There are so many ways that you can promote your online business or website that it can seem overwhelming. Some methods are more effective than others. So how do you know which ones will work. These five methods are proven to generate traffic to your site as well as generating income for you.

1. Offer a Freebie.

One thing that appeals to everyone is “free.” If
it is free people will take it. Think about all the samples of cheese given away at grocery stores. Do you really want a small piece of cheese? Probably not! But you take it anyway simply because it is free and someone is nice
enough to offer it to you. This same principle applies with information or services offered from your website. You can send out free newsletters, free email courses, or offer a free trial period. One popular item being given away now are free credit reports or free PC scans. These freebies are what we in the marketing field like to call “teasers”. After running the free credit report or PC scan, the customer is alerted if something unusual is found on their credit record or PC and then presented with an offer to show them what it is or repair the problem for a fee. This can be an effective way to
get information to your potential customers, create sales or generate traffic to your site.

2. Provide Useful Information.

Your website contains information about a service
or a product that you are very knowledgeable about. You can generate traffic to your site by writing articles in your area of expertise and having them published in an ezine or an article
information site or directory. Submitting to directories is often free and can be very effective in generating links back to your site. The most effective way to use articles is to write them for free and ask in return that the publisher allow you to include a byline. A byline is a brief summary of the author and their credentials along with their website. Your byline is a way
that readers will come to know you as an expert on a particular topic. This generates trust that your site is a source of credible information.

3. Utilize Pay-Per-Click Programs.

Some search engines allow a website to
purchase ranking. This is an excellent Internet
marketing technique in that it is effective and
inexpensive. In the pay-per-click programs, your website is billed only for those who actually visit the page. This is a more effective strategy than banner ads which may be seen by millions but only used by a few. When using the pay-per-click
programs you choose keywords relative to your site. When those keywords are entered into the search your site will appear. If the surfer chooses to view your site, you are then billed for that click. Many pay-per-click programs offer several
other benefits as well, including updated lists of
commonly used keywords and tracking.

4. Network with Other Internet Marketers.

Remember that there are many other individuals out there trying to succeed in this business as well. You can choose to network with those who
have similar marketing ideas. When networking, you share links and refer customers to
each other. Always be very cautious when
choosing a networking partner since everything that you recommend is a reflection of yourself or your product. Therefore, be certain that your
networking partner is a reputable source of
information. Know something about the product or service offered by reading, listening to, or by actually using the product.

5. Utilize Offline Sources of Advertising.

Simply because your website is online, doesn’t
mean that all your advertising has to be. Advertise
in newspapers, on TV or the radio. You can send out a press release to get your information to thousands of people all over the country. Pass out flyers and postcards in your neighborhood. Use your imagination to find unique ways of letting the public know about your product or service.

Utilize any or all of the above strategies. These five strategies will ensure your internet marketing success when used consistently.

To find the best business ideas and opportunities
so you can wirk at home visit:
www.GenerousCommissions.com
and sign up for your free 14-day marketing ecourse today.

Hair Loss has always been something that both males and women have had to deal with. As various clients know it can be incredibly shocking & worrying. It used to be the case that there was absolutely nothing at all that could be done about it, presently though with technology moving ahead further & futher each and every month there are masses of diverse options for you to look at.

Advanced Hair Studio is great. They focus in Hair Loss & heaps of diverse treatments all of many which might often be able to help you. There are different varieties of programmes available to many different customers. You will be advised on what programme is best for clients after a consultation with one of there many doctors who have had been expertly trained on everything. They will be able to give clients all the information & support customers need throughout your programme time with them.

There are many various procedures each one designed for various types of many cases. Strand by Strand is the procedure that is low maintenance and builds up hair steadily & gradually. With the Strand by Strand method it is possible to regain hair without surgery, pain or scaring this as customers can imagine is greatly appealing to many clients. Advanced Laser Therapy is another choice that is offered to patients. AHS pioneered and successfully conducted clinical trials on the combination of the most recent laser beam technology, an FDA approved re-growth pharmaceutical, & a proven scalp & follicle programme programme for hair loss. With this programme you will see a change in three months, which is extremely fast.

