Setting Up a Podcast As Quickly As Possible

With this one simple article I'm going to show you how to quickly put together your own podcast. I won't be able to go into detail on everything, but I'll definitely get you started on the right track. And just so we start off right, I want to give you my definition.

Why? Because I've seen a lot of people put an MP3 file on their web site and proudly proclaim, "I have a podcast!"

Um, no. An audio file people can download is not a podcast. Even several audio files people can download isn't necessarily a podcast.

Here's my definition: A series of audio or video files that can be subscribed to and automatically downloaded as new episodes are released.

Notice I didn't say anything about whether the files are spoken word or music, whether they're amateur-hour or professional sounding, or even whether they are free or for pay. To be called a podcast you just need a series of audio or video files (how long that series lasts is up to you) that can be subscribed to so programs like iTunes can automatically download them when new episodes are available.

An episode can be a minute in length, or it can be an hour or more in length. If you're just getting started, I suggest going with a shorter length because doing a podcast requires a commitment and while you're raring to go right now with a marathon session, what about next week or the week after? Especially when some unexpected "life situation" pops up?

You can always go from a long podcast to a short one, or vice versa, but in general, the more consistent you are, the more comfortable your audience will be. And that holds true for more than just the length of each episode. There are some "stream of consciousness" podcasts that are good, but in general, a show that gives the audience great content in a format they recognize will do better than one that's all over the road every time.

I've found one of the best ways to create a podcast is with the "chunk" method -- it is created using chunks of audio that can be swapped in and out as needed.

For example, you'd record your introduction as one audio file. Answering emails from readers would be a different audio file. The main content would be a separate audio file. You'll end up with multiple files that can then be put together to create an entire episode.

The big benefit of this is two-fold. First, if you have paid sponsors for your podcast you can sell the space twice -- first as the "live" podcast, and a second time as a part of the archive. And since your podcast is put together in chunks, replacing one ad with another is trivial.

The second big reason is even better, because it's useful even if you're not selling ad space. You can create multiple chunks all at once, and then mix and match them in the future. Maybe you solicit listener feedback -- you can set up your equipment and record a half dozen snippets asking for calls and emails. That may be all you ever need for your podcast, because you just rotate them in one after the other from one show to the next.

There are many places in a typical podcast where pre-recorded snippets can be used. By setting up yours in such a fashion, each episode might only need the main content and a "personalized" opening or closing.

Which makes putting together a podcast quick and easy. Record the new chunks, grab some pre-recorded chunks, and "paste" them altogether. Voila, a new episode is done and ready to go!

Podcasts As Internet Marketing Tools - Is Audio Or Video Better?   6 Tips to Eliminate Background Noise in Your Podcast   Is Your Church Social? Part 17 - Podcasts - What is a Podcast?   10 Ways a Podcast Can Build Your Business   How Simple Podcasts Add Value to Your Small Business Website   

Why Podcasting Is Essential to Marketing

If you are looking to help your business by using a podcast then you are doing one of the best marketing things you can for your business. First you should know a bit about what podcast marketing is and how it works before you've made your full decision to try this marketing plan. Podcast marketing is defines as an audio file that can be shared from your website or social network. The podcast can be a recording of you talking about your business, building your bramd name or simply info type commercials.

Podcasts are meant to be give out information to your consumers and give a more personal aspect using your business to customer relationship. By giving them a personal voice to listen to, you are giving them someone to associate with.

A very important thing to remember about podcasting when it comes to marketing is that it's a very cheap way to get your message across the world. All that you will need in order to begin your podcast is a microphone, editing software, and a computer of some sort. Currently most computers already have an audio recording device built in to them. If the computer you have does not then you can purchase a headset for a rather cheap price.

Before creating your podcast you should be sure that you are going to focus on one single subject and you are speaking clear and well enough for your listeners to understand. The best way to gain any market from your podcasts is by keeping them pertaining towards your company.

Depending on where you host your podcast can also depend on how well it does with the market. Often iTunes is used for hosting podcasts. Thought iTunes is the one that is most often used there are other sites that can host your podcast such as Podcast.com and PodcastDirectory.com.

After the podcast has been created and uploaded it is best to put the podcast also on your company's website or blog that way your customers can also listen to them from the home page. Another great idea for getting your podcasts out there is by putting them on your company's social network site.

