Web Audio Marketing Blog

Audio Streaming and the Top 5 Don'ts For Business

2008-11-22T03:30:00.000-08:00

Audio streaming can allow you to provide a personal touch to your sales letter for visitors. It can add that voice of reason, compassion and opportunity that simple words on a screen just can't do.

The truth is many of your online visitors will scan your presentation. They will gravitate toward bullet points and only read what seems most important.

Are you afraid customers might miss something?

You can embed an mp3 audio file into your sales page that can help customers catch the most important parts and they are delivered in a way that only you can.

Of course you can always hire a professional to voice the project for you. Sites like voices and voice123 as well as RadioDaddy have been used to successfully gain this type of audio from a professional voice talent.

The good news is you can also do it yourself. You can purchase a USB linked microphone for less than $40 and use a simple mp3 audio file. A quick search engine visit should bring several free recording software alternatives for you to consider.

You may also be able to find a secondary host for your mp3 file and then embed the visible link in your sales page. This can be a quick and inexpensive way to make your audio stream possible.

Most online business owners only think of audio streaming as either podcasts or Internet radio. Some have not even thought of the potential for audio streaming in a business environment.

Yes, there are businesses that are developing podcasts - and they are gaining a following as they offer quality infotainment. They mix a little important stuff with a few fun items and the listener is often left encouraged to come back again next time.

Let me write just a bit about a few things you don't want to do when you decide to provide an audio stream of your sales pitch.

1. Do not attempt to 'wing it' unless you are exceptionally good. Script your approach and read it out loud (and often) before attempting to record.

2. Do not try to make your sales pitch hard sell. It's a simple back click for the visitor and they aren't afraid to use it.

3. Do not come across as dull and unenthusiastic. Ask a trusted friend or family member to evaluate the presentation. If you're first read is boring it's time to rerecord. Try some coffee before you read again and smile when you talk.

4. Do not read the entire sales letter. Prioritize what's important and include a call to action. Remember your visitor will often scan for what they feel is most important. If you read it all they will likely get bored. Make liberal use of your bullet points and minimize any verbal expansion on those subjects.

5. Do not apologize for what you may feel is inexperience with audio streaming. If you bring this up you are unintentionally saying, "I don't know what I'm doing - don't trust me."

Audio streaming has a growing place within online business. The cost to get started is minimal and it could transmit to a very lucrative conversion rate.

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Article Source: EzineArticles.com

5 Tips to Improve the Quality of Your Audio Products

2008-11-13T15:56:00.000-08:00

It seems like every online marketer has suddenly recognized the power of audio. In fact marketer competition in audio product creation is really starting to heat up. If you are among those who are entering the arena, then you must do everything possible to create quality audio products that stand apart from the competition. The five tips that follow should really help move you forward in your audio product creation efforts.

Tip #1: Establish a recording studio. Your read it right; set up your own recording studio. It doesn't make sense for most online marketers to spend the money required to rent a professional studio. Likewise the professionalism of your product diminishes if there are all kinds of background noise when you record at home. That's where your own studio comes into play. You don't need to spend thousands of dollars developing a professional studio. Your home studio will be just fine if you simply soundproof a room in your house. Then add good-quality recording tools and equipment. Be sure your equipment includes a microphone, computer with sound card, a mixing board, and editing software to get started. As your product sales warrant, you can add more, but let sales pay for the additions.

Tip #2: Study and learn from the audio product creation experts. Learn who has already established themselves in this field. Listen to the products they have created. Learn from their tips and ideas. Use those tips and ideas to produce better, more appealing products for your customers. Remember that your goal isn't to become exactly like the experts you study. It is to learn that put your own spin on the ideas and tips they provide.

Tip #3: Work on your presentation skills. It is important that you practice. Become at ease with what you say and how you say it. You do not want recordings to sound scripted, and as if you are just reading it. That often makes them slow and boring to your listeners. One strategy is to use a script for the bulk of the recording, but to add appropriate adlibs as well. Don't talk in a mono-tone voice. Voice inflections can help to emphasize the key points, while your normal conversational tones and style will be best for the main points.

Tip #4: Slow as you go - Be sure to pace your presentation; not too fast and not too slow. Speaking too fast is often a problem. Yet the key messages are often lost to listeners who just can't keep up. Just as too fast of a pace will lose listeners, too slow of a pace becomes boring. The goal is to find a pace that is comfortable and that allows you to enunciate each word.