There is one futher system and this one proves to be 11 popular and appropriate for masses of customers, this is because it is in fact a treatment that you can do in the comfort of many your own home. This is a programme that combines the naturally occurring herb Sereonoa Repens & also a handheld laser device and antioxidant programme which helps to thicken, strengthen & repair your hair and scalp as well as promoting hair growth & reducing hair loss.

One of the holy grails of investing is the ability to achieve a decent return without volatility. After all, I think we all learned somewhere along the line that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. To say we are a long way from achieving that goal is certainly an understatement. But, until we do achieve that goal, dollar cost averaging can help.

Simply put, dollar cost averaging is investing at specific intervals over a specified period of time. Instead of buying at a single share price with a lump sum investment, dollar cost averaging buys when prices are both high and low, thus averaging the share price.

There is some argument that dollar cost averaging (DCA) can actually inhibit the return on investment, and I have no disagreement with that argument. If a purchase is made when the share price is low and the price soars in the future, the results will show better than when purchases are made at a higher average price. Secondly, short-term, dollar cost averaging often does not give the process enough time to show its true colors.

Thus, in order to truly benefit from dollar cost averaging, an investor needs to understand that it is a long-term process, and more a function of decreased volatility than of absolute return on investsment.

Looking at returns over a 1 year, 3 year, and 5 year period is helpful in determining investment research. We must remember, though, that these are only “frozen” snapshots of investment returns at specified intervals of time. With dollar cost averaging, our need for funds is not only at the end of these specified intervals, it continues throughout the entire period. This lends credence to the continual need for decreased volatility.

For those investors who practice asset allocation, dollar cost averaging can be a great way to continually rebalance a portfolio. Instead of buying and selling to rebalance, investing on a regular basis (monthly, quarterly, etc.) can bring the allocation percentages back to their desired levels. Because trading is kept to a minimum, this strategy also manages the tax bite on potential gains.

There is a good chance that you may already be participating in a dollar cost averaging program. Monthly 401(k) contributions and quarterly dividend reinvestment plans are two prime examples of dollar cost averaging. Mutual funds also have “systematic deposit” programs that are set to automatically sweep funds from checking or savings accounts on a regular basis.

Naturally, there is no guarantee that you’ll actually profit from dollar cost averaging. This strategy does not protect against losses in a declining market. Such a plan involves continuous investments in securities regardless of fluctuating price levels. Before engaging in a dollar cost averaging strategy, you should consider your financial ability to continue purchasing through periods of low price levels.

The strategy also isn’t a substitute for investment research. Bad investments will always lose money whatever your approach.

But if you are into investing for the long term and you want to take some volatility out of your portfolio, take a look at dollar cost averaging.

Glenn (”Chip”) Dahlke, a senior contributor to the Living Trust Network, has 28 years in the investment business. He is a Registered Representative of Linsco/Private Ledger and a principal with Dahlke Financial Group. He is licensed to transact securities with persons who are residents of the following states: CA. CT, FL, GA, IL. MA, MD. ME, MI. NC, NH, NJ, NY.OR, PA, RI, VA, VT, WY.

If you have any questions or comments, Chip would love to hear from you. You may contact him by email at dahlkefinancial@sbcglobal.net. You may also contact him at the Living Trust Network. It’s URL is http://www.livingtrustnetwork.com.

Copyright 2005. Living Trust Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Drop shipping

I’m sure everyone by now has heard about drop shipping by now, its fast becoming the most sort after service in the UK.

What is drop shipping?

Drop shipping is when a company holds stock of a product or products and allows other companies to sell them individually at a time and they will post the product to the customer on the seller behalf. It was first started over in America and has only really started taking off in the UK since 2003. It allows anybody to sell a product without having to stock it hence the massive rise in online retailers who don’t actually stock the product themselves. It’s a good way to start a business as you don’t have the costs of buying in bulk and storing products. It gives the seller a chance to test the water to see if their business is a viable one without taking too much of a risk.

Does it work?

