I’ve noticed a marked difference between meeting a prospective client at something like a networking event and meeting a prospective client who has found me through our podcast. The differences are really striking and certainly worth some analysis.

1. First Impressions - At a live networking event, first impressions are of course critical. Even if I meet someone that happens to need our services, I have such a brief amount of time to convey that I am competent, trustworthy and can actually solve his or her problem. The whole “vibe” around networking events can often feel like a rushed feeding frenzy.

A listener, on the other hand, has already developed a first impression, only at a time and pace that is convenient for him or her. There’s been no rush, no awkward silences. She has already become comfortable with my voice and generally has a frame of reference as to who I am and what I know.

2. Relationship - I have no relationship with someone I just met at a networking event. We’re starting at square one for sure. But I do indeed have a relationship with my listeners - even the ones who don’t write or call in. The listener gets to know me over a course of several episodes. If I’ve done a good job, the listener even comes to depend on me for my content.

That kind of give and take, even though we may not have personally met yet, constitutes a sort of relationship. When that listener takes the first step toward becoming a customer, we aren’t starting at square one. We have already been transacting in information, which makes future transactions less of a “stretch.”

3. Indoctrination - I’ve spent a lot of time over the past year trying to convince folks of the importance of blogging. What’s interesting is that I have a very poor batting average when talking face-to-face with folks. I often find myself in situations where I am asked a very complex question and expected to give a simple answer.

That question is often “How can I bring more traffic to my website?” As I begin to explain the very basics of search engine optimization, link baiting, backlinks and the like, I usually see my prospect’s eyes glaze over by about the fourth sentence. People in “conversation mode” often aren’t prepared to really learn something in-depth.

If that same prospect had stumbled upon our episode on blogs and blogging, he would have learned a great deal at a time and place that was convenient for him. It’s a totally different experience and often results in a potential customer that is better informed about, in this case, blogging, and why it would really help his business.

In conclusion: I want to point out that these observations are based on my real-life experiences with listeners that have contacted me to inquire about contracting the services of Promethius Consulting, LLC, of which I am a founding partner.

I hope those of you in business will take another look at the benefits of podcasting and consider giving it a go this year. As with any marketing endeavor, don’t expect it to pay off in windfall proportions overnight. Instead, I see it as a solid investment that pays increasingly well over time.

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For you loyal listeners of the Small Business Radio Podcast, feel free to participate in our show by submitting your business and technology questions via the form below, or by clicking on our mailbag link.

We’ll do our best to get your questions answered on our show. Remember, the only bad question is the unasked question!

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Steve Rucinski over at Small Business Trends Radio wrote a nice review of our podcast. It’s rewarding to be recognized by your peers. The SMBTrendwire site regularly reviews business-oriented podcasts and is a great resource if you are looking to fill up your iPod with new discoveries.

I’ve recently gone on a new podcast bender in an attempt to spice up my morning commute. I’d venture to guess that I’ve subscribed to six or seven new podcasts within the past week. It’s been an interesting experiment…unfortunately mostly futile.

I’m surprised at how many podcasters seem to lack a feel for their own pace. A common mistake is what I like to call the “pre-content banter.” This is the portion where the host and his sidekick giggle back and forth with each other, usually about inside jokes, and often make reference to personal minutia having nothing to do with the topic of the show.

One thing to keep in mind is that a podcast listener has an unbelievable range of choice at his fingertips. In five seconds he can back out of your podcast and start up another one. In fact I do this all the time.

There is so much choice out there that you simply have to respect the listener at all times if you want to retain that listener. Keep this in mind the next time you want to chatter on-air about what you had for lunch before getting to your REAL message.

The main goal of an internet presence is and has always been to be found and understood. It’s generally the introduction to a (hopefully) long and fruitful business relationship. Much like a fisherman, webmasters and internet marketers fiddle with an array of different “cyber-bait,” lures, fishing nets, bass boats, etc.

Let’s look at the current mix of internet “properties” that make up the Promethius Consulting web presence. Keep in mind that these change all the time as we constantly tinker to keep current with internet marketing best-practices.

Promethius Consulting, LLC Website - This is of course our foundation. The site has existed in one form or another since 2000.

Promethius eMail Newsletter Archive - Although this is a sub-set of our main website, I list it here because it brings us so much traffic. Our archive spans all the way back to August of 2001. All that targeted content just sits there and works for the search engines year after year.

Small Business Radio Blog - This blog has been a key addition to our internet marketing efforts. High-profile blogs linking back to us in recent past include Duct Tape Marketing, Buzzoodle,Web Ink Now,The Engaging Brand and Marketing Profs: Daily Fix.

Small Business Radio Podcast - Our show has helped us make some great business contacts. Recent guests include Lorraine Ball and Executive Business Coach Jim Gleason.

ClickCaster Podcast Presence - This is a second version of our podcast. It’s just another way for folks to find us and start a relationship.  I’m always surprised by how many listeners we get through ClickCaster.
Promethius MySpace Page - Although there is much NOT to like about MySpace, it certainly does boast scads of users. Our presence is mostly used to deliver our podcast and to garner sign-ups for our email newsletters.

Our Multiply Presence - This is a little mini-blog designed to drive traffic back to our main blog page. It’s a quick way of creating backlinks in an organized and easy manor.

I could go on with descriptions of our various other little web properties and experiments. The above list will hopefully give you a little glimpse of the types of techniques that build increased traffic and awareness.

I’d love to see your comments about what is working for you!!

Listen Now:

 Episode 13 Permission-Based Marketing: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
 Special Interview with Cantaloupe & JibJab: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In this episode, Tony and Alan discuss many aspects of Permission-Based Marketing, including tips and tricks for your company’s email campaigns.

As an added bonus, this show features a special interview with John DiGregory and Tom Corey of Cantaloupe Shows. Cantaloupe is an Indianapolis company specializing in permission-based marketing, leveraging video to tell their client’s stories. Also featured: a portion of Alan’s tBGR interview with JibJab’s Greg Spiridellis.

View the Cantaloupe Six reality series.