By creating a following you can be sure that your company is almost always being listened to and though of by your consumers. The more often you upload a new podcast the more visitors you may get.

As you can tell from this article, podcasting is a great way to get your company out on the market. Getting your company's name on people's lips and getting yourself out there by word of mouth, you are helping your company. The key strategy of this market plan is to make sure that you are completely prepared to publish any podcast and that you want them to hear.

Before you have fully decided to use a podcast as marketing for your company, be sure that you have some ideas planned out for a few of the different podcasts you are going to create. The goal is to be prepared and have your information out there for all of your current customers and future customers to have.

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Podcasting Tips

Podcasting is a little known, but extremely effective way to advertise and to create a huge following. Very few people are actually utilizing this form of advertising. It can really help with building your list as well because people are able to subscribe to your podcast from many different resources such as iTunes. They can take their iPod with them anywhere they go such as on a walk, driving, shopping and so on. Anywhere they go, you can go with them! It's also cost effective.

Many people are intimidated by the prospect of doing this form of advertising mainly because of the technical aspects of setting up a podcast and what to talk about. Actually it is a lot easier and more affordable than one might think. When I first learned about this form of advertising, I was actually surprised at how simple it really can be. If we can get past the initial intimidation factor and get started, it actually only takes about about 20 or so minutes per week, so it's also time effective. Here are some tips on how to get started...

Follow These Steps

1. You need a microphone. 2. You need an audio recording program. Audacity is an excellent free program that you can use. You can look it up on Google and download it for free. 3. You need a hosting account for your podcast. Just go to podomatic and they will host your podcasting account and actually give you a blog for your podcasting.

Happy podcasting!

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Make Money Online Podcasting

Do you listen to the radio? No? Do you know that there are people who actually like to listen to someone talk over the Internet? There are people who like to record and post audio clips of themselves talking about a huge range of topics over the Internet. These topics range from lifestyle, technology to even religious topics. These audio files can either be pre-recorded clips, or streamed live just like a radio broadcast.

This phenomenon is know as podcasting. It is somewhat similar to blogging, except that instead of typing out the content, it is done through your voice. You can reap the same benefits of having a regular typed blog. It is just another approach of reaching visitors who prefer to hear a voice rather than read something.

To start podcasting, you would need some basic podcasting equipment like a headset, microphone and software that allows you to record audio. You can earn money via podcasting pretty much the same way you would with blogging. The revenue can be in the form of advertisements like Google AdSense, or may supplementing your income with other sourses of online revenue like affiliate marketing.

The shortest way to get started posting your first podcast is to create a website with which to post your podcasts on. The website will be something like a blog for posting podcast recordings. Next, record your content using audio recording software like Audacity if you don't already have one. Convert your recordings to small MP3 files. Next, upload your audio files along with descriptions about the podcasts to your website.

Add content as frequently to your website as possible so you build up a regular listener base who will keep coming back for more. The more visitors you have, the more revenue you can generate from your advertisements displayed via AdSense or whichever monetising effort you use. Pimp your site on social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and forums.

Podcasts As Internet Marketing Tools - Is Audio Or Video Better?   Adding Great Audio to Your Website   Is Your Church Social? Part 17 - Podcasts - What is a Podcast?   How Simple Podcasts Add Value to Your Small Business Website   Marketing With Podcasting   How to Use Podcasting to Gain Authority For Your Business - Part Two   

Internet Marketing Tools - Are Podcasts Worth All the Effort?

The peeling of Apple's iPod broke all the records of the digital world. Use of Internet had become THE necessity for youth. Therefore, in 2004, the big dogs of internet fashioned an amalgam of portable playlists and internet (known as podcasting) which was another terrific addition to the toolkit of Internet Marketing.

A podcast is your talking blog and users can subscribe to it through RSS feeds where they receive the podcasts automatically. You don't have to own an IPod to create your podcast. In fact, it's just an audio file that you record on your computer. However, it's not as simple as it sounds. Creating a podcast is a tiring process. At first, you have to identify your niche and narrow it down. Then, you need to plan out your speech i.e. what all you're going to talk about. Finally, you record your speech, maybe, a hundred times before you get an appealing podcast. After you have recorded the podcast, you have to host it just like you host your websites. The host looks for RSS feeds and get audience to listen to your recordings.

