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Streaming Audio Software – Give your Site the Advantage With Audio Streaming

Posted on February 8th, 2009 in Marketing by admin
John Tulley asked:


Wherever you look in the Internet, you would see that audio and video technology has taken the lead in web site improvement. Almost everyone is familiar with You Tube. There are also some audio books that you can download to help you with learning a new language. Indeed adding streaming audio software to your site would really be a clever thing to do. It would really help you shine among all the other web sites that are in the same field as yours.

In doing business online, it entails two essential steps. That is first, getting much traffic to your web site and the second one is turning this traffic into productive sales. There are so many businesses that focused on the first one leaving the second one behind. Any traffic would be useless if it was not converted into money – sales.

Right now, with the popularity of streaming audio software, you can help turn the traffic into sales. You would let your web site do the talking so that people will support your business. An audio can greet your visitors as if they just entered in a traditional store in a mall and would help them walk through the entire line up of products or services. With the use of the audio, your web site offers a friendly and cheerful welcome to your visitors.

You can also add a tutorial that has a voice. People often times get tired of reading and searching the Internet. Eyes grow tired, too. And the solution to help them pay attention with your site even with a pair of tired eyes is having your web site talk. So there is no excuse for not having a web site that does not offer good sales. So add streaming audio software and let your web site talk with an audio!



Audio Streaming and Radio

Posted on February 7th, 2009 in Marketing by admin
Scott Lindsay asked:


It is estimated that by 2012 there will be 50 million mp3 units in use by Americans. This may come in the form of iPods or it may be through mp3 players in cell phones. This audio distribution method is still dwarfed by the overall power and significance of radio, which boasts a regular listenership of more than 290 million each week.

However, mp3 units are a fast growing choice and statistics further indicate more than 70% of those under the age of 24 do not listen to traditional radio preferring instead to utilize online media or mp3 players to receive their audio streams.

Meanwhile, CD manufacturers are attempting to maintain the viability of this form of media distribution, but younger media buyers are simply reverting to the use of mp3 download services and picking the songs they like. These buyers are foregoing a trip to the store and buying only what they need - when they need it.

To stave off the potential loss CD makers are including DVD’s and key codes that unlock online content only available to CD buyers.

One of the primary benefits of mp3 ownership is that the content you listen to can be adjusted at any time and you can add podcasts at will. In 2007, listenership for podcasting increased by more than 280% from year earlier figures. What this means is that the viability of establishing an audio stream via your online business or personal website may have more of an impact than you may realize.

What’s perhaps even more fascinating is watching the number of artists who are making a name for themselves simply by using social media audio streams through sites like MySpace and video streams through sites like YouTube. A recent highly successful concert in Wichita, KS was headlined by an act that was never heard on traditional radio. Their fan base was developed exclusively online and total online downloads of the music exceeded a million.

Wichita is not alone in looking to new sources for entertainment. Promoters and fans are finding it easy to simply cater to their personal tastes in an online environment and take that environment with them when they leave using mp3 devices.

Traditional radio is still far and away the bigger winner with listeners, but even they have had a wakeup call and are learning to infuse their sites with video, audio and blogs that can engage their listeners in new ways.

The trouble may come in the next decade when those younger listeners that have ventured away from radio (or never arrived in the first place) remain distant from the objectives of radio.

This will likely be a concern that will need to be addressed and corrected if traditional radio is to exist in some form.

The music industry drug its heels for a long time in developing online downloads and radio has also been pretending the move to alternative listening methods is simply a novelty and that listeners will return. In many cases they are not and the trend doesn’t show signs of stopping.

It will be interesting to see where radio goes in the next ten years. My guess is more firmly online or through on demand methods of delivery.



Audio Streaming: Reflecting Societal Changes

Posted on February 7th, 2009 in Marketing by admin
Scott Lindsay asked:


The society we find ourselves in is filled with immediate connections. We can talk on a cell phone from virtually anywhere, we can instant message, text message and even send and receive images by phone. When websites are visited the end user may be less interested in learning all the fine points of a site than a computer user of even ten years ago.

Because we are inundated with immediacy it is possible that audio streaming may be a perfect answer to how to keep visitors logged on longer.

Many online businesses are supplying their visitors with an audio tour of the website. This tour blends visual response and audio presentation in a way that helps the visitor gain a clear picture of what they need to do to maximize their site visitation experience.

As your site visitor moves along in the presentation they may be encouraged to sign up for further information, eBooks or an ecourse that may be beneficial to them. The simple act of audibly asking a potential customer to sign up may seem a bit awkward, yet many online visitors will do so without a second thought IF the information presented is compelling enough to move forward along the steps you outline in your audio presentation.

The development of audio can be as simple as recording directly into your computer in raw form or you may be compelled to hire a professional audio voice over professional to create mp3 or WAV files that may add a more professional touch to your overall site presentation.

In face-to-face sales presentations you would ask the client to make a decision. This same approach is a key in online marketing though the use of audio. By gently guiding your customer through the audio presentation you can rely on traditional approaches in asking for a sale or at the very least moving to the next level in your site presentation.

Certainly your site can be designed to manage this without audio, but there is a certain long-term connection with audio that can’t be easily dismissed.

