Does Podcasting Boost Traffic?

[Inhibitor]

I have an answer for you.

Unfortunately, I didn't get around to implementing Google Analytics until the end of December (primarily because I'm basically lazy...ask my wife), so I don't have any data for my previous podcast efforts, but here's my traffic graph from Google:

Guess...just guess which day I put up my latest mini-podcast? (If you need a hint, how's this...I'm not here bragging about December 31.)

Now admittedly, it's not what anyone would call a standard podcast...this is the longest one I've put up so far (out of three...I just started doing this) at just over 3 minutes long. It actually has more in common with produced comedy bits that you hear on morning shows than an actual podcast. (Here's the link if you're curious about it.)

However, I've had quite a few comments about the length...it seems that people don't have enough time in the day to listen to thirty minutes to an hour from several different sources. Just a couple of minutes, however...well, there's the graphic up there. Judge for yourself.

[evelester]

thats great! So, what kind of marketing did you do, if any when you posted the pod cast? Stumble Upon, digg, a forum, anything?

Podcast sounds great by the way!

[Bloggeries]

Crazy and thanks for putting this out for us Dave.

Question is did you do anything further to promote your podcast then just put it online? Also does the podcast make references to your website so if people found just the podcast they could find your website?

I should start vlogging I think

[erikko]

i guess podcasting traffic varies from the blog's niche

[QuirkyJessi]

Originally Posted by Bloggeries

Crazy and thanks for putting this out for us Dave.

Question is did you do anything further to promote your podcast then just put it online? Also does the podcast make references to your website so if people found just the podcast they could find your website?

I should start vlogging I think

I was wondering that myself.

For me personally, my traffic to a site would decrease after they started switching to podcasting....if they kept up with regular blogging, then simply my comments would drop off because I wouldn't watch them and eventually, I'd feel pushed out if the podcasting took a larger role. I've actually stopped going to a few blogs over time because they've switched to nothing but podcasting/vlogging and well, I'm often browsing blogs when I'm not in a situation to have volume up....or frankly, they're much better writers than they are speakers/recorders, lol.

/end ramble Point being, don't forgot about your 'readers', too, when it comes to bringing in podcasts, hehe....no matter how great your traffic might seem on a few podcast posts.

[Inhibitor]

Okay, I'll take'm in order. (Smiley used by Royal Permission of Her Majesty QuirkyJessi, our resident Smiley Queen. Offer void where prohibited, and may not be rebroadcast without express written consent from Major League Baseball.)

thats great! So, what kind of marketing did you do, if any when you posted the pod cast? Stumble Upon, digg, a forum, anything?

Actually, I didn't do anything I don't normally do when I post. I haven't really used Digg or SU to their fullest extent. I did submit to two or three "podcast aggregators", but only on that post.

Also does the podcast make references to your website so if people found just the podcast they could find your website?

Since this one is titled "Cracking the Copernicus Code", I do identify it as "Cracking the Copernicus Code from LagORama.com" at the front and back, but that's it.

i guess podcasting traffic varies from the blog's niche

Very much so, from what I've seen. Also, however, I made a conscious decision to make very short podcasts, because (ready for this) no one else is. I see comments in blog threads all the time along the lines of "Great podcast! I'll try to listen to all of it when I have time.", and yet podcasts continue to be anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour or more. This is a symptom of the youth of this form of expression...people usually don't realize that the greatest skill you can acquire as a broadcaster is to know when to shut up.

Again, the world doesn't need any more video gaming podcasts, so I made a conscious effort to provide something that no one else was...a podcast that you can listen to in less than five minutes. Nothing makes you stand out like "Hey! I've never seen that before!"

For me personally, my traffic to a site would decrease after they started switching to podcasting....if they kept up with regular blogging, then simply my comments would drop off because I wouldn't watch them and eventually, I'd feel pushed out if the podcasting took a larger role. I've actually stopped going to a few blogs over time because they've switched to nothing but podcasting/vlogging and well, I'm often browsing blogs when I'm not in a situation to have volume up....or frankly, they're much better writers than they are speakers/recorders, lol.

/end ramble Point being, don't forgot about your 'readers', too, when it comes to bringing in podcasts, hehe....no matter how great your traffic might seem on a few podcast posts.

And that's why any and all podcasts I do for LagORama don't affect my regular schedule of one post each weekday....the podcasts are in addition to what I already provide. Don't want to mess with a podcast? Skip it...you're still getting exactly what you always have from my site. (Again, a conscious decision on my part.) However, by keeping the length down, I've lowered the "barrier of entry" for my readers. Want to know what everyone's talking about on that podcast thread? You can hear the entire thing in less time than it takes to listen to one song on the radio, instead of having to wade through an hour of audio.

I know what you're talking about, though...I see more and more bloggers start to podcast, and transition away from posts to podcasts. In my opinion, wrong wrong wrong! You've got to ride the horse that got you to the racing finals if you want to win, which means "keep doing what got you to the point you're at, and then add value to it."

That's what I'm doing with the audio I'm putting up at LagORama.

Good comments, everyone!

[QuirkyJessi]

^ Good to know. And it's not to say I 'never' listen to podcasts or watch videos posted....but I don't want to miss out on a blog just because they make a switch entirely away from what they used to be doing. It sounds like you've got your head on straight with this one. I just wanted to toss out that warning because, well, I miss some of the old blogs I lost to pure video/podcasting.

[pwbeatty]

Thanks for the info and insights. I've been thinking of doing a weekly podcast as an addition to my regular posting.. this may push me over the edge

[Bloggeries]

I am as well like most. I think best would be to start with a periodic podcast that you can do whenever and if you like it / good response turn it weekly.

I'm thinking of doing a vLOG but... Dunno that's REALLY putting yourself out there!

[pwbeatty]

I'd like to do a weekly cartoon, but I have absolutely no artistic capability what so ever, so I'm thinking podcast is my only option