RSS, which stands for "really simple syndication," is a technology that allows for easy, automatic distribution of Web site content. Your content is fed to special readers as soon as it is published, allowing subscribers to read it immediately. It is a relatively quick and easy way to expose users to fresh content, while simultaneously helping promote your site to search engines.
RSS feeds can be a highly effective marketing tool that can increase your exposure to users and improve your search engine ranking. RSS feeds are free, and all major blogging software comes with the capability to publish a feed.
These feeds creates a unique, automatically updating Web page that feed readers can understand. When someone subscribes to your RSS feed, they copy that page's URL into a feed reader. The feed reader lets subscribers easily view excerpts or full articles you've published on your site.
Someone receiving your content via RSS may no longer visit your site, which may seem like you're shooting yourself in the foot. However, publishers who enable RSS believe that by making it easier to share their content, they're more likely to lure people back to the site. Also, many people browse large RSS directories looking for things to read. By submitting your feed to such a directory (known as an aggregator) your most recent story always gets added to these services. This increases your exposure, and it adds to the overall number of sites that link to you, an important factor in search engine optimization.
The only drawback to RSS is the amount of time it takes to keep creating fresh content. If you don't publish new content on a regular basis, your blog will not only lose its utility to those who read and subscribe to its RSS feed, it will also lose favor with search engines.
There are many different RSS feed formats available including Atom, straight XML, and numerous RSS 1.0 and 2.0 formats. Not all feed readers can understand all formats. Services like FeedBurner will automatically convert your RSS feed into every available format for the widest range of readers. FeedBurner also adds useful traffic-tracking tools that let you know how many people are using your feed and what stories they're clicking on.
Remember, though, that on the Web, content is king. While RSS will often increase your exposure, ultimately it is the overall quality of your content, your ability to engage an audience, and your site's usefulness that will draw and keep users.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Thursday, September 20, 2007
How to Make Your Podcast Guest Look Like a Rock Star
Having a knowledgeable expert on your podcast positions you as an industry leader. That's why it's important to do everything you can to make your expert look like a rock star.
Here’s a list of do’s and don’ts when it comes to podcast interviews, specifically focusing on how to make your guest look like a rock star (or thought leader).
Do research on the person you’re going to interview. Prepare some questions, get their bio and write down all the things that make them great.
Do get the spelling and pronunciation of your guest’s name correct before you start recording.
On the scheduled day and time of the interview, don’t leave your guest scrambling to figure out how to contact you. Since you arranged the interview, you have to make contact with your guest.
Do send interview questions at least a week before the interview. The day before is no good.
Do remind your guest that the interview is being recorded. This will put your guest at ease and help him or her to relax.
Do let your guest do the talking. He or she is the expert, so let their expertise shine through.
Do edit all the verbal clutter your guest makes. This will cause you extra work, but doing so makes your guest sound polished and articulate.
Do follow up with a thank you email and a link to the podcast interview that your guest appears on.
Do provide instructions on how the person can access and download their interview. Not everyone is well versed on how to listen to a podcast.
Do provide your audience with a URL to your guest’s website under a special section called Show Resources.
Do provide a blurb that your guest can copy and paste and send off to their colleagues, network and/or mailing list. This helps you to increase your audience and gain additional subscribers by using your guest’s database to promote your podcast.
By Leesa Barnes
Here’s a list of do’s and don’ts when it comes to podcast interviews, specifically focusing on how to make your guest look like a rock star (or thought leader).
Do research on the person you’re going to interview. Prepare some questions, get their bio and write down all the things that make them great.
Do get the spelling and pronunciation of your guest’s name correct before you start recording.
On the scheduled day and time of the interview, don’t leave your guest scrambling to figure out how to contact you. Since you arranged the interview, you have to make contact with your guest.
Do send interview questions at least a week before the interview. The day before is no good.
Do remind your guest that the interview is being recorded. This will put your guest at ease and help him or her to relax.
Do let your guest do the talking. He or she is the expert, so let their expertise shine through.
Do edit all the verbal clutter your guest makes. This will cause you extra work, but doing so makes your guest sound polished and articulate.
Do follow up with a thank you email and a link to the podcast interview that your guest appears on.
Do provide instructions on how the person can access and download their interview. Not everyone is well versed on how to listen to a podcast.
Do provide your audience with a URL to your guest’s website under a special section called Show Resources.
Do provide a blurb that your guest can copy and paste and send off to their colleagues, network and/or mailing list. This helps you to increase your audience and gain additional subscribers by using your guest’s database to promote your podcast.
