When you started podcasting, you probably never thought about having to become a customer service agent in order to please your listeners. The cold, hard truth is, every podcast host MUST give good customer service to their listeners, especially if they want them to come back, time and time again!

Hosts on Talkshoe, have an advantage and they can fill out their show profiles and user profiles to include not only e-mail addresses, but web site addresses too! In this way, when a listener wants to contact a Talkshoe Host, they have several ways to do that. Ok, that’s fine and dandy, but what if you don’t want to post your e-mail address publically for all to see?

One way to offer e-mail contact to your listeners, without revealing your e-mail address, is by using a contact form script that will take care of this for you. You can see an example of such a script at http://www.podcastsupport.com and this is a live, functioning script, so feel free to try it out!

We talked about other ways to offer good customer service as well as reasons why you need to offer good customer service, so listen to the episode in the player below!

Popularity: 1% [?]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

As many of you already know, Myself and Bruce “Logan” Pringlemeir put out a Talkshoe Top Show List for Top Downloads and Top Live Callers every week. We have been limiting our lists to the Top 100 in each category (downloads and live callers) and will begin with the next list to be produced, to moving to the Top 250 Downloads and Top 250 Live Callers!

The Top 250 Downloads list will feature the top downloaded shows from a list of more than 3500 shows for that week. The Top 250 Live Callers list will feature the top shows with live callers (from both the phone and Talkshoe chat room) along with their respective number of Live Streamers (not figured into the live count). Remember, Live Streamers can come from a number of sources, including Facebook, the Dynamic Widget from your show page and other sources that can pickup your stream without the listeners actually calling into your show or using the Talkshoe chat room.

The Top Show lists are highlighted every week on Talkshoe Support LIVE! and on The New Media RoundTable.

You can pickup the updated Top Show Lists by visiting our Talkshoe Support Resource Site. The lists are updated every Sunday or Monday and a tweet is sent out through the @Talkshoe Twitter account as well as other Twitter accounts. Be sure to follow @Talkshoe, @Logansrunpod, @NewmediaRT, @TalkshoeSupport and @Robwhiteus to insure that you are kept up to date when the new lists arrive!

Want to see what the new format looks like? I thought you might:
03/28/2010-04/03/2010 Top 250 Downloads

03/28/2010-04/03/2010 Top 250 Live Callers – Public Shows

Popularity: 1% [?]

On March 15th, TalkshoeSupportLive welcomes Bob Merrick, host of The Baub Show, TalkShoe ID 58753. Bob frequently interviews musicians and celebrities on his weekly show, and he will be joining us to give us tips on how to get guests and interview them. Be sure to join us at 7pm EST Talkshoe ID 875 and bring your questions for this fun, informative evening with Bob Merrick.

Popularity: 1% [?]

One of the most frequent questions that we get, is “How do I get more people to my shows?”. This is a common dilemma for most hosts, whether you are novice or experienced. I am going to offer some basic tips to help you get started and I will expound on these tips and add more over the next few days.

The first tip I can offer you, is to go out and purchase the book, “Promoting Your Podcast” by Jason Van Orden. This is a great book that offers you some of the best advice for building an audience that has come along in a long time! Believe me, you’ll be glad you did!

Here are a few things that you can do right now, that won’t cost you anything, or very little to do! Don’t be afraid to try anything, as you just don’t know what will work for your particular show or niche. Just because it works for one host, doesn’t mean it will automatically work for another one!

1. Ask yourself, “Who are you?”
Reflect on some basics about yourself, your show, what drives you, what are you passionate about, what will keep you producing a show once the “new” has worn off. What resources do you have access to that others may not.

2. Brain-storm Search Engine Keywords
How will people find you on Google, Yahoo or Technorati? What tags will you use in blog posts that may enhance your search engine findability.

3. Setup a blog or web site for your show.
Domain names are very low cost nowadays and so is hosting accounts. You can easily get a free blog at WordPress.com and other places or you can setup your own. Obtain a domain name that reflects your shows name or niche as this will enhance your ability to get more listeners easily by directing them to your site.

