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You’ve got podcasting questions, and Traci Long DeForge is back to answer them. Traci is the founder of Produce Your Podcast and a member of the PBJ Editorial Board. This week Traci answers your questions about Siri, podcasting vs. blogging and where to upload your episodes.
Question: Can listeners find my podcast using Siri? Traci: Yes, Siri can help listeners find and follow your show in Apple Podcasts. There are some other fun things Siri can do which will simplify the listeners experience and ultimately lead to more downloads for your show. For example, encourage listeners to find your show by asking Siri: -“Play [Insert Show Name]” -“Play the latest episode of [Insert Show Name]” -“Play the first episode of [Insert Show Name]” Listeners can also ask Siri for information about the podcast they are currently playing. For Example: " Hey Siri, what podcast is this? " You can even Ask Siri to follow the Podcast. For example: " Hey Siri… Follow this podcast" Listeners can also use Siri to find other podcasts where you’ve been a guest. For example: “Hey Siri, Find all podcasts with Traci DeForge.” Remember to include this “Ask Siri” in your Call to Action at the end of your show as a unique and simple way to get your listeners to learn more about previous episodes and follow your show. Listeners love the “easy button” and now you can give them one and grow your show at the same time!
Question: Do you think podcasting is better than blogging as an income source? Traci: I recommend you do both as a content repurpose strategy, discovery tool and as an opportunity to meet people where they are. Some prefer to read while others prefer to be more portable and listen as they multitask. You can start by recording your podcast episode, having it transcribed (services like Descript.com work well) and then creating the blog post from there. The monetization strategy will develop from a focused call to action that drives back traffic to your offer on your website and you only have to create the original content one time.
Question: Should you upload your episodes directly to your website or is there a better way to distribute them? Traci: When you launch your podcast, you will want to choose a hosting platform and that is where your episodes will live and be archived. These platforms are like website hosting platforms you’ve used to host your website. Because your audio and video files can be so large, you don’t want to upload them directly to your actual website because it would bog it down. Instead, when an episode is published through your platform you can upload a link or an embed code to your website which converts to a player so the episode can be played directly on your website via a connection to your hosting platform or RSS Feed. There are website plug-ins you can install that will make sure the episodes upload automatically or you can add the episodes manually yourself along with show summary notes and graphics.