By Leesa Barnes
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
5 Reasons to Transcribe Your Podcast
Podcasting is the method of distributing files, or information (Audio/Video) over the internet for the audience to listen or view. Often times Podcasters monetize their podcast by having advertisers sponsoring their show. But many Podcasters have difficulty monetizing there Podcast following the traditional advertising model.
This article talks about 5 reasons how Podcasters can monetize their podcast by transcribing.
Following are the top 5 Reasons to Transcribe your podcast and Monetize from them
1. Make your Podcast Transcripts available for SALE. Transcribe your Podcast and make it available for SALE. This way people who prefer to read (than to listen) can buy your Podcast transcript and read them at leisure.
2. Make your Podcast search engine (Google/Yahoo/Live) friendly and be more visible on the web by transcribing your Podcasts.
3. Millions of people speak English, but they don’t all speak the same English. English pronunciation is much different in different parts of the world; Cover broader audience by breaking the accent barrier, put it in text so anyone on the web from any part of the world can read them.
4. Not everyone can listen/hear (hearing impaired) your Podcast, transcribe your Podcast and make it available to those who much deserve.
5. Use formatted transcripts embedded with banner links and other marketing materials for advertising and monetizes your podcasts. This can be your second source of advertisement revenue other than your traditional podcast advertisement.
This article talks about 5 reasons how Podcasters can monetize their podcast by transcribing.
Following are the top 5 Reasons to Transcribe your podcast and Monetize from them
1. Make your Podcast Transcripts available for SALE. Transcribe your Podcast and make it available for SALE. This way people who prefer to read (than to listen) can buy your Podcast transcript and read them at leisure.
2. Make your Podcast search engine (Google/Yahoo/Live) friendly and be more visible on the web by transcribing your Podcasts.
3. Millions of people speak English, but they don’t all speak the same English. English pronunciation is much different in different parts of the world; Cover broader audience by breaking the accent barrier, put it in text so anyone on the web from any part of the world can read them.
4. Not everyone can listen/hear (hearing impaired) your Podcast, transcribe your Podcast and make it available to those who much deserve.
5. Use formatted transcripts embedded with banner links and other marketing materials for advertising and monetizes your podcasts. This can be your second source of advertisement revenue other than your traditional podcast advertisement.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Top 10 Direct Mail Mistakes
There are some people who make a career out of direct mail. Most people, however, get the general idea but make errors along the way. Below are the most common mistakes that you will encounter with a direct mail campaign.
Using the wrong list. Perhaps the biggest mistake that you can make is to use a mailing list that does not represent your target audience. Too many people send out mailings, receive no response, and wonder why. Make sure that your list is current and targeted to meet your needs.
Poor copy. It may only be 100 or even 25 words, but they need to be the right words. Take the time to do several rewrites until the copy will grab the reader's attention.
No call to action. If you don't tell the reader what you want them to do, it defeats the point of sending the direct mail piece. Do you want them to call you? Email you? Send in the enclosed postcard? Buy something? Make it clear what they should do or they will not respond.
No testing. Too many people learn the hard way that their direct mail piece is not effective. It should be common practice to test out anything you plan to use to market or advertise your business in order to see if it makes an impact.
Using hype over meat. It is all too common to hype your product or service with superlatives instead of highlighting and explaining the actual benefits of your product or service.
Not proofing the copy. There are too many stories of great direct marketing pieces that were missing phone numbers, addresses, or other key information. Errors in the copy are also too prevalent. Proofreading is an important aspect of all of your marketing campaigns. If you feel that you are lacking in those skills, hire someone to proof your copy. Or ask a colleague who has a way with words to take a look at your text.
Not focusing on your headline. One of the reasons we all toss direct mail quickly is because it does not grab us. Somewhere between boring headlines and gimmicks is a smart use of a headline that catches someone's eye without insulting their intelligence. You only have a few seconds to grab the reader, therefore you need to put great stock into your headline.
Highlighting form over function. One common mistake is placing too much focus on the design elements of the direct mailing piece, which results in marvelous four-color graphics, interesting shapes, and eye-catching color, but a discrediting loss of content.
No follow up. Many businesses send out brochures, fliers, and other materials with no follow-up plan. Follow-up refers to calling, mailing additional information, or at least being prepared to fulfill requests for the product or for additional information.
Not tapping into expert advice. Direct mailing has been around for many years because when it works it works very well. Many people have spent their careers mastering the art of direct mailing. They know the right words to use and the best ways to get results. However, far too few people tap into this bank of knowledge. Do your research and learn from experts in the field.
