Today I’m pleased to announce a giveaway/competition here on ProBlogger where you have the chance to win one of three prizes – a year’s worth of free podcasts for your blog from First Blog Media.
All you have to do to win is answer a question in the comments of this post (see below for the question).
The sponsor of this competition is First Blog Media – a marketing company with the goal of helping bloggers transition from text-only sites to multi-faceted conduits of rich media.
Their medium of choice is the podcast and they offer a twice a month service where radio professionals work to create high quality shows from your blog’s text. Everything — recording, editing, hosting — is managed on their end. They then upload your production to their servers and let your blog’s readers stream the content straight from your site.
Getting started is as simple as installing a widget and letting the team at First Blog Media get working.
$100 Discount Offer
First Blog Media is offering $100 for all ProBlogger readers on this service – all you have to do is to sign up from this link (not an affiliate link).
They are also offering 3 readers 12 months of the service for free as a prize today.
How to Win This Competition
All you have to do put yourself in the running to win is answer this question:
Why would you like to have a podcast on your blog?
Please note – to be included please include the word ‘podcast’ in your entry – this will help us ensure we catch all entries in our comment spam filter.
The team at First Blog Media will choose 3 winners at the end of the week.
I would love to have a podcast on my blog to expand the ways in which I distribute my videos beyond embedding YouTube videos. I am a motorcycle blogger that travels around the country and recording video of my experiences along the way. Podcasting would give my audience another way to keep up with my travels and would also make it easier to publish videos while I am on the road. This isn’t something I would just “try out.” I have been video blogging for over a year (about 150 videos published) already and Podcasting is the next step I want to take to distribute my content.
Why wouldn’t I want to have a podcast on my blog, should be the question? One, I don’t know how to do them, would like to know! Two, Apple iPod being the portable media player for which the first podcasting scripts were developed only makes sense that I should be the winner! The fact that I want to expand Real Estate sales and improve my blog and become the first real estate professional in the Valley of the Sun in Arizona makes me even want to have it more! I have heard that podcasts can be automatically transferred to a mobile device after they are downloaded and what a great tool for me to become a podcaster to help my clients in a market that needs lots of creative ways to help them get their home sold! What another great tool to help my buyers find the perfect home to bring their family home too! I want to be a podcaster and want to show others how effective this fantastic tool can be for real estate and business! Help me figure out how to be a ‘podcaster’…I am in!
I already do a podcast on my blog, but it’s low-budget and infrequent, just a way to keep in touch with supporters. Would love to have a pro take a crack at it, though. If they could help encourage people to listen and subscribe, that would be all the better. Thanks.
I’d like to have a podcast on my blog because food is multi-sensory, and I’d like my blog to be multi-sensory as well. Besides beautiful food pictures and video, podcasts would provide a well-rounded media choice for my readers to enjoy the sensations of food for eating wellness.
The purpose of Playful Learning is to document and share my knowledge of education and human development with other families. Playful Learning is a homegrown website/blog that was created to get useful and interesting information to families regarding the growth and development of their children.
I have already made a couple of home-made videos for my site (http://www.youtube.com/user/playfulearning) and part of my plan is to convert them into podcasts. I already have lots of ideas for content that I would like to make into podcasts and being able to work with a team like First Blog Media would really help me to focus on the material I know best rather than the huge learning curve related to the production of podcasts.
Green & Clean Mom is a blog dedicated to moms going green without the sacrifices. If I had a podcast there would be no sacrifice. They wouldn’t have to go the computer to read about how going green is sexy, sassy and fun! It would be hands free listening for the busy mama and what mom can’t appreciate that? I get requests all the time so this would put me over the edge!
I want to have a podcast on my blog because I have a successful niche sports blog which at present is entirely text and image-based. A podcast would make my content more portable and accessible to a much wider range of people.
I would like a podcast on my blog because then my readers are business people and if I had a podcast they could listen to my podcast while doing something else.