Tip #5: You must emit an air of confidence. Don't jeopardize listener trust and confidence by lacking confidence. You want your listeners to feel very confident about what you say. Don't allow your nerves to get the best of you. Don't sound nervous. Don't stutter. Don't leave big gaps that will create doubt in what you say. Leave every listener feeling you are confident, knowledgeable and intelligent.

Remember these tips to create quality audio products. They will impress your listeners. They will bring your listeners back to buy other products in future.

To your internet marketing success!

Interesting in learning more about this topic? Download my free ebook on internet marketing.

Bob Hamilton is an entrepreneur, author, writer, business consultant and trainer. http://www.OpeningADollarStore.com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Audio Marketing Tools For Your Site

2008-11-04T14:43:00.000-08:00

More and more internet marketing tools are coming online every day. These tools aid in providing traffic for your website. The more the traffic, the more there are potential sales. And in the competitive world of marketing, innovation may be the key to your success.

Why employ audio marketing tools?

There are several powerful methods to persuade more visitors to learn more about your site. One way is to add audio to your website. Internet marketers are now discovering that internet users are more willing to listen to sales messages than to read them. It is the opportunity to make your website talk, making it more personal and easy to understand. This can be done in a number of ways:

• Audio greetings. There is nothing like a warm greeting to make your clients smile. Using these will give you a more personal approach. Your audience will be more interested in reading what you have to say. You can either automatically play it when your site has been visited or through a prompt button.

• Audio testimonials and guarantees. This will create credibility for your website.

• Audio e-mails. It records your marketing message on your email message. Once the e-mail user opens your message, your audio message will be delivered immediately.

Why use audio marketing tools?

Audio is such a great marketing tool. More and more internet marketers are using it because graphics and content seem to be incomplete without the use of real voices. Here are some reasons why you must use audio in online marketing:

• Audio can increase sales. When using audio such as testimonials, greeting messages and talking e-mails, they will think of it as something personalized. Audio will make your promotions more reliable thus, reaping rewards with increase in sales.

• Audio messages have more significant effect on visitors than text messages. More users will remember your ad more when they hear it. If you are not recording your sales message in audio format, it means you are missing sales.

• Audio buttons are advantageous to the audience. Imagine yourself having to read a very long article to learn about the details of a product or service. Wouldn't it be easier if you just sit back and hear it? Also, writing text requires more time and effort than recording an audio.

• Audio messages keep visitors at your site for a longer period. They will be amazed of the innovative way of promoting your product. They will learn more things about your products or services and this will more likely translate into sales.

What are these tools?

There are several steps in employing an audio in your web page. Below are the basic steps and the tools you will need to produce web audio from scratch.

1. Make an audio file on your computer. Record an audio file using a computer microphone. You can use the sound recorder if you have the Windows operating system. You can also take and audio file directly from a CD using RealProducer or Media Cleaner.

2. Decide on what encoding method to use. This may vary depending on what you think your audience has on their computer and what would they like to use. You have to think about how they will access your audio file such as modem or Ethernet connections or add plug-ins for them to download.

3. Encode your audio file. In encoding your audio file, you must think of what format you would like to use. Here are some of the tools you can use and the corresponding formats they support: Media Cleaner Pro for all formats, RealProducer for Real formats, QuickTime Pro for Quicktime, and Dedicated MP3 encoders for MP3.

4. Create your HTML document. This is where you would post your audio content. You can use any text editor, Netscape Composer or Macromedia Dreamweaver among others.

5. Upload your HTML document to your server.

There are other ways to get audio files instantly to your web page if you are not technologically advanced. Here are some of them:

1. Audio Generator. Using this is as easy as 1-2-3. You will just have to call the Audio Generator hotline and record your message live. They will give you a line of text you will need to copy and paste to your website. And there, instant talking website.

2. InstantAudio. It works like the Audio Generator. Just follow the steps.

3. Audio Chirp. You will only have to paste the Audio Chirp files they will e-mail to you into your website. You will then do your recording and save it to your web site.

For more information on internet marketing for beginners please visit:
http://www.thebiginternetmarketinggame.com/usingaudio.html
http://www.thebiginternetmarketinggame.com
http://www.drnathaliefiset.com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Adding Audio to Your Site - "Why" and "How" Answered

2008-11-02T01:32:00.000-07:00

For those of you that surf the 'net often, you might be noticing audio clips that are popping up. Some will start playing as soon as you enter a site, and others you are beckoned to click "play" to hear their message.

Adding an audio clip to your website gives a personal touch where reading text is hard to portray. It puts a voice to you representing your product or service and can make a big effect on how you are perceived. It assists your website visitors so they can gain a better understanding of what you offer - just as a face-to-face meeting would - having an audio clip helps your web audience build that important relationship with you.