4. Come up with a great name for your show.
Just calling it The John Doe Show, won’t go very far in bringing in listeners, unless you have a very famous name! Choose a name that reflects what your show is all about!

5. Become an authority on your niche or topic.
Make sure you know your subject matter when producing your shows. Bring in guest interviews or a co-host that may be more of an authority in your topic or niche to give your show credibility unless you really know your subject matter!

6. Regularly post in your blog details about what you are talking about in your shows.
Search engines LOVE blog posts, because of all the text they can crawl and index. The more you post, the better you can be found in search engines!

7. Use Social Media Networks for promotion.
Social Media, such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and others networks will give you the capability to reach more people that will “follow” you because of what you are talking about! Use these networks to the fullest!

8. Make cool looking business cards to pass out to everyone you meet.
Business card stock is very inexpensive to obtain and the software can be downloaded or use a template for OpenOffice or Microsoft Office and create your own snazzy looking business cards. Make sure your web site, domain name, blog site and e-mail address is on the cards, along with some brief information about your show and give them to everyone you meet! You may be surprised at the increase in listeners, especially if you pass these out at trade shows or fairs where others in your niche hang out!

9. Ask other hosts what they do to promote their shows.
Don’t be afraid to talk to other hosts and ask them what their “secrets” are for getting listeners. You may be able to offer some great ideas that they hadn’t thought of and vice versa. Also, take a minute to “trade” promos with other hosts and see if cross promoting may work for bringing in listeners.

10. Remember your download listeners.
At the beginning and ending of each show, make sure to let your listeners know where they can go to subscribe to your RSS feeds. This is a great way to get those download listeners subscribing to your your iTunes and maybe even coming in live from time to time!

I know this is a lot to digest, especially if you are just starting out. Don’t worry, it may not look like you are going to get a bunch of listeners now, but keep producing good content and stay consistent in doing your shows and before long, you will see the numbers go up!

Until next time!

Popularity: 1% [?]

[ad#skype]

Have you ever thought about joining an online social networking community? If you love meeting new people, there is a good chance that you have given it some thought. Despite wanting to join, there are many individuals who make the decision not to. Are you one of those individuals? If so, is it because you feel overwhelmed? There are literally an unlimited number social networking websites out there to choose from and many are full of members.

While you would assume that it is nice to join a social networking website with a large number of community members, some individuals, maybe even yourself, feel that it is too much to handle. For instance, did you know that MySpace, a popular social networking website, has over one hundred millions members? If that isn’t overwhelming what is? If you are interested in joining an online networking community, but one that has fewer members, you are encouraged to look for social networking websites that have a particular focus. That focus is often on popular topics, issues, views, and interests.

A social networking website that focuses on one thing in particular is often referred to as a specialty social networking website. This is because, unlike traditional websites, not everyone can become a member. To become a member of a specialty social networking site, you must have an interested in the topic at hand. These websites drastically reduce the number of members. Although you will have less community members to socialize with, you will find that more have the same interests as you do. In that, a small number of internet users, with the same interests as yourself, is better than millions of members that you don’t have anything in common with.

If you are interested in finding a specialty social networking website, you are advised to perform a standard internet search. You will want to search using the words social networking site and whatever else you are looking for. For instance, if you are looking for a social networking website designed just for animal lovers, you may to combine the words social networking with animal lovers, pet lovers, cats, dogs, and so on. Whether you are searching for social networking websites that focus on a popular hobby, religion, or politics, you are sure to find that you are looking for.

In your search for specialty social networking websites, it is likely that you will come across Facebook or Classmates. Facebook and Classmates are both considered specialty social networking sites because they tend to focus on high school and college students, including those that are attending and those that have already graduated. Both of these websites work to connect you with individuals that you are currently going to school with or those that went to school with, in the past. If you have already graduated, Facebook and Classmates are great when looking to reconnect with old friends or even make new ones.

Other popular social networking websites focus on religion. Whether you are Christian or not, there are a large number of social networking websites that have a focus on religion. These websites not only allow you to meet other internet users, but they allow you to meet those that share the same beliefs and views as you do. By using a religious social networking website, such as HolyPal and JesusCrowd, you will not have to spend the time searching for those who are the same religion as you, you will automatically be entering a community where everyone preaches and believes the same things.