I would want a podcast on my Heal Pain Naturally blog because I have readers in chronic pain. Having healed myself from chronic pain I know how grueling it can be to look at a screen with a migraine or to try and sit in a desk chair when your limbs or muscles ache. I would be able to reach more people with my message of ways to heal pain naturally, inspiration and empowerment. Many people have told me my words have helped them but I have also had people tell me “they wish they could sit at the computer longer to read more”. I have almost 100 posts now and am passionate about my blog and my message that people can in fact heal from within. I write about the mind/body connection and JUST how powerful the mind is as well as provide resources that I believe would help others in their healing journey. A podcast would enable people to download my posts to an IPOD and listen comfortably so that the message can sink in even deeper. I remember clearly how distracting pain was – I was ill for over 6 years! Thank you for this competition and it would be wonderful if I could have a podcast associated with Heal Pain Naturally. Gratefully, Jenny
Professional podcasts would be something I’m really interested in because they will not only help my message reach the readers and visitors in yet another way, but also help me see how my vision and posts can be interpreted by a company specialized in podcasting.
Every text, every thought expressed in a written form, brings a lot of the original feelings of the author. Presenting them in a different way is an excellent opportunity for blog author to take a different (probably closer) look at the messages given by his posts.
I’ve never done a podcast and think my blog on personal development will greatly benefit from it – I will help me once again thank the visitors by making it even easier for them to get the knowledge I have to share.
I’d love to have podcasts for my blog, and would really prefer real podcasts rather than automated recordings of computer-generated readings of my posts. I’m sure podcasts for PersonalDevelopment.ie will be a success, and hope they will kickstart the podcasting for other blogs of mine, which are more technical.
Darren, THANKS to both you and First Blog Media for a chance to participate – if nothing else, this post is a great collection of podcasting hopefuls – will definitely be checking their blogs in the next few days.
I already have a podcast on my blog! But it crashes my site every time I put up a new video — so their service of hosting the video would REALLY help me a lot!
Thanks, Darren. I helped PRstore take the first steps into podcasting earlier this spring. For us, it’s about introducing business leaders who are successful in another industry to the advantages of owning your own marketing agency by joining the PRstore franchise.
A professionally produced podcast (versus my hack-job that I record via voicemail, essentially.) would allow us to educate thousands of small business owners about how effective podcasting can be for educating consumers, energizing customers and building community.
Here’s my Big Audacious Goal: I want every business owner in America to discover that podcasting is easier than they imagined…and to become a podcaster!
Why would you like to have a podcast on your blog?
Here’s why single moms are the ideal audience for podcasts.
The lives of the hundreds of single parents who visit my blog, http://www.singlemomseeking.com/blog, can be described with in one word: “multitasking.”
They answer a business call — with a headset — as they pack school lunches.
They respond to a Blackberry message as they search for a Band-Aid for a boo-boo.
Single parents are the perfect subscribers because they can listen to informative, insightful, and entertaining podcasts while they’re washing dishes and making baked potatoes. Podcasts will inspire them.
I would LOVE to record podcasts about parenting, dating, self-care, time management, friends. Let’s see:
“Single Mom Seeks Date,” “Surviving and Thriving as a Single Mom,” “Play Dates and Blind Dates”…
Thank you!
I would like to have a podcast on my blog because as everyone knows, podcasts make:
Coffee taste fresher (because one can close their eyes and relax while listening and learning)
Children misbehave less (because they know Mom will make a podcast of unruly behavior and send it to their teachers)
Spouses compose epic poetry about romance (as podcasts free up blogging time)
and the most important reason:
Podcast techology rocks! Sharing that with audiences is a great thing indeed.
Enjoy, Barbara
Why would you like to have a podcast on your blog?
I just launched and I figure it would help get things moving. The future of the internet IMO is going to be fully interactive and this is a stepping stone to acclimating myself, my website, and my future readers toward that result.
