Category Archives: Tips and Tricks

Host Tip of the Week: Update or Install the BlogTalkRadio Player

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hosttip-of-the-week1You can reach more people with your show by using the easy-to-install BTR player on your Blog, Website, and/or Facebook profile. The recently released new player helps increase the search strength of the BlogTalkRadio platform, which means even more people will be able to find your online radio show. And, if you are part of BlogTalkRadio’s revenue-sharing program, the new player enables you to earn more money with advertising on the new player.

Overall the player works to your benefit in the following ways:
• Amplifies Revenue Sharing
• Spreads the word about your show
• Increases your listenership
• Makes your show easier to find

It’s easy to add.
Just look for the “Add this player to your website” button on your show profile (see below) and simply copy and paste the code or post using the gigya tool. Here is a brief screencast on how to install the player.

add_player_image

Where can you install the player? Here are a few ideas:

• On your website or blog
• On your Facebook profile or fan page
• On your MySpace blog and profile profile page
• Encourage your friends and loyal listeners to share your player on their blogs and social networking profiles

Maximizing Listens for Individual Shows
To maximize listens on individual shows with the player here are a few suggestions: 
• Use the single episode player to share individual shows next to similar content on your website or blog; for example if you do a show on Michael Jackson and then write a blog about him; embed that player into your blog.
• Also, don’t forget to post links to your individual shows on Facebook and Twitter after they been archive to the player.

And, one cool thing to remember for those of you that have a Branded Profile on BlogTalkRadio,  you can actually simulcast live shows on your own website with the player. To find out more about the Branded service on BlogTalkRadio, you can visit our Premium Services page.

So what are you waiting for, install your player today. Until next time, have a great week!

Host Tip of the Week: Using Tags and Keywords When Scheduling Your Shows

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hosttip-of-the-week1

We are often asked by BlogTalkRadio hosts how they can bring in more search engine traffic to their BlogTalkRadio show pages. One of the best and most cost effective ways is by focusing on SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

What does this mean? Some of you may have started to schedule your show and gotten to the area marked “Add Tags or Keywords” and breezed right through it with out much thought. This area is actually very valuable when it comes to increasing the amount of traffic sent to your show from the search engines.

In this post we wanted to explain a few basic SEO concepts and resources so you can super-charge your show for  the search engines and attract the more listeners.

WHAT ARE TAGS & KEYWORDS ?

A “Tag” or “Keyword” is a word or phrase that’s descriptive and specific to your show’s content, and should be the words that your audience will type into their search engine when trying to find your show. For instance, say someone is searching for photos of Brad Pitt. The key phrase used for this search might read “Brad Pitt pictures.” This search term will bring up all the websites offering images of Pitt, and all the websites using this phrasing.

HOW TO USE TAGS AND KEYWORDS WHEN SCHEDULING SHOWS
To find the tags or keywords that work the best for you, you may want to do some keyword research to find the most popular keywords for your show content. Make a list and choose the most relevant and popular keywords associated with your show (we recommended 3-5 per show). You’ll want to use these words in your tags and include them several times in your show title and description (without being completely apparent.)  It is most effective when the keywords are related. Always try to create unique titles for your shows and place your “best” keyword (based on the topic) in the title of your show. This helps tell the search engine (as well as the reader) what your content is about.

TIPS AND TRICKS
Try to keep your title as easy to follow and straightforward as you can. Also, remember that the better your spelling and grammar are, the more likely your keywords are to actually work ;) .

So for example, for a show about tags and keywords; here is how you can get some stellar SEO:

Your tags could include the following:
best tags, tags and keywords, keywords, increase page views, keyword tagging

Your title could be: Increase Your Page Views with Tags and Keywords

Your description could include:
On tonight’s show Increase Your Page Views with Tags and Keywords, (host name) teaches you how to increase your page views by keyword tagging your show page. Tags and keywords are the number one way to increase page views and get listeners to your show. We will cover how to do research on your tags and keywords, choosing the best tags, and much more.

Some examples of not so great choices might be:
article, views, titles, search engines, performance

Here are a few places you can go to for keyword suggestion:

* Wordtracker
* Google AdWords
* Keyword Discovery
* SelfSEO

SEO is a good topic to study up on when it comes to marketing your show, here are a few great resources for you to check out:

SEOMoz
SelfSEO
SearchEngineWatch

Good luck in your SEO!

Host Tip of the Week: Profile Customization With Pics and Video

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hosttip-of-the-week1

CUSTOMIZE YOUR PAGE!

