Further to the Writers Union of Canada AGM panel RAISING YOUR PUBLIC PROFILE

Last post was all bad news about podcasting and blogging. Today I get to show off.

My podcast has had four million downloads and thousands of people listen to my voice or read my words every day. I’m getting within spitting distance of 200,000 impressions per month (an impression being a download, a pageview, a subscription email sent etc.)

I’ve gotten coverage in dozens of print publications and hundreds of websites and blogs.

My podcast led to an original audio book contract with Macmillan.

I met and developed relationships with many kind people in fields related to the work I’m doing including world leaders in lexicography and etymology.

My podcast is being hosted once a week on the Oxford University Press blog.

In the same way that people feel a greater connection with radio personalities on CBC because they know them by voice, I feel my listeners are more dedicated than blog readers might be. Any day I’m feeling down I can look up the listener comments posted at iTunes and get my ego stroked. Read on, the following are from people who were NOT paid to say this:

” Only two or three short listens and you’ll be completely enamored by this charming man who comes to your iPod like a friend.”

“Brilliant: I never tire of Charles Hodgson’s endearing presentation. This podcast is a real joy.”

“Excellent source of Knowledge: This podcast provides 150% of the RDA of knowledge and is a great way to bypass the work involved in researching the etymology of words. Additionally, when explaining word history to others you appear to be very knowledgeable and well read thereby increasing your virtual IQ. I listen every day.”

I told you today I’d brag.

Because my podcast is now also a blog I am building a blog-reading following as well. Perhaps these print oriented people will be more likely book buyers than the audio oriented people.

People who’ve visited my website have filled in listener surveys giving me the kind of information that advertisers like to know about a potential audience. I’m pleased to say that my audience represents a very desirable demographic.

So that’s the good news. Next post I’ll tell you about something called SEO.

This blog post is a duplicate of one of a series of emails I’m sending to the Writers Union of Canada listserv in advance of the Writers Union AGM panel session RAISING YOUR PUBLIC PROFILE taking place at 1:15 on Friday May 23. I’ll be joining Cynthia Good and Rick Broadhead for that panel (moderated by Ray Argyle).