FeedBlitz’s Podcast Capabilities: In-Depth
Expanding on yesterday’s news of FeedBlitz’s new podcasting capabilities, here’s a more detailed look at the features added to the service:
iTunes new feed tag insertion
Possibly the most important function, especially from a FeedBurner migration perspective, FeedBlitz AutoCast adds the required element to your podcast feed so iTunes can seamlessly transition all subscribers to the new feed source without having to lose a single audience member.
Download tracking
Podcast files are linked into RSS feeds using “enclosure” elements. When AutoCast is enabled, FeedBlitz tracks enclosure accesses separately from other links within the post, reporting them as downloads (D/Ls in the reports pages). It’s entirely possible, depending on the nature of the subscriber’s podcast app, that other links and tracking from the post will not be available to subscribers. Tracking downloads separately shows you the true reach of your content.
Automatic enclosure creation
No podcast? No problem! With AutoCast switched on, FeedBlitz will find any audio, video, or flash file that you link to in the post and create an enclosure from it if one isn’t already there.
iTunes categorization
AutoCast allows you to set up to five iTunes category / subcategory combinations to be defined for the feed, making it more likely that iTunes and other podcast app users will find your podcast when searching for something new to follow.
iTunes podcast feed tag extensions
There are many iTunes specific fields that can be optionally added to a podcast RSS feed. If they’re not already there, FeedBlitz will create them automatically from the other tags in your feed. This creates a richer subscriber experience when browsing your podcast.
Highlighting podcast media for non-podcast subscribers in feeds and email
Any RSS feed can be followed via email or in an RSS aggregator / reader – and that’s true for podcast feeds too. FeedBlitz now adds a relevant audio, video or other icon to the post’s content in RSS and email to highlight podcast elements that might otherwise be missed by a non-podcast feed subscriber.
Automatic podcast detection in FeedBlitz’s FeedBurner migration service
And finally, for FeedBurner escapees, FeedBlitz’s FeedBurner import and migration tools will automatically detect the relevant FeedBurner SmartCast settings and map them to their FeedBlitz equivalents, so you don’t have to re-specify them in FeedBlitz.