When hosting shows with BlogTalkRadio, what host doesn’t want their profile page to be unique, creative and indicative of their shows?

There are all kinds of cool things you can do to maximize your profile. Like adding pictures or video that can enhance your page, making it more visually stimulating, attractive, and interactive. Here are a few examples of what you can do to your page:
Example 1
Example 2

HOW TO DO IT
To customize your page and add video, pictures and/or html code you can go into your Settings link at the top left hand side of www.blogtalkradio.com (You must be logged in to do this). Once there, look to the gray box on the top left hand side and click on My Page. From there you have two places that you can use to add detail to your profile page.

1) In your Show Information Box. Look for the “Add Video or HTML Code” box. Any code that you enter in here will appear at the bottom of your Profile Page, beneath your Episodes on Demand, in a box called “Extras.”

2) In your Show Notes Box. Anything you add here will appear directly above your Episodes on Demand on your profile page in a box called “Show Notes”.

You can also add pictures and HTML to your various show descriptions.

USEFUL LINKS FOR ADDING HTML & IMAGES
Here is an informative and free website that explains the step by step input of HTML and what it all means: http://www.html.net/tutorials/html/

When you add pictures you will need to do so using HTML code. Many users take advantage of Photobucket to upload their own pictures and generate their own HTML code to use with them.

And, it is likely you are familiar with YouTube. You can use YouTube to upload and generate HTML code for your own videos that you have uploaded.

BRANDED PROFILE
If you are looking for evening more branding and customization, you may want to take a look at the Branded Profiles option on BlogTalkRadio. This BTR offered Premium Service is a great because it enables hosts to:

• Customize all show graphics on your page
• Own all the banners placement: You can use these to market your own services or to sell sponsorships and keep 100% of the revenue
• Stream content live and archived content on your site with a branded player
• And much more.

Here are a few examples of what your page could look like:
Branded Profile Example 1
Branded Profile Example 2

Click Here for an in depth look at the features and benefits of the Branded Profiles. If you want more information regarding branded profiles, contact us here.

Keep up the great work with your profiles!

BlogTalkRadio’s Host Tip of the Week: Picking a Show Time

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Happy Friday BlogTalkers!hosttip-of-the-week1

It is great to bring the weekly host tips back to you!

Many hosts have asked us “when is the best time is to host my show?”

There are a few important things to think about when choosing your show time for your online radio show.

Time Zones
When selecting the best time for your audience, you first should take into consideration the time zones. There are a lot of different time zones, but the most common are EST, CST and PST. If you are trying to attract a local audience your job will be easy as you just need to worry about your own time zone. If you are trying to reach a wider audience you will need to think about choosing a time that works for multiple time zones. For example, scheduling a show at 8:00am EST will likely not work for those on the West Coast where it is 5:00 am. Here is a great site for finding out what time it is in different areas.

Content and Audience
From there, gauge your content and your target audience. Do you host a show providing parenting advice to stay-at-home moms? Early afternoon might work for you. Have a sports show targeting male sports enthusiast? An evening during the week, or during the day on the weekend might be best. Try to put yourself in the shoes of your target audience. You can also research other shows on the network that have similar content and large followings. When are they hosting their shows? You probably don’t want to compete directly with their time slot, but looking at the general time frame when they are hosting their shows can be helpful.

You can also do some basic research with your target audience. Conduct an impromptu survey with family, friends and colleagues that fit your target demographic. Ask them what time would work best for them and see if you can identify any trends.

Keep in mind that there may be times when members of your audience are not close to their computers. Those people can dial in to listen to your show if it is airing during their commute, or can come back to the archive later. That is the great thing about the BlogTalkRadio platform, people can listen from anywhere, anytime, multiple ways. The content is always available via archive and can be downloaded by listeners so they can listen whenever they have a free moment.

Same Time Next Week
When building a listener base it is important to establish a consistent rhythm with your show. Try to keep it on the same days and at the same time each week so your audience knows when to expect it and can build it into their routine.

Good luck scheduling and have a great weekend!

10 Marketing Tips from Top BlogTalkRadio Hosts

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marketing tipsWe surveyed 200 hosts that are generating the most listens on the network to find out how they’re marketing their shows. We’re passing these tips on to you in case you are looking for proven techniques for increasing your listener base for your online radio show.