Well this is a debatable question, for some it does for others it doesn’t and it all really comes down to whether or not you have found a good drop shipper. There are a few companies that I won’t mention which lets just say don’t live up to expectations, i.e. products arrive late, you cant reach them when you have a problem etc etc. But on the opposite side there are some good ones which offer a service of commendable level. My tip is too look out for a drop shipper which has a good track record, a phone number they actually pick up and selling tools such as email list you can purchase. From my experience it’s always best to have 2-3 drop shippers as the prices can vary as well as stock levels so you always have a backup.

Advice?

Drop shipping could be the opportunity for you to start up your own business but always aim for it to be a temporary setting, once your business has developed and your getting regular orders, stock the products yourself, as the more control you have over how your business is run the better off you will be.

For more information on drop shipping products please visit http://www.gadget-box.com

A webmaster and founder of www.gadget-box.com, an online retailer of gadgets - boys toys and remote control toys.

Masonic lodge tradition is failing in the United States and part of this is because the buildings are in a state of disrepair and many of the older gentleman who are running these groups are at the point where they will be dying soon and they do not have enough new blood in the group to carry them forward.

As much as they have considered the passing of the torch from the good old boy networks in many of the thousands of cities and towns in our nation it is obvious that the Masonic lodges are indeed in decay and disrepair. But why is this happening?

Well, it is happening because they misjudge the next generation and how to properly talk to them. It is happening because they wish to tell stories that are quite irrelevant to the next generation. It is happening because the Masonic lodge acts in secrecy and pretends to know some super secret. The up-and-coming generations have an inherent mistrust in large organizations and the governments.

The next generation is not interested in what the Masonic lodge has to say because they are tired of being lied to and simply Assume that when may talk to an older gentleman from the Masonic lodge that they are filling them full of BS. If the Masonic lodge tradition is not carried forward into the next generation, then it will fail.

They no longer have the political clout that they once had and the next generation perceives their tactics as underhanded, below society, secret trickery and rhetoric. The Masonic lodge tradition needs to adapt to modern times or they will pay the price of being passed by and become irrelevant to American society and civilization.

The Masonic lodge tradition needs new marketing if it is to survive. And for all you gentleman in the Masonic lodge don’t tell me I don’t know what I’m talking about, because I sure as hell do and you guys are screwing up and this might cause the end of a long tradition. You may have my advice if you wish it, but the ball is in your court now. Consider this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Most people understand that it is wise to limit the amount of fat grams in their daily diet. The dietary reference intake amount for an adult ranges from 20% to 35%[i] of daily calories; or about 44 to 55 grams per day[1]. Since a single slice of pecan pie carries with it 27 grams of fat, and a mere tablespoon of thousand island salad dressing contains 8 grams of fat[ii], it is not surprising to see more and more people checking food labels and “passing over” an order of onion rings[2] as they try to lose, or maintain, inches and pounds.

However, the relentless avoidance of fat - even of healthy unsaturated fat - is creating a troubling scenario for many individuals. Instead of losing weight when they go “fat free”, they are actually gaining weight.

Many people on the road to weight loss forget - or simply do not know - that the words “fat free” do not also mean “calorie free”. As a result, many people ingest far too much “fat free” food, believing that it will not add weight, since, alas, it is dubbed “fat free”. Yet it is the calories in these fat-free foods that cause the weight gain; not the fat grams themselves[iii].

A single gram of fat contain nine calories, which is more than double the amount of calories in a gram protein or carbohydrate. Therefore, mathematically speaking, an eater can consume twice as many protein or carbohydrate grams than fat grams, and achieve the same caloric intake. Since many high-fat foods contain an excessive amount of fat grams - such as onion rings - it has become a staple of dieting wisdom to reduce fat intake and avoid such oily, greasy foods[3].

Yet it bears repeating that the reason to avoid fat-rich foods is not because of the word “fat”; it is because each fat gram contains a scale-tipping 9 calories. In other words: the weight-conscious reason for avoiding excess fat grams is because it leads to a higher caloric intake.

Dieters who neglect to realize this basic nutritional fact - that weight gain is about calories and not about fat grams themselves - fail to realize, and often at their eventual dismay, how the body actually gains and loses weight.