Because I need to practice what I preach. I tell clients all the time to start a podcast. We have over 250 clients and I need to lead the way in this arena. This would be a perfect opportunity for us to partner with a company and bring them a lot of new business while leading the way ourselves. Thanks!
I would like to do a podcast to widen the reach of my blog on personal finance and my journey towards financial freedom because it can reach out to a wider audience and touch lives for the better.
The more I write about my own journey towards financial freedom, the more I realise financial literacy is something solely lacking even in my own life when I just started working and I’m trained as a accountant! We are trained to take care of other people’s monies but not our own.
A podcast would allow those who absolutely abhor to read my posts a chance to listen to luscious voices speaking out to them just like radio!
Be well and prosper (through podcasting!) ;-)
I love to read, but not everybody does. Having a professional podcast would reach the audience that doesn’t want to read, or doesn’t have time. Also with learning, people often need the audio dimension.
I have wanted to do podcasting, but have these setbacks: quality of equipment, understanding the technical part, and though I have a decent sounding voice, I get nervous, and have a lot of ums… ,when I try to record something,
Real Estate investors are very busy at this time, and need something that can be listened to while on the Go.
here, ladies and gentlemen, is why i would very very very very much like to win this:
– because it’s the first competition of this sort that i want to win not just for the sake of competition but also because i really want to win the prize!
– because i’m so pleased with what happened when i added images to my blog. sound will make it even richer!
– twice a month sounds absolutely ideal. it will add just enough spice without overwhelming my readers with too much novelty
– one of the reasons why i haven’t podcasted yet (i know, i’m SO behind the times) is because i’d like to have something that’s high quality and i just haven’t gotten around to looking into how to do that yet. so winning this with you will just make this fall into my lap!
– you said getting started is SIMPLE? oh, i LIKE simple! click, click, click, and it’s done. yes, i can get on board with that.
– some of my material lends itself perfectly to podcasting already. a lot of my posts are very conversational already.
– i’ve been wanting to do something auditory-oriented (e.g. some relaxation material) for years. how would you like THAT as a challenge?
– i’ll twitter about it like crazy. actually, i’ll go and do that right now!
Like many others, creating a podcast is on my “to-do” list for our store’s blog. We have been blogging about running religious stores like businesses for two years and have also been posting about products but we really want to start interviewing authors and adding more information to our blog that is best communicated through audio posts.
Why would you like to have a podcast on your blog?
I would like to have a podcast on my blog because the content of newslite.tv (odd news stories) seems to lend itself well to an audio format and has wide appeal.
I guess the question should be why am I not already doing one?
Because I come from Birmingham in England where the accent is regarded as the worst sounding in the UK. Who wants to listen to a monotone Ozzy Osbourne sound-a-like podcast?
This service is a great idea. I am an experienced blogger/podcaster and I think it would be fun to work with bloggers from different backgrounds and niches.
If anyone from FirtsBlogMedia is reading this, please contact me. I’d love to find out more and see if there is a chance to work with you.
Corey
To educate people about the 101’s of wine…like my http://www.wine101.TV does…
I would love to have a podcast because it would allow for more diversity offered to my readers (or listeners). To be honest, I often prefer listening to things rather than reading them, so I don’t see why my readers would be different. It would be quite cool to offer it to them.
Why Would You Like to Have a Podcast on Your Blog?
After years of sharing my expertise in the field of hairstyling (I am a former professional hairstylist) in the form of articles for online companies and magazines I finally took the plunge and started my own hairstyling blog.
While there are many hair related blogs in the blogosphere mine is one of the few that is actually written by a professional in the industry. There are so many hair care and hairstyling myths out there that I would love the opportunity to use any medium available to provide my readers with solid information.
I created my first ever podcast a few weeks ago and love the experience. Being able to do this on a regular basis with a professionally created podcast would be like a dream come true.
I have a podcast that goes along with my blog since it is an awesome interview show with members of the GLBT community and our allies. I have been honored to have guests talk about their lives, the coming out process, dealing with the family and partners etc. I would like to reach a bigger audience to show the world that we should all be able to live and love who we want no matter who they are.