Audio also enhances your professional presentation - in most circumstances. In my opinion, having an audio clip (whether it is music or a voice-over) automatically play when a web page is opened is not a good idea. It is forcing the visitor to listen to something they may not have cared to hear and more importantly, it interferes with the music or radio program they are playing while surfing. It is best to provide an invitation to listen to the audio clip when it is appropriate to introduce it in your website content. This way, you are making your visitors feel comfortable and you appear professional and trustworthy at the same time.

From a marketing perspective, audio can act as an "attention grabber". You have the ability to guide your website visitor through your site and talk about the product or service you have to offer. The audio clip can also be a powerful motivator to explore and discover your site.

There are several ways to utilize audio on your website:

* Personal Messages: Add a personal greeting by means of introducing yourself, your products or your services. This is a quick way to capture their attention as opposed to counting on them to read all of the text you have provided. In fact, simply do that - read what you already have written on your site! This will give your visitors a lasting impression once they hear your voice.

* Promotional Message: Promote a sale, special give-away, or announce a brand new product you want to let everyone know about. Your passionate message speaking about how much you truly believe in your product or service will be sure to catch people's interest.

* Audio Testimonials: Ask your clients to record a quick sound byte for you and post this audio message, along with their name and website address (or contact information) and it becomes a powerful way to tell others of your credibility. Your visitors will be more apt to believe the testimonial if it's attached with a live voice of your client. Your client also wins by giving them some extra exposure of their business.

* Audio Instructions: If you offer a product that needs some instruction, provide an audio clip that explains the steps involved. You can accompany it with a picture of what you're talking about. Seeing and hearing how something works is very powerful and will give people the confidence they need to purchase what you have to offer.

* Audio Invitation: If you have a free e-newsletter, it's important to try and get as many people to sign up for it as possible - they are your target market just waiting to hear more from you! By using an audio message inviting people to sign and explain what they will get for their efforts (answering the "what's in it for me" question), can be very effective. Be sure to mention that you are giving away a free item to anyone signing up - such as a free article, e-book, or piece of artwork etc - people love receiving something free!

How to Put Audio on Your Site

Digital audio can come in many different formats, but the most common and safe format to use is MP3. There are several ways to going about creating these MP3 files - some more expensive than others. I'll detail a few here:

*Recording the audio on your home PC: There are lots of audio recording software available for you to install and start recording your message. All you need is a good quality computer microphone, a quiet room and you're good to go. Here are a couple of software suggestions:

- Audacity is a free, open source audio software program you download and install yourself.
- Web Audio Plus 1.0 is another free software program. I found instructions to use it here: How to put audio on your website
- Sony Sound Forge is a software package that you purchase. Sony Sound Forge enables you to create CD tracks and web audio files. You can even capture audio from an analog source and digitize it onto CD's and MP3's.
- Internet Audio-Video. These guys offer several different pieces of software in one bundle - which includes creating your own video as well. But be careful making your own video clips, if not done professionally, they could work against you. I'll be talking more about video next month.

* Using an on-line service:
- BYOAudio is an audio recording service where you can use your computer microphone or call in via the telephone. The MP3 sound clip is produced for you. They have a sale on right now for a 30-day trial for $1 and after that, it costs $19.95 a month.
- Audio Generator is also a monthly fee-based audio generating service. Beware - you have to sign up to get any information on them and then it is a very intense marketing campaign you need to endure. I was turned off right away - but that's just me.

* Hiring a Professional: With this option, you hire a local audio recording company and go into their studio where they record your voice-over, do edits to make it sound professional and perfect, add some background music and then your audio file is ready to be burned to CD or uploaded to your website.

As you can see, there are many options to consider on how to go about adding audio to your website; in my opinion, give the free open source software a try first and see how that works. If you find it's too difficult to manage and you want an easier way, try the services offered. Once you have your audio clip created, simply contact me or your web developer to have it added to your site.

PS. The resources mentioned above are sites I have found in my Internet searches - I do not make any guarantees; I'm just sharing my research results and do not endorse any of them personally.

Kind regards,
Susan Friesen, B.B.A.
eVision Media ~ Definitive eBusiness Solutions
evisionmedia.ca

About the Author: Susan is a professional website developer with over eight year's experience in the industry. With a bachelor's degree in Business Administration, concentration in Computer Information Systems, she is able to provide a unique and caring service to her clients not only as a website designer, but also an eBusiness Advisor; assisting individuals, businesses and organizations establish and brand product or service effectively on the World Wide Web. Contact Susan today for your free consultation on building your website presence to the effective marketing tool is can be. susan@evisionmedia.ca or visit http://www.evisionmedia.ca

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

TalkingSpeaker.com Re-Launches With New Web Audio Marketing Players & Pro Audio Services

2008-10-21T00:00:00.003-07:00

Greetings,

I've just re-launched TalkingSpeaker.com with a host of new free and custom web audio marketing mp3 players and pro audio services.

