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Although podcasting is trendy, it's vital to remember that when you use a podcast for Internet marketing, your podcast is really just another delivery mechanism ' a way to get your marketing message across.

Because it is a new delivery mechanism, there's a chance you'll get so wrapped in the technology that you'll forget the basics, the AIDA formula. You need to give people something that they want to listen to, and you can't go wrong with the AIDA formula. AIDA is used in copywriting, and is an acronym: AIDA means Attract/ Attention, Interest, Desire, Action.

You need to get people's attention, arouse their interest in your product, get them to want it, and finally take action to buy it.

Using AIDA In Your Podcasts

You can use the AIDA formula to market your products via podcasts in several ways.

Firstly, you can use the podcast to attract people to a Web site where you're selling products related to the podcast theme. The podcast is the attention-getter. You can have ads on your site selling your products, and include mention of them in the podcast too.

Next, include valuable information or entertainment in your podcasts to make sure that people subscribe. When they subscribe, you can market to them over and over again. This is the Interest factor.

You arouse Desire by mentioning your products and their benefits in your podcasts.

Finally, you need a call to Action, to ensure that people take action. "Buy before midnight on Thursday, and receive _________"

Making Your First Podcast

Making a podcast (it's really just making an MP3 file) couldn't be simpler. Here are the steps:

1. Plug a microphone into your computer;

2. Record your podcast using a program like Audacity at http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ (it's free);

3. Create an RSS feed ' more information on that here http://www.ipodder.org/whatIsPodcasting (don't let the technical jargon make you nervous, the RSS Feed is just a reference enclosure that lets listeners know when you've put a new podcast online);

4. Upload the podcast to your Web site, and then upload the podcast's RSS Feed to a destination like Podcast Alley at http://www.podcastalley.com/ so that you can start getting a mass of happy subscribers.

Get Interviewed On a Podcast

If you don't want to make your own podcasts, offer yourself as an interviewee on other people's podcasts. This saves you the trouble of recording your own material and putting it online, and you can promote your products on someone else's show as easily as you can on your own.

When you create your own podcasts, you'll want to ask people to join you for an interview too. You can even ask people to send you MP3 files of questions or tips, that you can include in your podcast.

So there you have it: podcasting, another tool to add to your Internet marketing toolbox. If the idea appeals, give podcasting a try.

Copyright 2005 Michael Murray