Not me, that's for sure.
Most podcast directories out there offer some kind of ranking system for their shows. In some cases, listeners and other users get to vote on their favourite shows. Is this a more fairer way than counting downloads? I'm not sure.
One of the more venerable directories is Podcast Alley. There's no doubt that having a high rating on Podcast Alley will launch your into stardom, but the integrity of the voting system has been under fire for a long time.
Jason Van Orden, a self-billed podcasting consultant (psst - Jason, spell and grammar check your blog posts. We all make mistakes, but your posts have so many that it really affects your credibility), writes about this issue.
Basically Jason's point is that time spent nurturing your audience by participating with potential listeners in their natural environment (think forums, chat rooms, etc) is time better spent than trying to game the Podcast Alley system into getting your show on the front page.
I totally agree. I've had some big names on my show and while those shows did really well, overall our listenership numbers have been a steady climb. I believe that's largely due to the fact that I am part of the community that I podcast to. Members of the community talk to me and about me and that helps drive the audience.
Spend your time wisely. There are only so many hours in the day.
Tags: podcast alley, podcast audience