Though, the real question is: Are podcasts worth all this effort? I believe that they are the most effective marketing tools there have ever been. In an era of change within change, the voice has and will always have the deepest impact on people. By creating your podcasts, you have your very own online radio show where you can talk to people about anything relating you, your business or your corporation.

The use of internet is limited but when we talk about iPods, they can be used anytime, anywhere. Whether you're working in your cubical or jogging in the park; you can listen to your IPod everywhere. Now, you can do the math and get an idea about how many people may "listen" to your talking blog. If you sound lively and energetic, you can easily gain your listener's attention and they are more likely to make a purchase at your store or whatever action you are asking them for because they will eventually start falling for your product/service.

iTunes, the leading resource of podcasts, is becoming more popular each day. Millions of people search iTunes everyday looking for exactly what you offer. Moreover, there's not much competition for your business on iTunes as it is on search engines because not many people are even acquainted with the term podcasting.

Above all, it's the best way to build relationships. Your convincing tone represents the strength and capabilities of your products/services. At times, people would even rate your product/service by judging your podcast's eminence. The reason is that if you sound confident and professional, you are perceived as an expert in your field.

So, what are you waiting for? Grab this startling opportunity right away and make your very own podcast. Who knows? Your podcast may take your business to the boulevard of success.

Adding Great Audio to Your Website   Is Your Church Social? Part 17 - Podcasts - What is a Podcast?   10 Ways a Podcast Can Build Your Business   How Simple Podcasts Add Value to Your Small Business Website   Marketing With Podcasting   How to Use Podcasting to Gain Authority For Your Business - Part Two   

I Love Podcasts

I love podcasts! If you haven't tried them yet, you might find they are a wonderful way to expand you knowledge while exercising or driving. Despite the name, which implies they are for an Apple iPod, podcasts are actually mp3 recordings that will run on any mp3 player or even on your computer if you have an mp3 player. Most sites with mp3 downloadable files also have a flash mp3 file you can use to listen to the recording right there. You can also Google - or use your favorite search engine, like Yahoo! to find "flash mp3 player" if you want to install one on your site.

In 2007, when I first started studying Internet marketing and social networking, I found numerous people providing free downloads of their teleseminars as samples of the types of training available with them. And I found a few courses I wanted enough to invest in. Because my curiosity and thirst for information greatly exceeds the amount of time I'm able or willing to invest in attending live teleseminars, the option to download to my computer so I can upload it onto my iPod has been great. I have a mobile classroom.

Because I find podcasts so helpful, it came as a shock when I read something on Paul Colligan's Business of Podcasting and New Media blog post, 1/28/09, "Podcasting Is Dead?"  Apparently some authorities claim podcasting is dead. Yet Paul showed a Google Trends graph that clearly indicates an incredible interest level in podcasts compared to social media, new media, and online media. Obviously the public still thinks podcasts are vital and important. You can find my comment; it's the fourth one down following "Podcastng Is Dead?"

What do you think about podcasts? What do you like or not like about them?

Adding Great Audio to Your Website   Is Your Church Social? Part 17 - Podcasts - What is a Podcast?   Marketing With Podcasting   10 Ways a Podcast Can Build Your Business   How Simple Podcasts Add Value to Your Small Business Website   How to Use Podcasting to Gain Authority For Your Business - Part Two   

How to Podcast Economically

A video or audio presence is becoming essential in order for businesses to stay in front of competitors. Investing in a good quality video content can be expensive but audio could be a good alternative for staying noticed and at the fraction of the price. It's easier than you in think to know how to podcast economically.

Search engines love content - fact. Have you thought about recording your presentations in audio and putting them as MP3 on your website? Thanks to modern technology it's relatively easy to do and you don't necessarily need to be an audio producer in order to know how to podcast. You could also link to them through your auto responder emails or as an RSS feed to customers.

Firstly, invest in the following - a tie microphone and receiver. You will also want a mixer which will convert the sound into your laptop through a USB cable. You need a laptop and some audio software, many programs audio come with your computer or can be downloaded free of charge.

Before you can begin recording your presentation, make sure you test out the equipment beforehand. You shouldn't need to alter the volume control of the tie microphone as this will probably be controlled automatically but it's always best to check.

