Tim Pim Blog

It has been said that podcasting is where Blogs and radio intersect. It is my belief that podcasting is quickly emerging as a media that stands completely on its own. Podcasting is nothing like radio in the traditional sense. It is only similar in the fact that you can listen to audio. That is where the similarities end.

Podcasting will not be anything like Blogging in the very near future. It already is only slightly related to Blogging from the perspective that anyone can create and publish, and the fact that some Blogs can produce an RSS Feed output. That is where the similarities truly end.

The potential business uses of this media are limited only by a smart marketers imagination. Marketing managers and advertising executives should embrace this technology as a media tool that can deliver results to achieve goals in your companys marketing plan.

Corporate Podcasting: There are many valid reasons why corporations may want to embrace and leverage podcasting. Corporations can set up internal or public facing podcasts.

Corporations and businesses (both large and small) have an opportunity to create a loyal listener audience that can extend their brand and communicate to the target audience.

Businesses can also use this technology both externally & internally as a communication medium to keep local, virtual and world wide groups of clients or employees informed. This could be used for sales meetings for companies that have employees in worldwide locations. It is also an effective medium for distance learning, or in helping to get the entire team on messageon any specific topic.

Example: Consultants could use podcasting to interview clients, convey success stories, interview other thought leaders, expose business trends, and become a trusted advisor and source of valuable information. This can produce additional clients, increased reputation within a specific community, and extend your valuable brand perception with customers and prospects.

Creating the actual podcast is only a very small part of the success equation. If you need more information about how you can design and execute a proper and fully leveraged podcasting strategy you should work with a qualified consultant that has experience in this media format from a technology, best practices, strategy planning, marketing, and execution perspective.

You can get a free copy of the Podcasting Whitepaper to learn more about this technology and how you can leverage this new media technology for your business. This whitepaper also includes 13 podcasting best practices. Get on the podcasting train soon, it is filling up fast.

Copyright 2005 Rodney Rumford

Rodney Rumford has over 18 years of experience in the technology field. He has held management positions in Marketing, Business Dev, Enterprise Consulting, Sales and Engineering.
He does corporate consulting in the areas of RSS & Podcasting strategy, execution and marketing. He has developed software solutions in the areas of RSS Feeds, Podcasting and PPC Advertising.
He is the CEO of The Info Guru LLC., which operates several web properties that include: http://www.podblaze.com

You’ve built your PodCast/Blog property (website).

Fantastic!

The next honest question to ask yourself is…

Once you get your audience’s attention, how can you keep them coming back?

Make your PodCast/Blog creative, informative and dynamic!

Articles and other timely and “on-point” content published on your site should be relevant, interesting, and well written, well spoken and easy to understand.

Unique content will also give your site a greater chance of reaching your intended targeted audience through higher search engine placement.

Here are seven ways to keep listeners and readers coming back for more.

1. Run Short-Term Specials

Internet users love bargains and deals, and sales are a sure way to capture their attention time and again. You might enact short sales periods to motivate people to take action?

Giving them six months to make a final decision may just help them avoid making that decision at all.

Let your audience know that the products/services on special are always changing (dynamic) to encourage them to visit your site often. Keep your site “dynamic”! Ever-changing and perpetually evolving.

Try getting creative with your specials. For example, consider giving away a free token product or service rather than bopping them over the head with a direct discount.

2. Piggyback On Topics And Trends

Internet travelers often look online to learn more about interesting topics in the news.

Creating a link between your PodCast/Blog/Business model and a hot new’s story can be a essential way to attract listeners and readers to your Web world.

This is a common tactic used often by public relations firms to obtain media coverage for their clients, and could work equally well for you.

For example, following a significant court ruling, an attorney could write an article or be a guest expert for your PodCast/Blog about the impact the ruling might have on your listeners/readers.

3. Update Information Frequently. Provide Dynamic Content

Why would a Web traveler want to return to a Web site that rarely changes? Keeping your information up-to-date and even up-to-the-minute sends a more defined message to visitors that your PodCast/Blog/Business model is serious about doing business.

4. Conduct Contests & Giveaways

This is a great way to get visitors excited about your Web site and what you do. Consider asking users for (input) feedback, so that your contest can double as a market research tool.

Keep in mind that prizes and awards need not to be extravagant, but should be exude fun and be in direct correlation with your intended target market.

