Congratulations to my freind, Lisa Louise Cooke, for attaining 1 Million Episode Downloads of her Genealogy Gems Podcast. Following is a news release and infographic:
SAN FRANCISCO, California – December 11, 2012 – Sometime over the first busy holiday weekend in December 2012, The Genealogy Gems Podcast reached an incredible milestone: 1 Million Episode Downloads!
In early 2007 when the first episode was published by Lisa Louise Cooke, podcasting was in its infancy, having just come into being in mid-2005. “It was like being part of a new Wild West of technology,” says Cooke, a genealogist since the age of about 10. “For the first time anyone with an interesting idea, a computer, and a willingness to work long hours could produce a worldwide ‘radio’ show. The day I listened to a podcast for the first time, I knew this medium was what I had been waiting for to reach genealogists.”
Apparently a lot of other folks were also anxiously waiting for Cooke’s discovery. From long time genealogists to dabbling family history newbies, they flocked to the free podcast available through Apple’s iTunes Store and the Genealogy Gems website (www.genealogygems.com). Over the next five years they listened in to soak up genealogy research strategies, expert interviews, tips on harnessing the power of technology in their research, and creative ideas for sharing their findings.
“There’s a lot of noise out there online that can be overwhelming,” says Cooke. “My goal has always been to spend my time sifting through all of that information, and chiseling out the gems – the items that are really worthwhile – so that my listeners can have faster and greater success . Ultimately the genealogy gems I provide on the show lead to my listener’s genealogy gems: their precious ancestors!”
What started as a single podcast episode has turned in to a multi-media genealogy publishing company. Genealogy Gems now encompasses offerings, many that are free, that accommodate every learning style: audio, video, articles, books, dvds, toolbar, live classes, and online webinars. The Genealogy Gems mobile app (available in the iTunes App Store, and an Android version through Amazon) gives genealogists the flexibility to hit the road and take it all with them.
“I speak at events across the U.S. and internationally,” says Cooke, who will be a featured speaker at Who Do You Think You Are? Live in London for the third consecutive year in February 2013, “but not everyone can get out to a genealogy conference. It’s critical to me that we meet people where they are, and that’s what the Genealogy Gems website, YouTube channel, app, and toolbar are all about. The fact that the podcast has now been downloaded 1 million times confirms that that we are accomplishing that goal.”
Fun Facts about Genealogy Gems:
- The Genealogy Gems Podcast launch date: March 1, 2007
- Number of free episodes published: 146
- Number of countries downloading: 126
- Top 10 Listening cities in the U.S.:
Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Salt Lake City, Washington DC, Dallas , Chicago, Seattle, Boston, Phoenix.- Genealogy Gems App publish date: 2009
- Podcast rating in iTunes: 5 Stars (including 53 written reviews)
Recognition:
- 101 Best Websites List by Family Tree Magazine
- Named one of the top 10 apps by App Advice’s “iPad Apps for Hobbyists” (http://appadvice.com/applists/show/ipad-apps-for-hobbyists)
Other podcasts produced by Lisa Louise Cooke:
Family History – Genealogy Made Easy, The Family Tree Magazine Podcast
- Number of views of the Genealogy Gems YouTube Channel: 191,000 and counting (www.youtube.com/genealogygems)
Celebrities featured on the podcast include:
- Lisa Kudrow (Friends, Who Do You Think You Are?),
- Henry Louis Gates (Oprah’s Roots)
- Tim Russell (Prairie Home Companion)
- Darby Hinton (Daniel Boone)
- Kathy Lennon (The Lennon Sisters)
- Ali Selim (Sweet Land)
- Tukufu Zuberi (History Detectives)
- Linda Chavez (Fox News, Finding Your Roots)
