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Podcasting - a term that seems to have everyone buzzing. What is podcasting and why should you care?

What is Podcasting? A podcast is simply an audio recording that can be listened to online, on your computer or on a player. Many times this service is used for Internet Radio. The term podcast has no relation to iPod. A podcast is an audio file in digital format known as MP3. You can listen to a podcast on your iPod, iRiver or any other MP3 player.

Why should you care about podcasting? A relevant and important question. This question should be approached by looking at your company’s marketing objectives. Who is the audience you are trying to reach? Is your audience other businesses or consumers? What demographics do they fall in? Before you make the decision to start a podcast think about how it fits into your message and your marketing mix. Podcasting like any other marketing you do needs to be done based on your goals.

Podcasting is still a relatively new technology and many people wonder who is really listening. The answer is everyone! More and more people find themselves using the Internet as a resource for information. Traditional media is not the only way to reach your audience. According to recent PEW Internet Study that was done in April of 2005 the podcasting market was estimated to be about 6 million with listenership doubling every three-four months. And trying to reach a market like this through traditional mediums like newspapers, magazines and radio is an expensive undertaking.

Branding, customer loyalty or public relations these are just a few reasons why companies large and small have begun podcasting. The Web is open to billions of people but when an individual is listening to your podcast they feel like you are talking to them. This begins to create a bond between your listener and your business. Not an easy thing to do in today’s fast paced world.

What does it cost to start a Podcast? That will depend on who you ask. There is the cost of a microphone for you to plug into your computer, possibly a cost for software (but some are free) and lastly the cost of your time. Time to plan and execute your podcast. Time to promote it! Follow the other rules of marketing and be consistent - if you are going to podcast, be sure to commit to a schedule.

1. Start by listening to other podcasts you can find them on iTunes, iPodder.org or podcastalley.com and search for topics you want to listen to. Subscribe to the Podcasting feeds and listen to how other people are getting their message out there.
2. Plan out your message and create a plan for reaching your goals.
3. Set aside time to learn how the software works and practice recording.
4. Begin publicizing your podcast to your list of contacts
5. Start submitting your podcast to directories like ipodder.com, digitalpodcast.com or podcastalley.com.

What are your marketing goals? Maybe podcasting is right for your business.

©The Technology Therapy Group, LLC
Jennifer Shaheen - The eMarketing and Technology Therapist®

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