DearREADERS,
What do ya do when a friend has a milestone moment? You shout it from the top of the hills, spreading the good news. Today is one of those days. Here's the latest from Lisa Louise Cooke who celebrates 1 million downloads of her Genealogy Gems Podcast. Yippie!
Genealogy Gems Podcast Reaches 1
Million Download Milestone
(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:
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)
HOW TO LISTEN
Visit
www.GenealogyGems.com and make your choice today! You've gotta bet Ol' Myrt just re-upped her annual subscription.
Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt :)
DearMYRTLE,
Your friend in genealogy.
Blog:
http://blog.DearMYRTLE.com
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Twitter: @DearMYRTLE
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