How To Use a Podcast For Internet Marketing

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:



1. Plug a microphone into your computer;



2. Record your podcast using a program like Audacity at

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ (it's free);



3. 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);



4. 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.