You may also find that the audio does not reach your laptop. Have a methodical approach for making sure everything works. So check that you all the leads connect properly. What about batteries, are they charged?

You can now check your mixer. If you can hear the sound going through the mixer by listening on your headphone, then you are halfway there. You will then need to check your settings on the audio control panel, make sure they are set to accept the mixer.

It really is worth adding audio or video content to your website. It doesn't have to be that difficult in order to understand how to podcast economically. The key is to think quality at all times.

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Unleash Your Business Potential With the Power of Podcasting

If you have been on the internet for a while, you should aware that podcasting is not something new but yet it gives a huge impact to the Internet Marketing world. With podcasting, information can be shared easily and reach more people in a short period of time.

Generally, podcasting refers to the automatic downloading of MP3 audio files to a computer and, in most cases, subsequently to a mobile MP3 player. It has experienced phenomenal growth in the past year, although the basic enabling technologies have been in place for some time. It is poised to take a significant chunk of that advertising away and having said that, it won't be easy growth for podcasting.

Podcasting differs from autocasting in terms of content; podcasts are generally voice broadcasts while autocasting is a speech-synthesized version of regular text blogs. It combines the freedom of blogging with digital audio technology to create an almost endless supply of content. Some say this new technology is democratizing the once corporate-run world of radio.

No doubt it is a powerful tool for teaching 21st-century literacy-the literacy of social processes. Not only will students learn technology skills that they can use throughout their lives, but it will also connects and applies students' learning to the world around them.

Put simply, this is a disruptive technology that is revolutionizing business communication. As such, it is a proven innovation that create customers and help many business improve their sales.

Podcasting has helped tons of individual and businesses to realize the beauty of technology. The technology that make people learn and have fun at the same time. Sharing info has never been so easy until podcasting was borned.

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Increase Your Organic Traffic by Transcribing Podcasts

Organic traffic is the web based traffic which you are naturally able to attract to your site without using any short cuts or paid submissions for the promotion of a website. This traffic is unpaid listing at search engine or directories.

One method to increase the organic traffic is having as much unique content on your site as possible. Using keywords to write a powerful content gives an edge to your site. These keywords attract search engines to your site just as the bees are attracted to nectar.

Another unique method may be transcription of Podcasts as most of the search engines do not index your audio file but they do index quality rich text. A pod cast is an audio or video made available via web syndication. It can be a radio record or video for mobile downloading. Pod casting takes name from iPod, which is an immensely popular audio player by Apple computer, and broadcasting. Without the transcribed version, your pod casts may remain invisible to all except to those dedicated Internet users or to those who have already heard about it.

One may argue about the usability of the transcription when the audio or video is already available. But that is the whole point. In the video or audio if you have any unique content that will increase SEO. Some of the visitors do not bother to open the video, they rather read the content. Having a transcription of the video will serve two purposes. First it will convey what the same thing what the video wanted to convey and thus fulfill the purpose of the visitor. Secondly, if you have a transcribed version of the video or audio on a similar subject posted on another website the visitor will prefer your site!

Some people have difficulty in understanding the accent or pronunciation while others do not want to put in so much effort to listen as listening requires more concentration. And for the vision or hearing impaired people transcribed form of video/audio is no less than a boon.

There are some people who want to use the content of the video for further research or reference and they will automatically avoid your listing if you do not have the transcribed version. Some like to screen the text before downloading the pod cast. Lastly, for that category of people who like to listen and read simultaneously, the transcribed version along with the audio is found useful.

Then there is the question of cost-effectiveness. The transcription cost of pod casts can be reduced drastically by appropriate hiring and outsourcing. It should also be remembered that the organic traffic is natural one, so the amount spend on listing can be diverted to Transcription. In order to make your pod casts visible, for fun, profit and SEO, you must get your pod casts transcribed.

However, transcription of pod casts especially the audios is a difficult task and generally remains inaccurate. It is expensive and time consuming. With the help of correct transcribing partners, these problems can be reduced drastically who give the transcribed version in only three working days.

Copyright (c) 2009 Ajay Prasad

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What If Only Part of My Podcast Interview is Worth Using?

A learning manager from Texas declared he faced an ethical dilemma with an interview for his learning podcast.