The typical adult male American diet calls for 2000 calories per day because this is how many calories are collectively use and burned (i.e. converted into energy) by the body each day. As an example, an average male dieter who consumes 1800 calories a day will “save” 200 calories per day. As there are 3,500 calories in a pound, the dieter in this scenario will “save” 3,600 calories over the course of 18 days (18 x 200 calories). This translates into a loss of one pound. Similarly, if this dieter consumes an excess 200 calories per day, a pound of weight will be gained in 18 days.

A dieter who is not aware of this mathematical formula may indeed avoid fat altogether and consume, for example, 6 tablespoons of “fat free” caramel topping per day; believing that this is not a part of the weight gain equation, because it is labeled as “fat free”. This is not false advertising, as fat free caramel topping contains no fat grams. However, fat free caramel topping delivers 103 calories per two tablespoon serving[iv].

If this dieter is adhering to a diet regimen of 44 fat grams per day — and does not count calories — then he will simply not know that in these 6 mere tablespoons are a substantial 309 calories; or 15% of the total daily caloric intake for a 2000 calorie/day diet.

In fact, a dieter could subsist entirely on “fat free” foods, and easily exceed their target daily caloric intake by their second meal of the day. These excess calories are obviously not deriving from fat grams; but they are coming from another source, most probably carbohydrates.

Again, the message here that many dieters do not receive from the advertising and marketing media is that fat grams in and of themselves do not necessarily “cause” weight gain. Rather, fat grams contribute to the total caloric intake, and they should be counted alongside carbohydrates and proteins.

Adding an unnecessary layer of complexity here is that many “healthy foods”, such as energy bars, contain an excessive amount of calories. A chocolate chip Energy Bar, for example, contains 230 calories; which is actually only 40 calories less than a Butterfinger candy bar[v]. Unfortunately, because the Energy Bar contains 2 grams of fat and is therefore “low fat”, some dieters eat several per day; and pack on 230 calories each time, despite the fact that virtually none of those calories come from fat. It does not matter; the dieter will still gain weight if his or her daily caloric intake threshold is surpassed. Dieters who expect yogurt-covered bars to be “healthier” are also misled; the yogurt-berry Balance Bar contains 200 calories per serving, despite the fact that only 25% of the calories come from its 6 grams of fat.

However, there are some responsible nutritional supplement products on the market that are engineered to be both low fat/fat-free and low-calorie. These foods are of benefit to dieters when they are losing weight, and also in the vulnerable period after the weight has been lost. Regrettably, many very well intentioned dieters who have made tremendous strides and sacrifices to lose weight regain it within the first few “post-diet” months. While a number of factors influence whether a dieter will regain weight, including environment and genetics, one major culprit is that dieters are not provided with low-fat, low-calorie, and palatable food sources once they have achieved their weight loss goals. They consequently return to previous eating habits, and the unwanted weight returns within weeks.

However, as mentioned, there are intelligent nutritional supplements on the market that do fill this void, and ethically serve dieters - and post-dieters - with foods that they need to stay healthy, and fend off weight gain. For the sake of current and future dieters who are going to struggle with misleading “fat free” marketing, it is hoped that such intelligent companies, and their products, quickly become the norm of the future, rather than the exception of today.

ABOUT PROTICA

Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect, a compact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beverage containing zero carbohydrates and zero fat. Information on Protica is available at http://www.protica.com

You can also learn about Profect at http://www.profect.com

Copyright - Protica Research - http://www.protica.com

——————————————————————————–

[1] Fat grams contain 9 calories each.

[2] 3 grams of fat per onion ring!

[3] As briefly noted above, many dieters fail to realize that there are healthy unsaturated fats that the body requires; the body cannot produce fat on its own, it must receive it through diet. Yet even unsaturated fat grams contain 9 calories each, and so the understanding the fats should be severely limited holds true.

