcast is very important. It not only reflects your business and your brand identity, but it also must inspire people to download it, listen to it, and to then come back for more. Choose a name for your podcast that matches your content topic. People generally search for a particular subject when they visit podcast sites, like “meditation”, “marketing”, “investing” etc. For example, one of my podcasts is called ‘Online Marketing Tips’.

Like any other online content, publicity is all about using the right keywords. Your podcast can have your company name on it but you should also consider having a secondary name. Dating the podcasts is also suggested, because it helps subscribers organize them and know what is new content and what is old content.

For customers that download onto their iPod or other MP3 player, they will see a 255 character id tag that scrolls across their screen. Be sure to include your URL (and possibly your phone number as well) in that title.

Podcast Scripts:

Always script your podcast before you record it. Make sure to outline your point or points first. What message do you want to get across to your subscribers? Make sure you are able to address this point accurately and completely in the time that you have allowed. Make notes of where you want to add inflection. Podcasts that are without inflection or a range of vocal emphasis are not interesting to listen to. Add emotion to your voice; if you are excited about your material show it, and if you are discussing something serious or sad, let your voice demonstrate that too.

Don’t forget to plan pauses and breaths into your script and where you’re going to place your advertisements. Advertisements work best when you can easily transition into them.

For example, “Speaking of making money online, head to our website now and save 10% on our new book 101 Ways to Save Money.”

Here’s a sample format outline:

• Introductory music (this is optional, of course)
  
• Introduction of host or hosts
• Host introduces topic (with an appealing title and teaser)
• Couple of minutes of content
• Advertisement
• More content
• Promotional mention of an upcoming seminar, sale or new product
• Teaser for next podcast topic
• Closing music

Advertising During Your Podcast:

Make sure that your audio or video includes an easy to remember phone number, because many people will be listening to your offers while they’re driving or working out. They won’t be able to simply click through to your website. That being said, make sure you also include your URL in your call to action so that those that are listening on their computer can immediately visit your site.

Keep your advertisements short. Listeners can easily ”fast forward” and not listen to your advertisements. If you keep them to 10-15 seconds they won’t make the effort to skip over them. Additionally, you should transition into them as you’re speaking so that the listeners aren’t immediately aware that they’re listening to an ad.

Make sure that you keep the ads free of time constraints. Due to the nature of a podcast, a person can listen to it today or six months from now. If your advertisements have a “limited time offer” call to action, then you’ll miss out on a lot of potential customers.

Hook your audience with interesting content before you insert your ads. Placing your ads in the beginning of your podcast can cause some listeners to tune out; however, if you’ve already hooked them with interesting information, they’ll listen to a quick plug to hear the rest of your information.

Podcasting Formats:

The use of a podcast or the format of your content is virtually limitless. You can podcast on the following topics:

• Instructions or training manuals of your products
• Company news
• Commentary on your industry or industry analysis
• Creative endeavors like singing, reading poetry, reading fiction
• Behind the scenes information
• Interviews with experts
• Seminars or workshops
• Reviews on products or services
• “How to” guides
• From the field information
• Lessons
• Inspirations
• Meetings or mastermind group discussions
• Call in shows
• Monologues
• Dialogues or conversations
• Quiz shows
• News magazine format

Podcast Content:

Like any online tool, content is king. In your podcast you absolutely must provide content that offers a benefit to your customers and target market. A podcast that is simply an advertisement for your services may get listened to once but it won’t be revisited, and it won’t be forwarded to friends, family and associates. However, a podcast that entertains and informs will grow and build your sales and your online presence.

Make sure that the content that you offer via your podcast differs from the content that you offer via your blog, newsletter or on your website.

Podcasting Equipment

You might be under the impression that expensive equipment and a studio is required to have a successful podcast for your business. Nothing could be further from the truth. The best thing about podcasting is that you can do it at home with simply a basic Mac or PC and an inexpensive microphone, but a better microphone will improve your sound quality to some degree. Some podcast hosting sites even make it possible to podcast using your cell phone. You simply register with the service and create your podcasts by recording them when you’re on your cell phone.

If you want to kick it up a notch, there are several ways to set up a podcast recording ‘studio’. And for serious podcasters, the list of necessary podcasting equipment is as follows:

• Microphone
• Preamp
• Digital recorder (or computer)
• Headphones – (These are the ones I use to record my podcasts)
• Sound-editing software

Frequency:

Podcasting on a consistent schedule is important when building a community and a wider audience. In fact, don’t expect your podcast to have a large audience in the beginning. But with proper promotion, quality content and a regular schedule, your podcast audience will grow. Many podcast audiences number in the thousands.

Decide, before you get started, how often you will be able to broadcast. Each podcast will take time to script, rehearse and record. You are likely to want to commit at least four hours of planning and production time for each podcast.