"Tell me more," I said. It turned out that he had interviewed a subject matter expert for a learning podcast he was producing.

The subject matter expert was a nice guy and made a few very interesting comments. But for most of the interview, he waffled on and on, constantly off topic.

"I don't want to offend him by not using the interview or cutting it down too much, " he told me.

"But I'm worried his comments are too long and too vague. They may turn the listener off."

Can I Chop the Interview?

My colleague had raised this as a matter of ethics. But I don't believe it is about ethics at all. It's about accountability to your topic and to your listener.

It's actually an issue that worries a lot of media novices. How much of the interview should they use? And will they offend their guest if they either don't use it at all or only use a tiny part?

If you're facing the same question, or think you might in the future of your podcasting experience, here are two questions that will guide you to an answer.

What's your topic?

First, what is your podcast about? Second, who is your podcast for? The first is the easiest question to deal with so let's touch on that first.

What is the topic of your learning podcast? If you've been careful and written down a learning objective, you should be really clear about this.

If any part of the interview does not relate to your learning objective, or doesn't fully support it, you should consider cutting it out. This is what media pros do - they are very focused and disciplined when it comes to including content in media programs.

My suggestion is to be ruthless about reviewing your podcast and make sure you cut out anything that is not relevant. The more ruthless you are in cutting out irrelevancies, the less ruthless your listener will be about turning you off or allowing their mind to wander onto other topics.

Who is your podcast for?

The second question is more complex. Who are you producing your podcast for? Generally, it will be one of three people. Is it for yourself, your guest or your listener? Often we kid ourselves into thinking it's for one person when we're really motivated to produce our podcasts for someone else.

For example, we may say we're producing the podcast for our listener when really we're just propping up our ego or having fun playing with technology. Or we may be trying to impress the person we interviewed. Be honest because it's not always easy to see past what are our own deeper motivations.

If you are producing the podcast for yourself, well who cares whether you include all the irrelevancies or not. If you're happy, well there's a pat on the back. If you're doing this for the guest, well by all means play every single part of the interview regardless of how relevant or interesting it is. (People being interviewed are rarely bored by themselves and can often listen to themselves for hours.)

But if you're doing it for your listener, because you promised your podcast was about a specific topic, you really have no choice but to cut out any part of the interview that was irrelevant.

Don't be self-indulgent

I can't be more honest with you when I say how annoyed I get hearing self-indulgent interviews. While people like me get annoyed, others simply tune out because they're boring.

So, what does my friend in Texas do? He told me the podcast was for sales people in his company. So it wasn't for him or the guest, but his listeners. He had no choice other than to cut out the parts of the interview that were irrelevant to the sales people and the topic.

Which leads us to another issue that media novices need to learn to deal with. What do we do with interviews that don't make the cut? And how do we manage our relationships with people who were interviewed?

If it's not relevant, chop it

The first thing is to toughen yourself up and get used to throwing irrelevancies on the cutting room floor.

Producers who make serious content for mainstream TV and radio programs routinely use only 5 to 10% of their interview. For major current affairs programs on television, they will use less than a minute for every 20 minutes of video they shoot.

That's because they don't just cut the irrelevancies, they hunt for the very best part of the interview to ensure it has impact.

Chopping interviews down, by the way, is actually very good for your guest. If you chop out their irrelevancies and ramblings, you'll make them sound more concise and polished. It will improve their image. You see, it's a win-win.

Manage your guest's expectations

Second, don't make promises you may not be able to keep. One of the first things I learned about interviewing people, when I started out in radio, was to never promise a guest that I would use their interview. Or even just a part of it. I was always told to tell them it may be used. And that we were talking to a number of experts. Never guarantee anything.

Manage your guests' expectations and it will be easier to leave parts of their interviews on the cutting room floor.

Remember, you're interviewing your guest because they bring something to the topic of your podcast. If he or she goes off topic, your listener will be distracted and bored. So don't be afraid to chop your interview right down and use only the parts that are really relevant.

Good luck.

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Podcasting For Fun and Profit

What's A Podcast? Are you looking for a low-cost way to increase your sales over the long run? Consider podcasting. A podcast is, in essence, a radio show done on the web and recorded as an MP3 file which can then be downloaded to the listener's computer or MP3 player (like an iPod) and listened to at their leisure. Podcasts range from informative and serious, to fun and zany. Some of the most successful podcasters have thousands of people listening to their feeds every day.