REFERENCES

[i] Source: “Unsaturated Fat”. Discoveryhealth.com.
http://health.discovery.com/encyclopedias/1946.html

[ii] Source: “Fat Content of Foods”. Weight Control Infocenter.
http://holisticonline.com/Remedies/weight/weight_table-fat-content-of-foods2.htm

[iii] : “Watching Fat vs. Calories”. Good Housekeeping/iVillage.
http://magazines.ivillage.com/goodhousekeeping/diet/nutrition/qas/0,,284558_291893,00.html
?arrivalSA=1&cobrandRef=0&arrival_freqCap=1&pba=adid=13272851

[iv] Source: “Fat Free vs. Regular Calorie Comparison”. US Food and Drug Administration.
http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2002/chrt_calcomp.html

[v] Source: “Fueling Up with Energy Bars”. Healthcentral.com
http://www.healthcentral.com/FitorFat/FitorFatFullText.cfm?ID=34334&storytype=CBTips

Copyright 2004 - Protica Research - http://www.protica.com

Mistake #1
Selling with zero feedback. Begin your selling as a buyer.You can begin to gain good feedback using this method.

Mistake #2
Accepting cash in the mail as payment should never be done. You can not prove what amount was sent or received. You are asking for trouble.

Mistake #3
Fuzzy pictures. Try to get sharp and clear pictures to show your item at its best.

Mistake #4
No seller contact information in the listing. Make sure the buyer has a way to contact you, especially if they have a question or a winning bid.

Mistake #5
The price listed is dramatically high. Check other similar items to be sure you have not set your opening bid too high. You do not want to price yourself out before you even get started.

Mistake #6
A huge shipping fee is charged to make a lower sales price.Try to keep your shipping/handling fees as low as possible. No one wants to pay a $5.00 shipping fee on a $2.00 item.

Mistake #7
An unknown brand name and tag line as the title. If customers don’t know about the product they will not look at the item. Use more common words.

Mistake #8
Not responding to customer questions in a timly fashion. In this world of instant communication, your speedy response is important. No quick response, NO SALE! It’s that simple.

My name is Kathryn Frye and I am the Customer Service Representative at http://www.auctionhwy.com. I have been both a buyer and a seller.

Just a while ago it seemed like fast notebooks were only being manufactured by a few certain brands and were built to order, not produced in massive numbers. Regardless of the fact they weren’t amazing sellers they did have big margins. Everyone wanted this type of notebook computer, but at the price point they were going for it was simply not affordable. Obviously being so state of the art they were the best laptops in terms of speed. I would get really excited by them but I knew I could not go out and buy laptops at the prices they were at. As bigger manufacturers see the opening in the gaming notebook market, stuff looks to have shifted.

Just imagine how much revenue these big brands would be generating especially when utilising production levels. Profit margins have been so little as of late that this is a great chance to make more cash by retailing hardware. In my view bigger manufacturers can use leverage to convince potential purchasers to buy laptops regardless of cost. I’m rather certain that local resellers will have to reduce their prices in order to compete. I say this due to the fact that the technology which was once special and high priced is now the norm. I reckon potential purchaser would trust the larger manufacturers more if they purchase something expensive.

I reckon they surely are releasing a few of the best laptops out to buy. In my view though, this is indeed a ray of hope for the little players in retail. Configurating the spec is a thing all us techies prefer. Typically many comparisons of the specifications will be carried out and the techies can say what the superior laptop actually is. For these sort of consumers, the speed of a computer sometimes matter more than the appearance of it.

As a likely purchaser myself this is indeed all a good development for me. The latest technology will be available to the majority when prices are pushed further down. I guess even industry insiders would have a difficult time observing where the market is going. High prices should remain and be normal with the latest laptops is what I’m guessing. I guess we’ll have to see if this overcrowding causes any big positives for us.

I reckon this company (http://www.rizeon.com) are quite good value for the specs they are offering.

Let’s be honest, when you’re writing sales material for a product, there are a frightening number of things that can go wrong, aren’t there?

Remember Murphy’s Law: what can go wrong will, and at the worst possible moment. Well, we’re going to try to gain some control over events and the best way to gain control is to know what makes things tick …

The Communication Process

There are four recognised steps in the communications process:

1. The message originates as an idea or concept
2. The sender transmits the message
3. The message is sent
4. The message is received

(Academics get paid thousands of dollars to come up with earth-shattering findings like these!)

