Since a podcast is really just a blog with an audio file attached, I use WordPress to do my podcast management. I got an email from a friend who’s starting a new podcast and thought I’d make a list of the plugins for WordPress I find useful on my blogs and podcasts.
PowerPress and BluBrry
PowerPress is a new one for me. In the past I tired another plugin, but it broke with an update to WordPress and no one updated it. Forever. So I got rid of the plugin and just let Feedburner do the massaging of the RSS feed to make it work for podcasts.
But recently the guys at the ProMed Network suggested I use RawVoice for stats and when I went to look into setting it up, I found they use a newly updated WP Plugin called PowerPress. It seems to do all kinds of things and do them right. So I updated first the EMS podcast and then, since it worked so well, and having real stats was so great, I switched my photographer podcast over as well.
Couple of quick things I like. I used to use Audio Player to put a player in the post. It worked great, but I had to put in a tag to get it to work the way I wanted. With PowerPress, I don’t have to do it that way. Another thing PowerPress does is provide a download link in the player. I used to have to remember to add HTML to the end of every post just to do that. It was prone to not getting updated and point to the wrong MP3. Now it is handled automatically.
Subscribe To Comments
Subscribe To Comments lets people get an email if someone comments on a comment they’ve commented on. This helps drive by commenting bring people back.
Example: A potential reader sees a post via a friend from Facebook to my blog. They go read the post and have an opinion. They post a comment, then leave for parts unknown on the internet. I see their comment and say something in reply, maybe referring them to another post on the site of relevance. And that is the end, because they never go to my blog again.
Now have subscribe to comments installed. They post a comment and click the subscribe check box. Now when I reply they come back. Maybe reply back. Maybe look at the other post. Another chance is made to get them to subscribe or continue a conversation.
Yet Another Related Posts Plugin
Yet Another Related Posts Plugin puts a list of other posts it thinks are relevant under each post and it is pretty good. This give people a reason to stay and check more stuff out.
SexyBookmarks
Every blog needs a plugin that gives people things to click on that help share the post. The most important right now is Facebook.
SexyBookmarks is the best one I’ve found. It looks cool. It’s simple, and it hides a ton of options, but makes them there if the user wants them.
Misc Other
CommentLuv – because I think it gives people incentive to comment.
Dofollow – because comment spam is handled by moderation and I’m fine with Google crawling to commenter’s sites.
WordPress Database Backup – because 1 is none and 2 is one.
This post is part of my Better Podcasting series.