Why Podcast? Think about who inhabits a podcast listening audience. These people are intelligent, they are computer-savvy, they probably own an iPod, so they had at least $200 of expendable income to buy it. If they are searching for a podcast about real estate, they are probably interested in buying or selling. There are very few competing podcasts out on the market right now (do a search for real estate on iTunes in the podcast section to see the competition for yourself). In short, it's a low-competition market with motivated prospects who seek you out to listen to your message. What could be better?

Time Efficient Selling The great thing about a podcast is that you can talk to your potential client before they ever meet you. They can get a feel for your personality and your approach to the business without you having to sit down with them. Effectively, you are getting to walk into the homes of many people at once without taking any extra time out of your day.

It's Gotta Be Relevant! Because your listeners subscribe to your podcast, you have to make sure you are giving them content that matters to them. If you are doing nothing but selling, they won't stay subscribed for long. Rather than going for the direct sell, tell them about how you've helped other clients, or give them tips about potential problems that might come up along the way. This shows that you have experience and expertise.

Double and Triple Duty In addition to the wonderful exposure you get on your podcast itself, you can also post the MP3 files on your web pages as a way for visitors to your website to connect with you personally. It will help them make the decision to call you (especially if you put a little verbal reminder on the end of the file that says to give you a call today for a free, no-obligation consultation.) And, once you've gotten a bunch of these podcasts done, you can put them together on a CD to put in with your pre-listing packages and to give to open house buyers as an additional selling tool.

The Cost To Run a Podcast What's it cost? Other than your time to record, edit, and post it, a podcast costs almost nothing after the initial set-up. All you need is some good recording equipment (that's the initial cost), some editing software, a host for your feed, and a concept you can live with long-term.

Recording Equipment There are a variety of ways to record your podcast.

Microphone to USB Port: You can record from a microphone directly into your computer's USB port by using a microphone like this one from Sweetwater. The limitation to this sort of setup is that you have to be next to your computer to record. Digital recorder: A digital recorder is a more portable option (although usually lower sound quality). Most have inputs directly on the recorder plus access ports to use microphones with them. If you're going to use a microphone, make sure it's a good-quality one, otherwise the background noise will drive you mad during the editing process. I use an iRiver (a small version of an iPod with a recording function) to record many of my sessions on the road. It is compact and holds up to 18 hours of recording, but it does not do well with an external microphone. Use the one built into it for best quality. Phone Recording: There are many services out there that allow you to record your voice and then will email you the audio as an MP3 file. K7 is the one I like the best at the moment, both because it is free and because it will record up to 10 minutes of message - which is more than you can get with many other services. The sound quality will sound like you recorded it on a phone, but it's an inexpensive start-up option. Editing Software You can spend a lot of money or nothing at all on your audio editing software. If you want basic editing capabilities without a lot of fuss, then try the freeware Audacity. This is what I use to edit my podcast and I have found it to be fully sufficient for my needs.

Hosting Your Feed A feed is the place where your podcast is located on the web. A beginner podcaster can start out on a service like Liberated Syndication for only $5.00/mo. which includes a basic blog page as well.

Registering Your Feed You'll want to let the major podcasting directories know that you exist. Register with iTunes, Podcast.net, Podcast Pickle, Odeo.com, and PodcastAlley.com. This way, those who search for you will find you.

Sponsors Once you get a regular batch of listeners (about 2000 or more), you can then seek out a sponsor for your podcast. If you have your podcast on Liberated Syndication, they can help you find a sponsor. Or, you can seek out a mortgage officer, home inspector, title company, or attorney locally who might want to sponsor your podcast. With a sponsorship, they get to put a message at the beginning or the end of your podcast. With the right sponsorship and a good audience count, you can actually make money on your podcast!

On-Going Support For more information about how to podcast, you can check out Podcast411, it's like Inside the Actor's Studio for podcasters. It gives you tips and hints on how to improve your podcast.