As previously mentioned, there are a fairly large number of specialty social networking communities that you can find online. These communities are not just limited to those that are for pet lovers, religious followers, or those looking to reconnect with old classmates, as mentioned above. With the way that social networking websites have increased in popularity, it is safe to say that you should be able to find an online networking community, no matter what your interests are.

Popularity: 8% [?]

[ad#skype]

Do you surf the internet, listen to the radio, or watch television? If you do, there is a good chance that you have heard of MySpace before. MySpace is on online social networking website that has literally taken the world by storm. This is because, in what seemed like no time at all, MySpace has grown to become one of the most popular online websites, in the entire world.

The first step in joining this popular online social network is to register for an account. This can be done in a matter of minutes. Although you can view a number of different MySpace pages without registering, it is advised that you do. Registration will allow you to not only create your own MySpace page, but enjoy many of the other features that can be found on the site. What you may like most about MySpace is that it is completely free to use.

Once you join MySpace, you can create your own profile page. Although this is optional, it is the best way to communicate with others and make new friends. To make the experience easier, MySpace has a fairly large collection of profile templates. These templates not only have an impact on the background of your profile page, but the text fonts as well. In addition to using the pre-designed templates, you can also create your own, especially if you have basic knowledge of HTML.

Many MySpace users have sections that allow them to describe themselves and their likes and dislikes. In addition to these preset sections, you can also add your own. A large number of users have posted clips from their favorite movies, television shows, or music videos. You can also add you own pictures and your own videos, if you choose to do so. Although MySpace does have some rules, which can be found in their terms of use agreement, you basically have unlimited freedom, when it comes to creating your own MySpace page.

After you have created your own MySpace page, you can easily search for others. You can search for others with a wide variety of different keyword phrases. If you are looking for someone who lives near you, you can search for your town. If you are looking for someone who shares your love of animals, you can search for pet lovers. Once you have found the MySpace page of someone who you would like to become friends with, you can invite them to join your network. In addition to inviting others to join your network, there is a good chance that you will be invited to join others.

Although MySpace has been in the media because of its popularity, attention has been given to the popular social networking website, attention it probably didn’t wish that it had received. With MySpace, as well a large number of other networking sites, internet safety has become a big issue, especially with children. If you are the parent of a child, you may wish to monitor their MySpace activity or ensure that their profile is set to a private listing. MySpace has a number of safety features is place, but to make use of these features you must know that they exist.

In addition to being a traditional social networking website, one that lets you meet and speak to other members, MySpace is well known for its additional features. These features commonly include music videos, horoscopes, chat rooms, careers, and instant messaging. If you are interested in using these features, as well as the many others that can be found on MySpace, you are encouraged to register for your free membership today. You can do this by visiting www.myspace.com.

Popularity: 22% [?]

[ad#skype]

Individuals, of all different ages, enjoy meeting and communicating with other internet users. Despite the fact that individuals of all ages use the internet to socialize, there are certain groups of individuals that do more than others. Those groups of individuals include students, both high school students and college students. For that reason, it is only fitting that there should be a social networking website that has a focus on these particular individuals. That networking website is known as Facebook.

Facebook may not be as well known as other popular social networking websites, such as Yahoo! 360 or MySpace, but it is still popular. That popularity is mostly among high school students and college students, mostly because Facebook focuses on these individuals in particular. With Facebook, you are required to register for a specific network. That network can either include the high school or college which you attended or are currently attending. Once you have joined the website, you should easily be able to make contact with others who are in the same network.

The network in which you join can be considered an advantage of Facebook, as well as a disadvantage. See, Facebook does not work like most other social networking websites. Instead of being able to communicate with all site members, you are limited to contact with those that are in your particular network, the high school or college you that selected. The creators of Facebook state that this is for your own safety. Although it is safer for your profile and personal information to be viewed by a small number of individuals, you may not necessity want it to be that way.