Here's a brief list of the new features:

Site - Completely re-designed site, easier navigation, more thorough information, new shopping cart, new web audio products & services, new web audio wizard for streamlined ordering.

Free Player - TalkingSpeaker™ Free has been re-designed with an improved look, more reliability, and the ability to change your playback mode (auto or click) at any time.

Custom Player - TalkingSpeaker™ Custom has been completely re-designed with an improved look, more reliability, and the ability to change your playback mode (auto, click, or TicklePlay™) at any time.

Audio Services - I've added many new Pro Web Audio Services & Consulting options to help you deliver great web audio.

Web Audio Marketing Blast - I've started a new newsletter where I'll be offering exclusive discounts - Join Now so you don't miss out!

DIY Audio - New (Do-It-Yourself) DIY Web Audio page including a new DIY Web Audio Guide eBook (coming soon) to help you record your own personalized audio before selecting our players and audio mastering services.

More information is coming soon - Check it out now!

Web Audio Marketing Players & Pro Audio Services

Cheers,

-Mark

PRESS RELEASE: TalkingSpeaker.com Releases Innovative Free Audio Players for Internet Marketing, Affiliate Marketing & Social-Networking Web Sites

2007-10-12T22:00:00.000-07:00

Petaluma, CA (PRWEB) October 12, 2007 -- Mark Lindsey, Creative Director for California-based music licensing and media design studio Primary Elements, has released a new advanced TalkingSpeaker™ Free web audio player for webmasters and web page owners of all types and levels.

Lindsey's Flash-based free mp3 player can be utilized for a variety of Internet marketing uses including affiliate marketing sales letter "squeeze page" pitches, website welcome messages, auction or e-commerce product descriptions, mp3 streaming for social-networking pages such as MySpace, web audio sermons and anything else where one wants to stream an mp3 audio file on a web page to increase sales conversions and user-retention.

Mark Lindsey described how easy it is to setup a TalkingSpeaker™ Free player:

"I've developed a simple setup form where users can enter the web addresses to their mp3 file and web page, choose a standard or custom background color and one of two playback modes, then simply copy and paste the resulting code into their web pages using any html editor or profile editor that allows html code. It's that easy!"

The player can stream mono or stereo audio at just about any mp3 bit-rate and offers advanced functionality such as intelligent play/pause and restart buttons, a playback position locator and convenient volume slider. For users that want the ultimate player experience, Lindsey's team of producers, designers, editors and writers offer a host of powerful and affordable upgrade options, including professional voice recording, precision audio editing & processing, custom embedded head-shot & logo images, user-defined scrolling text & links, a unique and effective TicklePlay™ playback option, royalty-free music & sound effects, script editing & writing, SEO web design & hosting, consulting, and even a built-in affiliate marketing program.

Commenting on the rationale behind the free Flash audio player release, Mark explained:

"We want to drive huge increases in website conversions and help to personalize the web experience. The results with our custom players so far are extremely exciting, and that's why we've decided to offer the free player to help spread the word. We know that once users realize the power of adding audio to their pages, they'll come back later for some upgrades to personalize their players."

In the coming months, Lindsey plans on releasing additional free player styles to match the most popular uses, and will also be rolling out an automated upgrade ordering system to streamline the customization process.

Anyone can take advantage of this totally free offer by visiting the Talking Speaker website. Visitors are encouraged to join the free TalkingSpeaker™ Web Audio Marketing Blast to receive valuable tips, updates about this evolving service, and exclusive discounts on customized TalkingSpeaker™ productions and services.

For more information or to discuss joint venture or co-marketing proposals for this new Internet marketing tool, please contact Mark Lindsey Toll-Free at 1-800-79-BIZ-AD (1-800-792-4923) or visit the site today.

About Primary Elements
With over 70 years of combined experience, the Primary Elements team offers a wide range of Media Design Services including Music Composition, Audio/Video Editing & Mastering, Royalty Free Music Licensing and Custom Web Design. They have an impressive list of satisfied clients including companies such as Nike, Toshiba and BMW.