Whew! That was a lot of information, I know. But it's really not that hard. I knew nothing about podcasting when I started and it took me almost no time to pick it up. Now The Real Estate Story of the Week runs like clockwork - and I'm having great fun with it. My biggest challenge? Putting it down. I keep wanting to do more, add more, say more with it - it's addictive - especially as I watch my audience expand. And you'll have fun with it too. Try it - you like it!

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Kinds of Podcasting Content

Podcasting content comes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Businesses are finding many different and creative ways of incorporating podcasts into their business strategies and marketing plans.

Here are just some of the various types of content that businesses are turning into podcasts...

1. Audio Books

Books that are "read" aloud are no longer embraced only by the visually impaired. For example, commuters who want to make the most of their travel time have long embraced books-on-tape. The podcast medium is far more compact and portable, so audio books and similar content are now being made available as podcasts.

2. Audio Tours

Interested in a guided tour of a historic site, or a detailed explanation of a museum display? Audio tour podcasts with detailed explanations are becoming quite common.

3. Sermons

The word of God, Allah, or a bible study discussion are now all popular content for podcast material. It does not really matter the what the religious material might be -- what is important is that by turning those conversations and dialogs into podcasts, their reach is being extended and new audiences are being touched .

4. Indie Artists Demos

Independent musical artists, looking to build a community and develop a fan base, are no longer restricted by their geographical region. With podcasts, Indie artists can expand their audience and increase their reach. Indie's can use iTunes to get reactions to new material or songs.

5. Foreign Language Lessons

What better way to learn a language than to hear it? Podcasts are a perfect medium for foreign language instruction. Listeners can hear accents and phrasing, and listen to a specific lecture until they have fully mastered the content.

6. Recipes

Interested in gourmet cooking, but do not have the time to watch cooking show hosts such as Rachel Ray or Martha Stewart? Download the podcasts to learn new recipes, at a time and place of your choosing and convenience.

7. Showing Homes For Realtors

What better way to market property or homes for sale than with a video podcast? Home tours help sell available listings, and with economic conditions currently unfavorable to sellers, they need all the help they can get. Video podcasts or slideshows of the homes help entice interested buyers to learn more about properties. Using podcasting as a communication medium will help expand the homes appeal.

8. Sporting Event Commentaries

Sportscasters are always ready and willing to offer opinions and commentary on sporting events. Pre-event festivities and post-event analysis are often enjoyed by fans, and if the commentaries are made available at any time as podcasts, the listeners have much more flexibility.

9. Medical Instruction

As just one example, medical schools have recorded a variety of heart murmurs as podcasts. Medical students studying cardiology can listen to the various heart defects until they understand the different sounds and the impact those anomalies have on the circulatory system. Recognizing the sound patterns of a heart murmur can greatly aid medical students when they run across similar anomalies in a real patient.

10. Class Lectures

Universities have embraced podcasting, providing supplemental class material as podcasts. Students often listen to the material while commuting from one class to another, exercising, or relaxing between classes.

11. Corporate - Internal Sales Force Updates

Podcasting is a perfect way for a business to communicate with remote sales staff, regarding things such as addressing corporate policy changes, new product descriptions, and marketing points. Educating a wide-spread sales force about a new product or service has always been a challenge. Corporations have tackled this problem by providing audio and video podcasts that detail a product's use. Sales team members are often able to learn about new products without needing to travel to the corporate headquarters for formal instruction or sales seminars.

12. Political Debates

Are political debates a hobby, or do you just like to stay informed on the issues and candidates? Many political debates are now available via podcasts.

Potential podcasting content covers the gamut. With more than millions of podcasts now available, there are few topics that are not covered by this popular communication channel.

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Podcast Creation Step One to Five

These days, you do not have to go travel around the world to provide other people with tutorials, training and other helpful advice. All you need is a podcast. Not only are podcasts easy to do, it also has wider reach in terms of audiences. It is not surprising that these are used as a form of online marketing already. They save you the time, the plane ticket and the customer search.

How you do get started on podcasts?

First Step: Reason, Topic and Consistency.

What is your reason for creating a podcast? And what would you want your podcast to be about? Is this going to be a regular thing? These are important questions to ask yourself before starting. If podcasting will be used to promote your business, then you have to know exactly what it is you will be broadcasting about. It should be targeted enough to reach out to your market.

Plus, regular podcasting will get you those loyal clients you sought for. Your listeners will want to hear more from you. It should not end right after it started.