Although a large amount of focus is placed on high school students and college students, Facebook has added another popular feature to their website. That feature is workplace networks. By joining a specific workplace network, you will be granted access to other community members who work for the same company as you. This feature is nice, especially since many companies have become large corporations or expanded across the country. You may be able to make contact and become friends with a long-distance coworker that you never knew you had.

Another aspect of Facebook that you may find inconvenient is their lack of available information, before you decide to become a community member. When viewing their online website, which can be found at www.facebook.com, it is hard to tell whether or not the site is free to use. Most online social networking sites will make this known right upfront, but Facebook does not. Aside from the price, you should easily be able to obtain additional information on Facebook, before making the decision to become a member. This additional information may include how Facebook works, why you should become a member, how the invite process works, and general rules and restrictions that are in place.

If you are interested in joining the Facebook community, you should do what you should do with all other social networking websites, research. By taking the time to research and examine everything that Facebook has to offer, you should be able to decide whether or not this popular networking community is what you were looking for. There is a good chance that it will be, but if not, do not worry. There are literally an unlimited number of other social networking websites that you can join.

Popularity: 9% [?]

[ad#skype]

Each day, in the United States, millions of Americans communicate with each other online. In addition to communicating with other Americans, many are communicating with those on the other side of the world. This communication is due, largely in part, to online social networking websites. If you are interested in joining the growing number of internet users who use social networking websites, you will have to find a network to join.

When it comes to finding social networking websites, you have a number of different options. Perhaps, the easiest way to find a social networking website is by performing a standard internet search. You may want to search with the words social networking or social networking websites. Whichever search phrase you choose, there is a good chance that you will be presented with a long list of websites.

You can also find and familiarize yourself with social networking websites by talking to those that you know. The internet, as well as social networks, has rapidly increased in popularity. That popularity means that there is a good chance that one of your relatives, friends, coworkers, or neighbors has used a specific social networking website in the past. In fact, many may have even used more than one. If you know someone who has, you will want to ask them their recommendations. You will find that most social networking websites come highly rated, but there are some out there that may not even be worth your time.

In addition to speaking to those that you actually know, you can also seek recommendations from those that you do not personally know. You can do this online. Online, you should be able to find a number of websites that discuss social networking sites. Many of these websites have reviewed a collection of social networking sites. In addition to reviews and other articles, you should also be able to speak with other internet users on online message boards. Like speaking to one of your friends, many internet users would be more than willing to let you know what social networking websites are worth the time and which ones are not.

Although it is nice to receive recommendations from those that you know or other internet users, you are advised to make your own decision. Whether or not a social networking website comes highly recommended, you are still encouraged to check it out first. A large number of social networking websites are free to use; therefore, there are no risks associated with giving the site a try. Despite the fact that most online social networking sites are free to use, there are some that you must pay for. A large number of these websites offer free trials. Even if the trial period is only for a few days, you should easily be able to get a feel of the site’s environment and determine whether or not it is right for you.

In your search for a social networking website, whether you perform your own internet search or rely on recommendations from others, you should be able to find a number of popular websites. Those websites may include, but should not be limited to, Yahoo! 360, MySpace, Classmates, and Orkut. The good news about this is that if you are not satisfied with the social networking website you joined, you don’t have to worry; there are many more available for you to choose from.

Popularity: 9% [?]

[ad#skype]

It is estimated that each day, a fairly large number of individuals make the decision to join a social networking website. Social networking websites are websites that allow internet users to easily connect with other internet users, often from all around the world. While social networking websites are a great way to make online friends or start an online relationship, there are many internet users who are misinformed when it comes to social networking websites. That misinformation is largely centered on who can see their personal information.

Since a social networking website is often compared to a community, you would assume that only other community members would be able to read your personal information, right? In the real world, an unknown individual cannot just decide that they want to move into your neighborhood and live in your front yard, spying on your every move, so why should it happen online? If that is your way of thinking, you are wrong, in most cases. Unfortunately, many internet users are largely unaware of the fact that just about anyone can view their social networking profiles, including non-community members.