Using the wrong list. Perhaps the biggest mistake that you can make is to use a mailing list that does not represent your target audience. Too many people send out mailings, receive no response, and wonder why. Make sure that your list is current and targeted to meet your needs.
Poor copy. It may only be 100 or even 25 words, but they need to be the right words. Take the time to do several rewrites until the copy will grab the reader's attention.
No call to action. If you don't tell the reader what you want them to do, it defeats the point of sending the direct mail piece. Do you want them to call you? Email you? Send in the enclosed postcard? Buy something? Make it clear what they should do or they will not respond.
No testing. Too many people learn the hard way that their direct mail piece is not effective. It should be common practice to test out anything you plan to use to market or advertise your business in order to see if it makes an impact.
Using hype over meat. It is all too common to hype your product or service with superlatives instead of highlighting and explaining the actual benefits of your product or service.
Not proofing the copy. There are too many stories of great direct marketing pieces that were missing phone numbers, addresses, or other key information. Errors in the copy are also too prevalent. Proofreading is an important aspect of all of your marketing campaigns. If you feel that you are lacking in those skills, hire someone to proof your copy. Or ask a colleague who has a way with words to take a look at your text.
Not focusing on your headline. One of the reasons we all toss direct mail quickly is because it does not grab us. Somewhere between boring headlines and gimmicks is a smart use of a headline that catches someone's eye without insulting their intelligence. You only have a few seconds to grab the reader, therefore you need to put great stock into your headline.
Highlighting form over function. One common mistake is placing too much focus on the design elements of the direct mailing piece, which results in marvelous four-color graphics, interesting shapes, and eye-catching color, but a discrediting loss of content.
No follow up. Many businesses send out brochures, fliers, and other materials with no follow-up plan. Follow-up refers to calling, mailing additional information, or at least being prepared to fulfill requests for the product or for additional information.
Not tapping into expert advice. Direct mailing has been around for many years because when it works it works very well. Many people have spent their careers mastering the art of direct mailing. They know the right words to use and the best ways to get results. However, far too few people tap into this bank of knowledge. Do your research and learn from experts in the field.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
What is the best way to achieve a high conversion rate with my Internet marketing campaign?
The success of an Internet marketing campaign can be measured by a high conversion rate. Depending on your site and your type of business, your conversion rate may be based on convincing readers to become subscribers, encouraging people to buy something, or enticing prospective customers from another site with an ad. The best way to convert users is to provide them with all the information they need to make an informed decision.
Because online marketing is largely direct response, you need to encourage the customer to act. And action is determined by letting customers know what and why they should click. They need a compelling differentiated benefit:
Compelling because it sparks them to act.
Differentiated because it is different than they can get elsewhere.
Benefit because they have to get value out of it.
You may want to lure customers to your site, for instance, with a discount on a service you provide. You advertise the discount in an email newsletter. A potential customer is exposed to the email link and is attracted to the discount that you are offering. When potential customers click on the link, they need to go to a page that is designed to educate them about the discount and entice them to sign up for your service. You will most likely lose customers if that link goes to your home page because home pages have the lowest conversion rate in terms of purchasing.
In addition, by sending people to a specific page to learn more about your offer, you can easily measure the conversion rate A?? the percentage who sign up for your offer compared with the total visitors to that page. Keep in mind that it often takes people more than one visit to a site to convert them.
make sure to read these articles:
Top 10 Internet Marketing Mistakes
Make Some Noise
Technorati Profile
Because online marketing is largely direct response, you need to encourage the customer to act. And action is determined by letting customers know what and why they should click. They need a compelling differentiated benefit:
Compelling because it sparks them to act.
Differentiated because it is different than they can get elsewhere.
Benefit because they have to get value out of it.
You may want to lure customers to your site, for instance, with a discount on a service you provide. You advertise the discount in an email newsletter. A potential customer is exposed to the email link and is attracted to the discount that you are offering. When potential customers click on the link, they need to go to a page that is designed to educate them about the discount and entice them to sign up for your service. You will most likely lose customers if that link goes to your home page because home pages have the lowest conversion rate in terms of purchasing.
In addition, by sending people to a specific page to learn more about your offer, you can easily measure the conversion rate A?? the percentage who sign up for your offer compared with the total visitors to that page. Keep in mind that it often takes people more than one visit to a site to convert them.
make sure to read these articles:
Top 10 Internet Marketing Mistakes
Make Some Noise
Technorati Profile
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