Second Step: Podcast Equipments.

Do you have your audio or recording tools set up already? Podcasts is all about recording. And you cannot do this if you do not have the proper tools. You have choices with regards to getting the equipments for your podcasts. You can either take advantage of audio software available online for free. Or pay for them. Overall, this is one investment you will not be sorry you made.

Since there are lots of options out there, you may want to check them out first before choosing the right one for you. You can also ask around especially those who are podcast old-timers. They already know about tools and software to use. Check out reviews or recommendations too. All these will be for your own good.

Third Step: The Internet Language.

HTML? XML? RSS? Huh? The language that websites use. Your podcasts will be uploaded, downloaded or posted on websites. These are the language to be used if you want your podcast to work perfectly. You do not have to get a college degree for these. There are tutorials online that can teach you the basic. Read some and you will be sure to get some understanding about these works. Or you can just enlist the help of someone to do this for you. Investment, remember?

Fourth Step: Podcast Upload.

Podcast ready? Upload! Majority of websites already have embedded FTP programs. These are programs that make uploading a piece of cake for you. But you need your own FTP program if the website does not provide them. Learn about FTP as you have with the other website languages. A few basic know-how will help you more than you think it will.

Fifth Step: Subscribers.

A.k.a. listeners a.k.a. customers. What is a podcast without them? When you already have your podcast up and running, it will be time to get people to listen to it. Get it or buy it. That is, after all, why your podcast was created. Word of mouth still works. Distributing your podcast all over is another strategy. When you know you have something valuable, then you should not worry about getting listeners and more followers.

Sixth Step: Do all of the above! Now!

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What Can I Talk About On My Next Podcast?

If you have a podcast, you know that you need to come up with content each time you make a show. Many times at first this is easy since you are new to the podcast and very interested in the topic. At some point in time, you might be a bit stumped as to what to talk about on your next show. Find out some tips that will help you figure out what you can talk about on your next podcast.

You need to stay in touch with the recent news for the subject of your podcast. This is most easily done with feeds. Subscribe to blogs and news feeds on your subject so that you can make notes on what is going on. When you see something interesting, talk about it in your next show. This alone will give you quite a bit of content.

Use Google alerts. This is a free service that you can use as long as you have a Google account. What happens is that whenever anything is mentioned about your subject, you will get an email. This will help you stay up on the latest trends and news items. You can talk about these on your next show.

One of the best ways of knowing what to talk about is to ask your listeners to give you feedback and questions. They are the ones listening and have more of an idea about what they want to hear than you do. Provide easy ways for people to leave feedback. Have an email they can contact, a comment form on a blog, a forum, social networking platforms, or even a telephone number to call. Full shows can be made just from questions from your listeners.

Find forums about the subject of your show. Each week active forums will have topics that become a huge source of conversation. Include this on your next show when you are making your show notes to have some extra content.

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Podcasting - A Look at What it is and How it Started

Podcasting can be defined in simple terms as a series of audio and video broadcasts that are available only on the internet. With the use of software called a podcatcher, such as an RSS feed, you are able to subscribe to podcasts. Your podcatcher then will check every so often to see if any updates are available for the podcasts you subscribed to, and then will proceed to download them onto your computer or portable music player to either watch or listen.

Who Started it All?

Adam Curry, who at one time was a VJ with MTV, is the one who is considered responsible for coming up with the idea of podcasting. The popularity of podcasting, since its incarnation in 2004 to the present, has increased significantly. The majority of the major TV networks and radio stations are utilizing podcasting to allow anyone to access their content at anytime. According to USA Today in February of 2005, over 3,000 programs were available through podcasting.

Podcasting also allows anyone who desires the chance to create their own shows from the confines of their own home. All that is needed is some podcast software and equipment, and then you can begin podcasting without much trouble. You will then have the ability to reach listeners or viewers from all over the planet within a small period of time.

Some of the most popular programs that are available through podcasting include The Dawn and Drew Show, Family Guy, and George Burns and Gracie Allen. As far as radio stations are concerned, Seattle's KOMO station, KFI in Los Angeles and Boston's WBGH are thought of as the leaders in podcasting. CBS has also been out on the forefront of podcasting in addition to countries such as the UK, Australia, and Canada.

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