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PRESS RELEASE: Groundbreaking Audio Marketing Research Enters Phase Two - Internet Marketers Now Invited To Take Part

2007-07-10T10:01:00.000-07:00

Petaluma, CA (PRWEB) July 10, 2007 -- Mark Lindsey, Creative Director for California-based music licensing and media design studio Primary Elements, is now inviting savvy Internet marketers and website owners to assist with stage two of some pioneering research into the benefits of using audio in a website sales or conversion process.

Results from the first phase of testing gave birth to an attention-grabbing, hand-tailored web site audio player called a TalkingSpeaker™, which achieved startling improvements in sales conversions and user-retention through its unique, client-driven personalization and playback features. For a limited period, a complementary TalkingSpeaker™ is being offered to selected businesses to further prove its success prior to the retail launch in 2008.

Mark Lindsey described how the TalkingSpeaker™ transcends other, more primitive audio players:

"Combining a customized Flash™ player with our audio production and editing capabilities, the result was a heavyweight marketing 'punch' that delivered higher profits through increased conversions. Most web audio players lack proven marketing features and are subscription-based, holding the client over a barrel by demanding perpetual monthly payments to keep their message running. We wanted to invent something that performed better without draining marketing budgets. The TalkingSpeaker™ will be a 'one-time' purchase so clients enjoy permanent ownership of their player from day one. The optional affiliate link built into each player can also provide additional revenue for website marketers and joint venture partners, something you just can't do with a pre-fab audio player."

Primary Elements called in Martin Popham, a London-based Internet Marketing Consultant to establish the essential features for converting website visitors into paying customers or subscribers. During testing on a new Dog Obedience website also built by Lindsey, it was clear that this new approach was successful in greatly extending the time of a user's visit to the site. The results also showed that users were more inclined to read and absorb site content due to the personalized and overall professional image conveyed through the TalkingSpeaker™ welcome message. Combining Lindsey's creative flair for Flash™ and audio production with Popham's marketing instincts, a new path was laid for achieving that most elusive of all marketing goals: keeping user interest long enough to convey the sales message, and with credibility intact.

Commenting on the experience, Mark explained:

"We want to drive huge increases in website conversions. The results so far are extremely exciting, and that's why we've decided to offer a free fully-customized player to selected webmasters and online marketers who wish to take part in this project to significantly increase their conversions. All we ask in return is for some feedback on their results to help us achieve a successful retail launch early next year. The TalkingSpeaker™ improves conversions and user-immersion in many areas including email 'squeeze' pages, product descriptions, educational pages, auction listings, classified ads and more. It can even be used inside blogs and social media sites to quickly focus attention on a core issue."

"Most audio players only offer two playback choices: Auto-Play or Click-to-Play. As expected, during testing we found that when the audio announcement is set to play automatically on page load, it often resulted in sending visitors towards the 'stop' button or off the page completely. On the other hand, we noticed that visitors often choose not to click the play button when it's left to their discretion, as they have no incentive to do so. In either case, the crucial sales message is lost. In response, we coded a new feature called TicklePlay™, which can play one or more short clips of audio designed to entice a user to click the play button and listen to the full message, but without pushing their tolerance to the limit and forcing them to escape the page. These 'tickles' can be configured to play when the page loads and at pre-set intervals to match the site's content."

In summing up the service, Lindsey said:

"We’re going to offer various levels of customization from a simple player with client-supplied audio, to a fully customized player 'skin' with an embedded head-shot or company logo. We’ll also provide script-writing, voice-over, music and audio editing services."

If you're involved in Internet marketing, you can take advantage of this unique opportunity by visiting the Talking Speaker website. Participants will receive valuable updates about the ongoing audio marketing research, a free upgrade to the release version of the player when launched, and a 15% lifetime discount on customized TalkingSpeaker™ productions. Their classic player is also now available on the site.

For more information or to discuss joint venture proposals for this new Internet marketing tool, please contact Mark Lindsey Toll-Free at 1-800-79-BIZ-AD (1-800-792-4923).

About Primary Elements
With over 70 years of combined experience, the Primary Elements team offers a wide range of Media Design Services including Music Composition, Audio/Video Editing & Mastering, Royalty Free Music Licensing and Custom Web Design. They have an impressive list of satisfied clients including companies such as Nike, Toshiba and BMW.

About Martin Popham
Having been involved in offline marketing and publishing for several years, Martin Popham moved to the Internet in 1999, and since then has become a highly respected UK Internet Marketing Consultant, providing personal coaching and consultation with specialist knowledge in areas such as Copy-writing, Niche Marketing, Product Development, Website Optimization and Viral Marketing.

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