Five steps to successful podcasting and iTunes marketing

Make sure that when your show goes live in iTunes, your fans post positive feedback and ideally five-star reviews.

One of the biggest avenues for a creative content producer is iTunes. With millions of users around the world, it''s available in dozens of countries, and the reach is tremendous. You can get your podcasts, video, music, books, audio and more out to the masses fairly easily. I''ve been producing podcasts for several years now, such as “Media Artist Secrets,” “Rumor Girls Uncut” and many others for various clients. The process and the steps have changed a bit, and while it is still somewhat of a mystery why some shows get featured and others don''t, there are definitely some steps you can take to help rise to the top.

As for a case study, we just produced a new podcast in the past few weeks called “Decade Brigade,” which is a weekly show hosted by Sarah Wallace and me that is focused around retro pop culture in the ''70s, ''80s and ''90s. We aimed for the comedy category, did some marketing, created a page with info on how to listen to the show (which you can view at http://www.DecadeBrigade.com) and ended up getting featured in the “New and Noteworthy” section in iTunes within the second week. Here are some of the steps we took and what got us thousands of listeners so quickly.

Reviews
iTunes tracks new shows not only by download amount but also by favorable reviews and new subscribers. The first step is to make sure that when your show goes live in iTunes, your fans post positive feedback and ideally five-star reviews. A person discovering the show will look at great reviews and take a chance, but also iTunes algorithms drive shows up the charts that have more highly rated reviews. Encourage people to leave an iTunes review on your very first show.

Show press kit with images
A lot of people wait and hope that iTunes will feature their video or audio show on the front page, but don''t take the step to create high-resolution art so Apple can actually do it. One of the very first things we posted on our “Decade Brigade” info page was a banner graphic sized to 1056 x 500 that can be downloaded. Why this size? Because it''s the same aspect ratio as the banners on the front page of iTunes. We also added the podcast artwork in hi-res, as well as the show logo as a vector EPS on the same page for download.

Creating a Facebook fan page is a part of the marketing for any new show, but there are a few steps to take it to the next level.

Other items to include are a press release, a link to subscribe in iTunes, direct links to the MP3 of the first few shows and the RSS podcast feed, since some people prefer to add the show to their RSS reader. I shot a video telling a bit about the new show as well. Basically, have a complete page with all the information, so Apple can grab artwork, the press can get information and images, and people discovering the show can get all the information in one place.

Facebook embed and FBML launch page
Obviously creating a Facebook fan page is a part of the marketing for any new show, but there are a few steps to take it to the next level. If you go to our fan page at http://www.facebook.com/decade.brigade, you will first see a FBML page with a full graphic, info on the show and a direct link to our podcast in iTunes. FBML stands for Facebook Markup Language and allows doing a tab of HTML so you can have a linkable graphic. You just install the Static FBML app, paste in the code, and you are off. Our page has one line of code:

<a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/decade-brigade/id412168612"><img src="http://www.fmstudio.com/images/decadeFB3.jpg" width="520" height="1000" /></a>

That''s it. You can use this. Just replace the iTunes link and jpg link, and adjust the graphic height/width. Once a person clicks “Like,” then the landing page is the Wall, but new visitors will see this page first. Also, you may not know this, but you can embed your audio clip to play on your fan page. Just paste it in as a link, and click on the filename and info to rename it before posting. Once you post, Facebook will create a play button. Video shows embed the same way. Always post the iTunes link with it, so visitors can get a taste of the show easily then go direct to iTunes to subscribe.

Apple offers additional technical information and tips for podcast fans.

Logo, good name and great production
It goes without saying that doing a quality job will always help you rise to the top. For our new audio show, we record via Skype, and I edit and sweeten in Apple''s Logic Studio.

Quality music intros and good levels go a long way, but people will see the logo before anything, so that should be an area of focus. It helps to look at other podcast album art in the various iTunes categories to see what catches your eye. I''ve always had success with my shows and my clients'' shows by using large images of people. A really nice shot of the hosts can make it very personal and inviting.

A larger logo is good too, so it can be recognized at the small size that the podcast is listed in. If you have a branded and recognizable logo, that is always a great start, but if you are doing a new show or just starting out, try getting the host/hosts out in front. Also spend time creating a catchy name. It could be a play on words or very descriptive, but make sure it is not too obtuse; otherwise, people may have no idea what it is about. Action words are always helpful, and moving from a show name like “The DSLR Show” to “DSLR Showdown!” can take a generic name and give it some buzz.

Big initial push
Instead of marketing over time, try to do a big launch all at once when the show hits the iTunes store. The reason is a large jump will move the show higher in the charts where more people will see it; hence, more will subscribe, which can drive your downloads higher. More people will review, and more positive reviews will push it higher and hopefully push it into the “New and Noteworthy” category.

So plan your attack from all parts at once — Twitter, Facebook, press release, show page and e-mail newsletter. Cross-promote on other podcasts, and do it all at once rather than one element every few days. The reason is the iTunes store algorithms work on momentum. Think of it as a big pond, and the bigger ripple or wave you can create, the higher your show will reach and the better chance it will have.

Apple has a lot of additional information on the technical end, which you can find here:
http://www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts/specs.html#resources.

Above all, keep at it. Spend just as much time marketing your show as you do creating it, and eventually you will build a large following. iTunes allows you to get video and audio content out to a global audience, and it''s a fantastic way to gain a huge fan base. So, it''s worth taking the time to build your brand and create the show you''ve been wanting to produce.