The combination of compelling graphics in an audio tour or sales presentation can result in a much greater likelihood of sales completion.

The good news for established netrepreneurs is audio streaming can be added to your site at any time and may not require a significant alteration to your existing site. Audio streamign remains a powerful methods of furthering your online marketing objectives.



Marketing With A Custom Postcard

Posted on February 3rd, 2009 in Marketing by admin

Marketing With A Custom Postcard

Custom postcards are often used for direct mail campaigns. The advantages are many. Custom postcards are cheaper to make and mail than traditional direct market brochures or letters. Custom postcards get a higher response rate than most other marketing methods. Potential customers are more likely to look at a custom postcard than a letter. In fact, there is no good reason not to try a custom postcard campaign for your next direct mailing.

Be creative. Make your custom postcard stand out. If you don’t have the tools or the creativity to make your own custom postcard, seek the help of experts. Those experts are local printshops or online printshops with experience in creating custom postcards.

When looking for an expert to print your cards, don’t let price be the final factor. First and foremost, make sure the printer you choose can give you the help you need. If you know nothing about a custom postcard campaign, you need a printer who is an expert on how to make an impression with your mailing. Full color custom postcards get a better response rate. Any printer with experience should know that. They should also be able to give you advice on postcard size and the best font to use.

Your printer should be able to discuss your ideas and come up with a design that is effective for the message you are sending. Look for a printer who can make your custom postcard stand out from the rest. You don’t want a postcard similar to those that others are using.

Your custom postcard should be creative enough and attractive enough to draw the customer’s interest. If done right, a custom postcard can be a great addition to your marketing tools.

How to Manage Your Marketing Mi

Posted on February 2nd, 2009 in Marketing by admin

How to Manage Your Marketing Mix

Wrong. And the same goes for generating revenue. Done in a vacuum, none of these tactics will get you what you want. For professional services - where your relationship with your target audience develops based on them trusting you - it’s all about layering your “market touches” in a way that incrementally builds trust over time. Too much, too close, too soon, and you scare people off.

Instead, you have to know what strategy to use and when, based on clear objectives. Each strategy has a different purpose. Here’s a quick look at how to make the right choice.

Advertisement is getting the word out about your firm through paid- for ads or commercials in the media, including print, radio, television and internet. You advertise to…

* establish awareness

* build interest in the market

* educate

* interrupt

* change attitudes about your brand or another’s brand

* influence perceptions

* meet a longer-term objective (like raising awareness)

Advertisement tends to be very expensive. Done well -with good messaging, good design, and a big enough budget to be consistent over time - it can be effective. But blowing a big piece of your overall marketing budget on an ad or two is a HUGE waste of money.

Public Relations is getting the word out about your firm through the press, including articles about you (not by you) and interviews with you. These can appear in print, as a story in the media, and online. You use Public Relations to…

* build credibility (and sometimes trust) through a third-party (the press)

* move up a level in the eyes of your target audience and clients

* align publicly (i.e., with a cause)

* generate buzz (i.e., pre-launch)

* get “free” attention

Getting good publicity requires a knack for WIIFM-oriented messaging (What’s In It For Me?). You have to pass the “who cares?” test every time. If you start a press release, for example, with “ABC Company is pleased to announce…,” you’re DEAD in the water. Good relationship- building skills with the press are also a must. PR is often something to crank up once you have the tools in place to “catch” the attention you’ll garner, including a website laden with value and a decent keep- in-touch system.

Promotion is getting the word out through articles/ columns/newsletters that you write, talks you give, networking, sponsorships, events, committee work, referrals you give and get, follow-up meetings, thank you notes, and calls. You promote to…

* encourage your target audience to try you (i.e., visit your website for a valuable download, to subscribe to your free e- newsletter)

* invite your target audience to an event (real or virtual)

* give stuff away (trials)

* introduce a new offer

* meet a shorter-term objective (like fill a workshop)

* test new ideas (i.e., run a poll)

* invite interaction (i.e., to an online discussion forum)

Promotion tends to be the most effective way for professional service firms to build trust in the marketplace. The arsenal of options in your promotional toolkit is both extensive and affordable. Get a basic system of online and offline promotional tactics in place - anchored by a value-packed website to act as your “revenue hub” - and you’re in good shape.

You also have tactical choices to make for each strategy: online vs. offline, print/graphic vs. audio/visual, live (in person) vs. virtual, and so on. Here are some rules of (green) thumb to guide you:

* deploy the WIIFM factor at all times

* unless you have the backing of a big corporate marketing budget, promotion and PR tend to be your smartest investments

* online is generally more cost-effective than print

* permission-based approach is a must for professional services

* don’t randomly try tactics. Have a plan that moves your target audience from Stranger to Acquaintance to Friend to Lover to Loyal Partner (see my article, “How to Earn the Right” for more on this key success factor)

If you want awareness, interest, trusted advisor status, and credibility, you need all three strategies - Advertisement, Public Relations, and Promotion - in your marketing mix. For most firms, having a solid promotional strategy in place first is the smartest ROI. Add public relations and advertisement to the mix next, and your garden will flourish and grow.

Marketing Tips On a Budge

Posted on February 1st, 2009 in Marketing by admin

Marketing Tips - On a Budget

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