Practical Podcasting

For many years, I've been making the point that if you're an information expert - a speaker, trainer, coach, consultant, author or the like - your message matters as much as your method of presenting it. Your competitors aren't the other people doing it the same way as you; they are the millions of others delivering the same message in different ways.

One of the newest ways of delivering a message is with podcasting. Podcasting has been around for a couple of years, but has recently come of age - and is now a viable mainstream business tool.

What is a podcast?

In 2005, the New Oxford American English Dictionary declared “podcast” its Word of the Year. So what is podcasting, and why is it an essential business communication tool now?

In brief, it's an audio program. It's a bit like a radio program, except you don't have to tune in at a certain time to listen to it. Instead, whenever you're ready, you connect to the Internet and download whatever "shows" you've missed since the last time you connected.

For you, it's like having your own radio show - except that it doesn't have to be "live". You record a "program" (an audio clip), publish it on the Internet, and anybody can freely download it to their computer, MP3 player, iPod or CD.

What will you publish?

Once you get started, you'll have no shortage of ideas. Here are a few:

Publish extracts from your existing audio products.
Interview clients and publish their case studies.
Interview colleagues and other experts about their area of expertise.
Read out articles from past newsletters.
Record a presentation and publish an extract from it.
Just record new material!

What's the big deal?

But isn't this the same as just putting audio clips on your Web site (I hear you cry)?

Yes and no.

Technically, yes, the audio clips in your podcast are just MP3 files. And yes, you can get the same effect by just putting them on your Web site for people to download.

But a podcast "wraps itself" around those files, which means:

Your listeners automatically get the latest programs, without having to spend time looking around for what's new.
The programs can be automatically transferred to iPods or similar devices. The user just connects their iPod to their computer, and it all happens by itself.
You can promote your podcast in various places dedicated to podcasts (think of them as "podcast search engines").

Here's an example ...

My friend Chris Pudney and I publish the Focal Point podcast, a regular 20-minute discussion of Internet-related topics and how they apply to businesses and consumers.

A podcast is an important tool for information experts, so please take the time to figure out how you can use it in your business.

Find out more about the power of podcasting.

Key words: Internet Marketing, podcasting, Web 2.0, audio

Permission to Reprint: Yes, you may reprint this article in any of your publications - paid or free, electronic or physical, commercial or non-commercial - provided you do not edit it in any way (except for formatting changes to suit your publication style), and include this resource box with the article:

Gihan Perera is the author of "Get Active: Web Sites for Speakers, Trainers, Coaches and Consultants" and "Fast, Flat and Free: What You Need to Know to Stay Ahead in a Connected World". Visit http://GihanPerera.com and get your complimentary copies now.

I would also appreciate receiving a copy of the issue in which it appears, if that is convenient.