Here are the Top 10 Tips from our hosts:

  1. Social Media Marketing is key! Almost 100% of the hosts surveyed are using Facebook, Twitter, Cinch, MySpace and more to market their shows.
  2. Develop a regular email newsletter. This can be an ideal vehicle to promote your show.
  3. Take advantage of the BTR Player, post it to your blog, website and social networking profiles.
  4. Always create a unique, SEO-optimized show description. (Don’t use the same description for every episode.)
  5. Encourage word of mouth. Ask your friends, colleagues, family and current listeners to help you spread the word about your show.
  6. Participate in online forums, groups, message boards, and communities where people who might be interested in your show congregate.
  7. Put out press releases regarding your top shows.
  8. If you don’t already have one, start a blog and write about topics that are complementary to your show. This can provide another great online platform for promoting your show.
  9. Connect with other hosts within the BTR host community. There are a lot of experienced hosts out there that are open to sharing their best practices with others.
  10. Make guest appearances on other BTR shows.

You’ll also find some marketing resources below that can help you get started with several of the above tips. And be sure to follow the BlogTalkRadio blog to learn more about our survey results in the weeks to come.

Helpful Resources:
How to Use Twitter to Market Your Online Radio Show
How to Use Facebook to Market Your Online Radio Show
How to Use Cinch to Market Your Online Radio Show
Installing the BlogTalkRadio Player to Your Website

Part One: Using Social Media to Promote Your Show, Getting Started & Twitter

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hosttip-of-the-week3Social networking platforms are a great way to promote your online talk show on BlogTalkRadio. Using tools like Twitter, Facebook, Cinch, and MySpace, you can cross-promote your content and gain more followers, friends, and ultimately, listeners. In essence, the more people online who feel connected to you and your interests, and the easier you make it for them to stay connected and keep up with you, the more likely they are to check out your BlogTalkRadio show. Keep your friends and fans engaged and entertained, and you can be confident that your listeners will increase.

Here is the first in a series of posts on how to maximize these site’s offerings and expand your listener base online.

Here are a few basic tips to get you started:

Build Killer Profiles: Your profiles are what define you as you interact within the different social networks. Make sure yours is one that helps people find you and inspires them to connect. A keyword-rich description and good picture are a great place to start.

Cross-Link Your Profiles: When you are setting up new profiles on sites, make sure to cross-link them. For example, on your BlogTalkRadio profile link to your Facebook, Twitter and other profiles, and vice versa. This helps you build friends and followers across the different sites where you participate.

Promote Your Profiles: A simple way to get started promoting your profiles and your show is to include logos and links to them on your website and in your email signature.

In the weeks to come, we will cover tips for using Cinch, Facebook, and MySpace.

This week, here are some tips for using Twitter to promote your show:

Twitter offers a very short and sweet way to get your message out there, and using less than 140 characters and a link can get new listeners to your show fast. Once you have created an account (it’s a good idea to use your show’s name as your Twitter handle), be sure to follow your fellow BlogTalkRadio hosts, current listeners, and real life friends. From there, you can start searching for people with similar interests who would be intrigued by your show’s content, add them and then add their friends and followers. Often times they will follow you right back.

Another technique for building your network on Twitter is to use Twitter Search, or keyword search in TweetDeck to scan tweets for related content, and start conversations with new people. It is also a good idea to announce your Twitter handle during your show. You can connect your BlogTalkRadio account to automatically post to Twitter, which automatically publishes show promotion tweets when you are going on air. Here is a link to a screencast on how to do this. When it comes to content, don’t just tweet self-promotional messages, try to offer value to your followers by conversing with them, offering news and opinions that are interesting, useful, funny, or unusual.

Here are a few links to other articles that you may find helpful on Twitter:

http://www.twitip.com/13-twitter-tips-and-tutorials-for-beginners/

http://twittercism.com/10-easy-ways-to-maximise-your-twitter-experience/

Stayed tuned for Part 2 of “Using Social Media to Promote Your Show.”

Until next week y’all.

Christie Sweet

Part Two: Using Social Media to Promote Your Show, Using Facebook

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hosttip-of-the-weekThis is part two of our multi-part series on promoting your online talk radio show using social media. (Read part one)

This week we will focus on Facebook. Using Facebook is a great way to market and build your show’s community.  Below are some tips that can help.


