I’ve realized in the last two years that selling ads is just one reason to launch a show. One of many great reasons!

The internet is all about content and we know that the key to reaching our target marketing is to provide them with interesting, original content. So we create websites, write articles, create blogs, write newsletters, etc.

Taking our content and sharing it via an internet radio show or podcast is a natural next step for anyone who wants to reach others with their message.

Probably the number one reason for starting a new show that I hear from my coaching clients is to establish their position as an expert in their field - and it works.

People have a tendency to believe what they hear and they grow to trust those who they hear from often.

Anyone who provides coaching or consulting would be a natural for internet radio. They can model what they do for their listeners, creating a warm market of interested prospects that they can further market their services to.

Not all hosts are motivated by profit. Some create shows to promote an interest or cause that they are passionate about. Others are just having fun talking about a hobby.

The good news for all of us is that it is possible, more today then ever before, to get started with very little
up front or ongoing expenses.

Whatever your reason, internet radio and podcasting provides you with a new way to reach the people you want to reach online.

I know that some of you are intersted in hosting a show but really don’t have a clue what kind of program to create.
Tomorrow I’ll share some great ideas - maybe a few will appeal to you.

Justin Kaiser
Creative Identity Group

What is an RSS feed?

Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is an XML-based format for content distribution. See Wikipedia’s description at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS_%28file_format%29 .

News, information, enterprise applications and weblogs (blogs) can all be published in RSS. When a new article is posted or a change is made to an application, RSS feeds can automatically notify the user. Text, images, audio (including podcasts) and video can be incorporated into RSS feeds. In simple, a code is inserted into your web site and the selected categories of news are “pulled” to your site automatically.

How do RSS feeds impact my business?

For Individual Users, RSS feeds can help keep you up-to-date on news, information and blog posts, making you more knowledgeable and productive, both at work and at home. According to Technorati, as of March 2006, there are more than 30 million RSS feeds available. Most mainstream news and information sites publish RSS feeds.

For your web site, depending on your product or service, there are a number of different use cases for RSS since both internal (enterprise applications, blogs, reports) and external (industry news, competitive information, blogs) content can be delivered as feeds. In particular, many businesses see benefits by not having to periodically check Web sites for key updates or wade through traffic on e-mail distribution lists. In addition to increasing knowledge and productivity, RSS feeds can also be used for brand monitoring, crisis communications, internal/executive communications and competitive intelligence.

For Publishers, Media Companies and Other Content/Information Providers, RSS feeds offer readers, visitors and customers a convenient way to read and access their information. RSS feeds can also be incorporated into web sites to offer a more personalized and rich user experience, strengthen the brand and maximize revenue opportunities.

Search engines that place importance of page rank on the amount of relevant content that you display on a given site, also “see” the constantly changing news headlines and articles as a plus. Adding an RSS news feed to your site can be one of the most cost-effective things you can do to help you in the quest for higher rankings.

If you would like to find out more about RSS feeds and how they can be implemented on your site contact us today.

Justin Kaiser
Creative Identity Group