As with most things in life, the system can break down at any one of these stages.

The Idea

In marketing, the source is usually a product (or service) concept that the sender wants to tell potential buyers about. The key point at this stage is to be certain that your product is going to meet the needs of your target group.

Some time ago, a manufacturer of cake mixes came up with a mix that he was certain would appeal to busy housewives — all they had to do was to add water and they could bake a perfect cake every time.

The product failed miserably. Follow-up research indicated that women felt guilty that they were not giving their families nourishing food — all they did was add water to what looked like flour.

The cake mix was re-launched, but this time consumers had to add an egg as well as the water. The product sold for the same price, it cost the consumer more to make the finished product, but, it was a runaway success.

MORAL: It doesn’t matter how great your idea for a product is, if it doesn’t meet the consumers’ needs, it won’t sell.

The Sender

Very often in advertising, it seems that the message is more important than the product — beautiful images, clever jingles and flashing lights often have little to do with your product. How many times have you sat through a brilliant piece of advertising, but had no idea what was being advertised?

We all have; the trick is to make sure that your marketing always focuses on your product and how it meets the needs of your target market.

Another problem that can originate with the sender is the use of misleading claims; you just cannot say that your product cures baldness, smoothes wrinkles, eradicates onion weed, gets rid of cockroaches or will make you walk again, if it doesn’t. Nor can you imply, by your marketing, that it does this, if it doesn’t, because this is false advertising.

At the moment here, there is a case of false advertising against a certain fast food company because a consumer claims that the burgers he has purchased at different outlets bear no resemblance to the burgers pictured on advertising boards outside the stores.

MORAL: Tell the truth in your marketing, and you’ll not only stay out of trouble, you’ll also be able to sleep at night.

The Transmission

These days we’re all subjected to a continuous bombardment of information (and misinformation) from a variety of media - we wake up to an alarm radio; maybe have the telly on for the morning news; listen to the car radio on the way to work; have a radio playing in the work place; read the paper or a magazine in our lunch break; do a few chores on the way home and glance at the ads on the shop fronts and in the stores; empty the letterbox of all the brochures and flyers; listen to more radio or watch telly; settle down for an hour or two on the Internet after dinner and note all the banner ads …

Is it any wonder that we often block out all this clutter from our lives. It’s called selective forgetting, and it’s a survival mechanism we all call upon in order to cope.

MORAL: Don’t let your message get lost in the cacophony of the advertising world; keep it simple so that your message can be understood.

The Receiver

If you get it wrong in any of the previous three steps, it’s no surprise that it will be wrong at this end of the process, too. If customers think your message has no relevance to them, they’ll ignore it, however great your product might be.

I have no interest in welding, so it doesn’t matter to me that you have the best deals in welding gear this side of the black stump; it won’t matter how many glossy brochures you shove into the letter box, or how many snazzy coloured ads you run in the pet lovers magazine I buy, I just don’t care about your product.

So if you don’t do a bit of research and find out where your potential buyers are, you may as well just donate your advertising budget directly to my Running Away Fund, and at least one of us will be happy!

The other problem with this stage of the process is credibility. If you’re a racing car driver, trying to sell me spare parts for my car, I’ll probably listen to you; if you’re trying to sell me crochet patterns, I may not listen at all.

MORAL: Since your business depends on the receiver accepting your message, you must put all your efforts into ensuring that the right message reaches the right target.

Look at your writing in terms of this communications model and make any necessary changes before you invest any more of your time or money.

If the spelling of words like “recognised” in this article worried you, please read this: http://www.write101.com/aus.htm

Jennifer Stewart offers Home Study courses in writing and professional writing services from her site: http://www.write101.com

For those who want their own writing double-checked for accuracy, Jennifer offers proof reading and full editing services. Click now for your Writing Tips newsletter: mailto:WritingTips-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Unless you were living in the cave for the last six months, you’ve probably heard about Podcasting. Savvy marketers begin to adapt this new technology as a marketing tool to help them communicate with their prospective customers. In this article, I am about to explain why Podcasting can be so popular while other proprietary streaming audio protocol failed. These simple facts help you assure your visitors to adopt the technology and subscribe to your podcast.