Length:

To determine how long your podcast should be, you’ll want to consider how frequently you’re going to broadcast, what content you’re delivering, and who your audience is. For example, if you’re doing a daily podcast you would be likely to want to keep it short. Five to ten minutes is a perfectly acceptable length for a daily. It is enough time to offer an inspiration, a tip for the day or an insight. If you’re doing a weekly and you know that your subscribers generally listen to your podcast on their drive to work, then a 20-30 minute podcast would fit perfectly into that time frame. I have always kept my podcast interviews to under thirty minutes and my training podcasts to under an hour.

Costs:

Great news! Podcasts can actually be free. If your computer came with a microphone or you use the headset I recommended above, then you already have your recording equipment. All you need is a podcast host and, like blogging hosts, many are offered for free. Simply use your favorite search engine and you’ll find numerous choices.

Of course, for a few extra dollars you can find podcast hosts that offer sound editing software, more storage and unlimited bandwidth. To choose the right podcast host, it really depends on how many podcasts you want to produce per month, how big they will be and what kind of subscriber base you are expecting for your shows.

Adding music/sounds to your podcast:

Adding music to your podcast can:

1. Set the theme of your podcast
2. Prepare your listener for individual segments or features within your podcast
3. Entertain your listener

When selecting your music, remember to consider the theme of your podcast and your target audience. Since each podcast is different and has a unique audience, the music used should reflect both.

Royalty-free music can be used in productions without recurring fees, i.e. without paying royalties each time the music is played. An alternative to royalty-free music is “podsafe” music.

Podsafe music is acquired by partnering with a musician and crediting their work during the podcast. Independent artists are making their compositions available as podsafe music in exchange for publicity and airplay. Sound effect libraries can be subscribed to for a modest fee, or podsafe CDs can be purchased and imported through your computer’s media player.

By now you can see that podcasting equipment is inexpensive, music can be added easily, and that this is an effective way to reach your target market quickly. Do you have other questions or concerns I have not addressed in this post? If so, leave a comment and I will answer you personally.

Subscribe To My Award Winning Podcast

Today I have some excellent podcasting tips for you. I have hosted two highly visible and successful podcasts since 2011. In fact, my marketing tips podcast was recently named as one of the Top 100 Small Business Podcasts of 2014. Podcasting will help you to position yourself as an expert in your niche. If you’re not familiar with the term “Podcasting,” it is defined as the use of audio or video to broadcast a message. Though experts disagree on where the term came from (some say it came from a combination of the Apple iPod and the term “broadcast,” while others say it comes from “Public on Demand” + “Cast”), the medium is growing exponentially as a tool businesses use to communicate with customers and potential customers.

Think of it as an audio blog or an audio e-newsletter. Like both of those tools, podcasts are an excellent and cost effective way to reach your target market in a personal and informative way. In addition, your podcasts can be distributed through RSS format, which is a subscription service that announces and delivers the podcast to your subscribers like a blog or a newsletter.

One of the reasons for the popularity of podcasts is that users, your customers and your target market, are able to easily access the information and listen to it on their computer, mobile device, mp3 player or just about anywhere.

Podcasting Tips: How you Benefit from Podcasting:

1. Podcasts increase your marketing reach and online visibility. You will expand your target market because different people prefer different mediums. Some customers like to read company information, others prefer videos or live communication and still others like to download your information and listen to it when they have time. Many podcast users listen to downloaded podcasts on their way to work or while they’re working out.
2. Podcasts may improve your sales and conversion rates. Podcasts are yet another way to reach your customers, and the one-on-one communication provides the kind of personal touch that customers crave. People are more likely to buy from someone that they feel they have communicated with directly, and podcasts enable you to do just that.
3. Podcasts provide a consistent line of communication with subscribed listeners. It has been proven that regular communication with your customers improves both your overall relationship with them and their buying frequency. A regularly distributed podcast can strengthen your relationship with your buyers and help to build a community with your customers.
4. Podcasts provide beneficial and value added content, which increases customer loyalty. Podcasts can offer a different kind of content to what you can provide with a blog or an e-newsletter. This kind of content can be extremely beneficial to your customers.
5. Podcasts allow you to distribute industry news and trends, which sets you apart from your competition and establishes you as a respected leader in your niche or industry. One of the best ways to get repeat purchases and loyal customers is to become the “expert” in your industry. Once your business is established as the place to go for quality information, services or products, your profits will grow.
6. Podcasting, or adding audio or video to your website and email messages, enables customers and prospects to access information in a more personal way. You can add video or audio testimonials, quick “how to” segments, and even a special promotional message. Adding audio or video is a unique way to add a personal touch to your website.
7. A podcast or an audio file can be used as a giveaway to build your opt-in list. Consider recording either an interview with an industry expert or a seminar or workshop, and then offering the audio file as a free download. In return, you get their email address for future mailings.

By now you can see that podcasting makes an excellent addition to your marketing mix, and that it is an effective way to reach your target market. Do you have other questions or concerns I have not addressed in this post? If so, leave a comment and I will answer you personally.