As previously mentioned, there are a large number of social networking websites that allow anyone one with internet access to view the profiles or profile pages of their members. In fact, the number is higher than you may have ever imagined. At the current time, just a few popular of the social networking websites that allow any internet user to view your profile include Yahoo! 360, FriendFinder, FriendWise, and MySpace. With a simple click of the mouse, information that you thought was private is no longer. That is why it is important that you examine what is actually posted in your profile or on your personal profile page before publishing it.

Although being cautious may take away from the fun of joining a social networking program, you are advised to be cautious. This cautiousness may help keep you safe. When building your social networking profile or profile page, especially on a website that anyone can view, you are advised to carefully select the pictures that you post. If you post a personal picture of your self, you are advised against posting your full name and, especially, your address. With a picture, your full name, and your address, an internet user with devious thoughts could spell trouble.

If you are one of the many social network users who wants to display your information, you are encouraged to learn more about private profile settings. Private profile settings will limit the number of individuals who can view your website. Although your profile’s private setting may prevent other network members from seeing your profile, it will also prevent anyone else from seeing it. The only catch with doing this is that since other community members cannot see your profile, you will have to be the one to contact with any new friends that you would like to invite to your network.

In addition to joining a social networking website that allows you to set your profile as private, you can join a network that automatically has profiles set as private. These social networking websites include, but are not limited to, Orkut and Facebook. With Orkut and Facebook, your profile will only be seen by other members. In fact, Facebook also limits the members that can see your profile. This is done to help ensure your safety online. However, as with all other social networking websites, it is fairly easy for you to make online connections and friends, but, in away, these private profile networking sites are a safer way to make those connections.

Now that you know exactly how social networking websites work and who can gain access to your personal information, you should know what you should and should not put in your profile or on your profile page. Although you are not required to change your information, you should at least think about it. As the old saying goes, you never know who is watching you.

Popularity: 8% [?]

[ad#skype]

Have you ever wanted to join a social networking website before? A large number of internet users have, but not all decide to join one. If you are like many other internet users, you may be worried about the networks that can be found online. Many of these networks, including MySpace and Yahoo! 360 have rapidly increased in popularity. This increase in popularity has led to a large number of members. In fact, some might say too many members.

One of the many reasons why Yahoo! 360 and MySpace have increased in popularity is due to the fact that they cover a wide variety of different topics, issues, and interests. MySpace and Yahoo! 360 do not focus on one particular group of individuals or one particular hobby. Instead, they invite all internet users to join. While this may be good, it gives you a wide selection of online friends to choose from, it can also be considered bad. On many of these websites a competition has brewed. That competition has been to see who can get the most friends. This may result in you not really getting an online friend, when you are supposed to be.

If you are looking to join a social networking website that is more focused on creating friendships or partnerships between internet users that have the same interests, you will want to focus on social networking websites that have a particular focus. Many times, these websites are known as specialty social networking websites. Online, you should be able to find a number of these specialty social networking websites. Many have focuses on important issues, topics, and hobbies, such as pet owners, religion, travel, and much more.

When it comes to many specialty social networking sites, many individuals want to know what sets them apart from the rest. Honestly, it is the community. As previously mentioned, specialty social networking sites tend to focus on a particular topic, issue, or hobby. This means that if you are a devoted Christian and you would like to speak to other Christians, you will want to join a Christian networking site and so on. The difference between specialty social networking sites and traditional ones is that you will automatically be paired with hundreds, if not thousands, of other internet users who share the same interests, views, or beliefs as you.

Another one of the many benefits to joining a specialty social networking website is that you are, in a way, safer than those who are members of other networks. Not all, but a large number of specialty networking sites require activation before joining the site. Before activation can occur, many internet users are required to state their reasons for wanting to the join the network or they may be required to fill out a small questionnaire, often pertaining to the social network in question. In many cases, this will help to determine whether or not an internet user really has an interest in the topic focused on by the network in question.

As previously mentioned, specialty social networking websites allow you to automatically be paired with a group of individuals who share the same beliefs, views, and interests as you do. This mean that you don’t have to spend hours researching a person or speaking to them, just to learn what they are or are not interested in. Essentially, this enables you to jump right in and start making friends, almost as soon as you are granted access to the site that you have chosen.

Popularity: 8% [?]