Introduction to Podcasting

Podcasting, as its name implies, is a combination of two terms:

1) iPod: a popular media player by Apple, and

2) broadcasting: delivering your audio files to those that subscribe to it

But it may not always have to do with iPod. One of the myths when it comes to podcasting is that you need an iPod to listen to the audio. Nothing can be more wrong than that. Different creative ways are invented to use virtually any media player which has the capability to play audio file for podcasting.

According to Wikipedia, podcasting is a method of publishing audio programs via the Internet, allowing users to subscribe to a feed of new files (usually MP3s).

Yet others refer podcasting as downloading audio content (an enclosure contained in a feed) and synchronize it with your iPod or other media device.

So which one is true? Both of them. Yes, I’d like to view podcasting as delivering audio content through an RSS (version 2.0) feed and for clients to grab the content and listen to it at their own pace and place. The community later invented new term to refer to the client part: podcatching.

Why is it so popular?

End-users tend to adapt new technology if it requires minimal effort on their part. They may very well scared off by podcasting the first time they hear it. Thanks to an awful name assigned to it.

Letting them know that they require very few simple steps to start podcasting helps. Adds to the fact about the benefits of podcasting and the kind of content waiting for them, and they will be sold in no time. If you use these tactics to persuade your site visitors to subscribe to your podcast, you will see higher conversion from visitors to subscribers.

Probably one of the important factors that makes podcasting so popular is that it uses existing technologies and expands on current ones that have proven to be working.

This is not to say that proprietary technology won’t succeed, but it sure helps if it can leverage and build on things that are widely accepted standards and protocols.

MP3, RSS, and HTTP

Podcasting — which most of the time is in the form of audio — uses the well known file format such as MP3. Imagine how hard podcasting have to try to penetrate into the market if it tries to invent a new file format for itself. MP3 has been around for quite a while. It is small (in file size), portable, reliable and popular.

Current media players and portable devices have been built with support for popular file formats, including MP3 even before podcasting is ready. This can only mean that once podcasting is opening door to the public, it can reach as many target audience as it possibly can.

Podcasting takes the existing RSS 2.0 standard to carry its metadata content. It builds upon the standard, make it working with much less of a struggle. Dave Winer made this possible by adding enclosure to RSS feeds.

Finally you can use the same standard that is used by web browsers to request and send data. Yes, the same language for the World Wide Web: HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP).

Using the same protocol for the web means that podcasting can transfer the feed and the payload without reinventing the wheel. At the same time it will be supported by existing web browsers with no or at least minimal development.

Alternative and traditional download of audio file comes natively supported by any web browser, while supports for RSS and podcast feeds require minimal development on top of existing codebase. If podcasting and RSS use different protocol, they may not be integrated into any browser at all.

Additionally, you can host your podcast feed and audio files on any web server used to serve HTML documents.

Developers can simply put together features from different standards and protocols and immediately have a working podcast client to use. Of course, if they are going to make it good, they have load of works to do, but at least the whole things have been simplified.

What’s next?

Realizing that podcasting is a great marketing tool is not enough. There has to be enough end-users adapting this technology for it to be effective. Think of it like e-mail. It is a useful tool but pretty much useless unless all of your friends and her sisters use it.

Especially with a new technology like this, you need to help visitors to understand the technology. Explaining the benefits on a webpage, including how they can take advantage of the content. Link to it on your blog or podcast page, preferably beside your Podcast RSS feed.

I have no doubt podcasting will become popular soon with the integration of popular music/media player with Podcasting such as iTunes. The question now is, how you can take advantage of it to your business after they subscribe?

Copyright 2006 Hendry Lee

Hendry Lee helps business owners leverage technologies and what they know to market their business online and actively blogs about Podcast Marketing. Subscribe to Podcast Profit Tips to receive short and practical tips to start and get the most out of your podcast.