This podcast service is an amazing idea. Many bloggers are focused on writing and may not necessarily have a speaking voice or the know-how to run a successful podcast on their own.
Since my blog is about supporting people to make a difference in their own life I think a practical personal development podcast would be an invaluable way for people to get the most out of the content and out of their lives.
I personally listen to podcast all the time and I take them on the road with me when I’m driving. This has been a great way to virtually eliminate commutes while utilizing my university on wheels.
I would love 12months of professional help with podcasting for my blog.
Firstly, because I don’t even know what a podcast is, so as you can see I need all the help I can get.
Secondly, because even though I don’t know what a podcast is…I instinctively know it must be something very cool…because the name is indeed quite catchy
Thirdly, because I have never won anything –except a jellybean in grade three for giving a good ‘show and tell’…which by the way went for a record 33 minutes– in my life.
And fourthly, because even though I have no idea what a podcast is, I’ve somewhat gathered, (through reading everyone else’s comments on this page), it has something to do with sound, radio and video…and as you can tell (see reason three for proof) I have an extraordinarily strange ability to speak rubbish for long periods of time which for some reason or other (I can’t for the life of me figure out) seems to keep people entertained.
Cheers
jess
ps: I’m off to search your website because I’m going to find out exactly what a podcast is once and for all, and while I’m at it I might as well work out what a widget is too…
Personal finance isn’t the most exciting topic in the world. Putting a voice behind the content may help make it more digestable and make is seem more “personal”.
Not only that, financial concepts can take a while to sink in, people may not have the time or desire to read a blog post about taxes or IRA’s multiple times but if it was in the format of a podcast they could listen to it as many times as they needed until it made sense to them.
Thanks for the chance to win!
I’m not convinced that podcasts are worth the trouble or all that effective. This free offer would be a great way to test the validity of podcasting.
Wow, these responses have been fantastic.
As Darren mentioned in the post, the contest is open through the end of day (EST) so you still have time to sneak in your last minute responses. Soon after we’ll set to task shuffling through each and determining our 3 lucky winners.
Warm thanks to Darren, and to all who’ve replied. I wish we could take everyone!
I run a blog focusing on technology applications & hardware for teachers. I would like to include podcasts, because I’ve found podcasting to be a useful resource for busy people (which most teachers are). It also lets teachers get away from paper – most of them are buried in paperwork.
When I listen to podcasts is when I relax or exercise. At that time, I am quite receptive to thoughtful podcasts.
I’d also like to be able to set up podcasts for my students, to assist them with vocabulary and content of the Physical Science class. I envision it as a study technique for audio learners – most of them have either IPods or mp3 players.
My blog, http://www.noveleats.com, is a vegan blog, with posts of recipes that I make. While there are many blogs out there in this niche, there are not very many that are able to stand out from one another. I do have my favorites, but they all pretty much follow the same model I do. Write posts with recipes and pictures, and hope that the writing and picture-taking is good enough to garner decent traffic. Rarely is there any audio or video.
I considered creating my own podcast a few months ago (and even attempted to record one), but rarely have enough time (and quiet) to focus on it. I enjoy having this blog, and have managed to increase my traffic to a certain extent, but I think that having a regular podcast would make this one stand out among other vegan blogs. I love the idea of having this done for me, and if it proves to be popular, I think that I would absolutely pay for it or take over and start producing my own.
Having a podcast on my blog will provide a higher quality of different content to help my readers.
I believe the purpose of my blog is to help those who read it, and improve the quality of their life. Having a podcast to compliment my blog will allow my readers to download podcasts to their ipod and listen to the helpful information when they have the time.
It just creates that much more quality to my blog, and in return makes the product more accessable to help my readers and improve their lives.
Thanks for your consideration.
Lewis
winners will be picked and announced in the coming day or two. thanks to everyone for participating