Podcasts can be a great way to bring traffic to your site and grow your mailing lists. As you know, both of these things can lead to higher profits. Podcasts themselves can also be a source of income. Here are some tips on how to monetize your podcasts.

Create a Podcast Newsletter
You can create a newsletter that features information specifically about your podcasts. Within the newsletter, you can earn commission by including affiliate links. Add a link to the opt-in page on your website and blog; this will help spread the word about your podcasts, as well.

Members Only Podcasting
Create podcasts that are delivered on a subscription basis. You may want to offer the first portion of the podcast for free to everyone, as this will serve as a form of viral marketing. Another option is to create a membership website and provide the podcasts to your subscribers for free.

Commissioned Sales
This is similar to including affiliate links in your newsletter; try announcing the affiliate links during your podcast instead. Try to find a product that compliments the subject matter of your podcast. If you are interviewing someone about cooking tips, send your traffic to a cooking site that you are an affiliate for and let them know it is a great source if they want to buy the different products your guest spoke about. You’ll need to buy and redirect your own domain name to make this easier for people to remember, rather than saying www.siteirecommend.com/myaffiliatelink

Sell Your Own Products
If sell tangible products, you can use your podcast to sell your stuff! Mention your products and include information on how your products can make life easier for your listeners. Interview past customers and have them explain how you helped them.

Popularity: 15% [?]

Finding people to interview for your podcast is very easy. Everyone is looking for publicity and media savvy people know that podcasts are a great way to connect with potential customers. You will probably find yourself with more people who want to be interviewed than time to interview all of them. Here are some tips on how to find guests:

Your Inspiration
Who gave you the inspiration to start your podcast or website? Ask them to be your guest and share their story with your listeners. What inspired you may inspire others, too.

Google News
This is a great source for finding news stories of all kinds. Do a keyword search that is relevant to the topic of your podcast or website. Contact the people that were interviewed in the news story; they may agree to be interviewed by you, as well.

Local and National News Stories
Again, pay attention to the clips you see on your local news as well as news shows such as Good Morning America and news channels such as CNN. If you see something that relates to the topics you cover on your podcast or website, make a note of the subject matter and name(s) of the interviewee(s). Contact them and ask if they would like to be a guest on your podcast.

Magazines
Pick up a magazine that has the same type of content as your podcast or website. Your readers and listeners are more than likely going to be interested in the same type of stories that are featured in the magazine. This a great way to get ideas for upcoming features (as well as the names of possible guests).

Ask Your Listeners
People love to talk about themselves; ask your listeners to share their stories. You can tell your listeners that you want to feature a story about a certain subject and ask anyone who has a story about that topic to email you. You can then call the people who submitted stories and choose a few to interview for your show.

Popularity: 22% [?]

The number of websites that are featuring podcasts is growing rapidly. They are a great way to connect with your visitors and provide them with information they are looking for or teach them about your product. If you are looking into offering podcasts, the subject of interviewing someone can seem like a daunting task. Here are some tips to make it easier:

Send Your Questions Ahead of Time
In order to make the most of your podcast, send the questions you are going to ask to your interviewee ahead of time. They will be able to prepare answers; and your podcast will sound much smoother.

Test Your Equipment
Don’t let your first interview be the first time you actually plug your microphone in. Set everything up and practice a few times before you conduct your first interview.

Be Early
If you are going to meet your interviewee(s) on a conference line, make sure you show up several minutes in advance. You will want to greet everyone as they come onto the conference line. If you are going to call someone for a one-on-one interview, be ready to call them at the appointed time. No one wants to sit around and wait to be interviewed.

Know Your Game Plan
Your interviewee is a busy person. Before you start the interview, have a game plan in mind of how long the interview will take. Let them know what you expect, and watch the time while you are talking to them.

Preliminary Chat
Greet your interviewee and chat for a moment before you start the “nitty gritty” questions. This will give you a chance to get comfortable speaking to each other and will make the interview banter sound friendly and comfortable.

Ask Questions in Order
Ask your interviewee the questions in the same order that you had sent to them before the interview. If you start jumping around and asking them questions out of order, your interviewee can get flustered and your podcast will not sound as professional.

Let The Interviewee Listen First
It is a polite gesture to allow your interviewee to listen to your interview before you publish it. On a side note, you do not have to take their editing suggestions.

Popularity: 21% [?]

Adding audio to your site will make your site more personable to your visitors. It is an interactive experience that will allow your visitors to see you as a real person. This can build trust; once trust is established your visitors are more likely to become customers.

Subscribing to Audio Acrobat is a very easy way to add audio to your site. For about $20 per month, you can create audios and videos, and allow your visitors to listen to them live over the internet or download them to listen to at their convenience.

Audio Acrobat will provide you with a special number that you can dial with your phone. You can create a recording of just yourself, or you can record a phone call if you are interviewing someone. Another option is to hook a microphone up to your computer and speak directly into it.

When you are finished with your recording, the service will generate a piece of HTML code that you can publish to your site. This will allow your visitors to listen to the audio or download the Mp3.

If you want to increase the traffic that comes to your site, you may want to try your hand at podcasting. Podcasting is a new phenomenon, and is somewhat similar to blogging. Rather than reading a blog, your listeners will listen to your voice via your podcast.

Your listeners do not need to have an iPod; podcasts can be downloaded to any Mp3 player, and your listeners can listen online, too.

You can set up an RSS feed, so your listeners will always have access to your latest podcast. Audio Acrobat even includes iTunes integration, allowing your listeners to automatically download your podcasts into their iTunes.

You can allow your visitors to listen to your audios for free or you may charge for them. If you are allowing people to listen to them for free, you may want to monetize them by having paid sponsors. This acts in much the same way your local radio stations present commercials. You can simply announce that the podcast is being sponsored by and read the ad that you and the sponsor agree upon.

Popularity: 25% [?]

I just heard back today from Al Ponalet, the voice talent guy who is doing my openings, segues and promo. He’s amazing! I was a little afraid to contact him at first, since he so obviously is light years ahead of me in radio expertise and I had no idea what the scripts needed to say.

But my friend Kelly told me he was easy to work with — and that he just needed some basic information from me. He would then write the scripts, pick the music and record the audio — using his voice, or another artist (like if I wanted a female voice).

Anyway, back to my story. The scripts are great. I had just a couple of suggestions, and gave him the phone numbers for my listener’s line. I can’t wait to hear the recordings — and start putting together the first show for you!

UPDATE: I just received my recordings and they are awesome! As soon as I have my first show up, you’ll hear what I’m talking about. I can’t wait.

So, if you ever need voice talent, say, if you’re going to do a radio commercial or even an online talk radio commercial for your products, I highly recommend Al Ponalet. He’s affordable, easy to work with, knowledgeable and has a great voice. LOL

Thank you, Al!

Popularity: 16% [?]