TIP 1: Create a Facebook Fan Page for Your Show
Starting a Facebook fan page helps build a community around your show.  Remember to provide value or content of interest to your followers and fans and listen to and interact with friends who make comments or share on your page. Make sure you are not using the page merely to push out information about your show time! Share links, ask questions, give tips and ideas to build your own community on Facebook.

dr blogstein screenshot One BlogTalkRadio host who uses Facebook fan pages to promote his show well is  Dr. Blogstein of The Radio Happy Hour.  Dr. Blogstein share updates about his show, but also includes other engaging content such as quizzes, photos, and more.

TIP 2: Join Facebook Groups
One of the best ways to meet like-minded people online is to join Facebook groups on topics of interest to you and your show. Share ideas and tips and further establish yourself as an expert in your show’s subject mattter within these groups. Then, fine appropriate times to talk about your show, especially if you have an upcoming notable guest of interest to the group.

TIP 3: Add Value to the Community
Make friends on Facebook with people who interest you, and stay active with them by commenting on their walls. If you become an online friend, they will want to learn more about you and what you are doing, including your work on BlogTalkRadio.

TIP 4: Set Up a Facebook Event
Have a special guest coming up or broadcasting live from an event such as a baseball game, concert, or conference? Spread the word by creating a Facebook event, and invite everyone you know online. Don’t forget to include the date, time, a detailed description of your show’s content, and the link.

TIP 5: Ask Your Friends to Spread the Word
When you post information about your shows on Facebook, be sure to include a brief note encouraging your friends to spread the word to other interested parties.

TIP 6: Add a Show Player or a Badge to Your Facebook Profile
player_embedShare your content by adding your player to your Facebook profile, and encourage your friends to do the same.

Just follow these simple steps:
Go to your show profile page on BlogTalkRadio
-Click on “Add this player to your websites” button
-Click on “Post to Social Networks using Gigya” button and select Facebook
-Click on Post, then Add to Profile

Or you can add the badge to your profile page by copying and pasting the badge code into the “Gigya My Stuff” application on your Facebook profile. To add the player or badge to your fan page you will also just need to add the “My Stuff” Application, and copy and paste code from the  ”Add this player to your websites” page on BlogTalkRadio.

And, just like with Twitter, you can connect your BlogTalkRadio show directly to your Facebook profile to cross-promote. (For more information, check out this quick screencast.)

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us or leave a comment below.

Stayed tuned for Part 3 of “Using Social Media to Promote Your Show.”

Until next week, y’all!

Part Three: Using Social Media to Promote Your Show, Cinch

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hosttip-of-the-week1We’ve covered how to use some of the most popular tools online to aid promotion of your BlogTalkRadio show. Now, let’s turn to Cinch, a free service available from BlogTalkRadio, which uses audio recording and sharing technologies to get the word out online.

How does Cinch work?
With Cinch you can easily create and share audio, text and photo updates using your phone or computer. Cinch’s tools enable users to capture and report on the go, and add new dimensions to the usual text updates online. These updates can then be shared across the web, through Facebook, Twitter, CinchCast.com and more.

Below are some helpful tips on how to use Cinch to promote your online radio show:

TIP 1: Use Cinch for Advanced Promotion
Use Cinch to tell your listeners, veteran and prospective, about your next show by creating audio cinches and automatically pushing them to your Facebook and Twitter accounts. This streamlined process will take a few steps out of your promotional efforts.

You can easily share a short audio clip telling your fans about an upcoming guest, previewing what topics you will cover in your next broadcast, or other highlights that might entice them to participate. Audio cinches give your promotional messages a personal touch, and will draw in listeners. With your cinch promotion you can include text with show details and a photo of your guest or show logo.

The added benefit of Cinch is that you can also share your cinches on your website or blog using a simple embed code or by creating a custom cinch player in the Cinch Toolbox.

TIP 2: Use Cinch to Promote Past Shows
Many listeners on BlogTalkRadio consume content on demand rather than live, so promoting your show after it has aired is just as important as promoting beforehand. Use Cinch to leave a short audio message about your last show, or re-promote one of your favorite past interviews.

TIP 3: Enlist a Cinching Army
Cinches spread fast! Use Cinch to take advantage of the tried and true “word of mouth” method of promotion. Enlist your friends and family to share your cinches, and if so inclined, to record and share their own Cinch messages about your show onto their blogs and websites. So things go smoothly, approach family members and pals who have already embraced social networking first.

Using Cinch can increase the depth and versatility of your promotional efforts. With its ease of use, an automatic push to Twitter and Facebook, and its fast growing community, Cinch has proven an effective tool for reaching out, and bringing people back to your show time and time again.

We would love to hear your social media marketing ideas. Please share them in the comments below. Read our previous posts here.