As an added bonus:

You can ask entrants whether or not they would like to be notified of any special news and/or information when they initially enter your contest.

Note: Be sure to protect yourself legally. Please ensure that you are following any and all federal and/or state regulations that may govern this type of special promotion.

Was the contest you ran a total success?

The answer can better help you hone in on your online marketing, podcasting and blogging efforts.

5. Send Out An Email Ezine (Online Newsletter)

This popular promotional tactic is an effective one. Don’t expect to build a list of thousands of subscribers, but focus instead on building a high quality list of targeted readers. When sending an e-mail newsletter, keep it short, informative. Company promotions are expected, but don’t overdo it. The free list management tools and reporting tools at America Web Works can help make your newsletter a success.

6. Seek Out & Join Targeted Email Groups

If you have the time, participating in a targeted email list is a great way to connect with potential listeners and readers. The object is to keep your “brand” at the top of their mind.

An email list is a community of subscribers who are interested in a particular topic, and may exchange between 1 to 100 email letters daily.

Participation in an email group works best when you reach out to a niche’ market. For example, the owner of a computer store might join a mailing list for computer owners. By participating as an expert, the store owner is able to promote his business to a community of prospective clients.

Note: When participating in any email list(s), keep the content of your email non-promotional, while using your special “signature fine” (which should always be placed just below your email “closing” salutation) to provide a brief promotional message.

For example:

For the best computer services in the entire universe… Visit: www.domain.com

7. Get To Know your Audience

An solid understanding of the needs and goals of your audience is the best way to ensure that your marketing efforts are maximized.

Statistics and tracking reports will help you gauge the interests of visitors to your Web site, which is a good reason to utilize a site-traffic analysis tool.

Web site usage statistics will help you understand how people come to your site, and what they do once they have arrived. Are they finding what they want, or do certain pages on your site trigger them to leave?

Happy PodCast Marketing!

About Tony Marino, Ph.D., Marketing

Dr. Tony Marino is not only the CEO of America Web Works (http://www.AmericaWebWorks.com), he is also host of the PodCast Radio Show ( http://radio.weblogs.com/0144135/ ), the Founder of the http://www.AudioVideoStreams.com, the International ePublisher’s Association, Christian Times eBusiness Newsletter and the author of the ePublishing Master’s Course at: http://www.ePublisherUniversity.com Additionally, he holds Email Compliance Officer status for many of today’s leading Network Marketing companies.

He has also worked with the likes of legendary Direct Marketers Ted Nicholas and Gary Halbert. Best-Selling Authors, Harvey McKay, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. ABC Television’s, Jimmie Kimmel and NBC’s, Carson Daly. Online Marketers, Dale Calvert and Jay Abraham just to name a few. His offices are location in Portland and Los Angeles and he’d love to hear from you anytime!

http://www.AmericaWebWorks.com - 866-824-9684

You think you have what it takes to compete in the exploding underground-industry of Podcasting and have a great concept for a Podcast?

Have you checked all of this off your list?:

• A Great Idea for a New Podcast!

• A Killer Script (No the same as a great concept)

• Recording Software

• A Microphone

• A Webpage (and plenty of bandwidth)

• An Rss Feed for your Podcast episodes
• A Well Laid Out Plan on How to Market Your New Podcast

So how did you do?

Were you able to check everything off the list? Most of these items are necessary to create and host your podcast, and if you haven’t bothered with a good marketing plan yet? Well, keep your fingers crossed that your family and friends like the sound of your voice because it is unlikely that many other people will ever hear your Great New Podcast show.

Don’t shoot the messenger. It is a dog-eat-dog world out there with too many businesses competing for the same Podcast audience. What’s that you say? We are not talking about businesses? Only a free, donation based, underground, podcast? Well, that may be true, but the world of podcasting has grown exponentially over the past year and that means there are a large number of Podcasters out there who are competing for the same listener base that you are. In fact, according to Forrester Research, by 2010 the multitude of podcast shows should have around 12.3 million regular listeners.

And don’t forget that the business world knows a good thing when it sees it; resulting in more and more businesses jumping on the Podcast bandwagon over the past few months.

But that’s okay; because there’s still plenty of room in the Podcast Empire and you can learn valuable lessons from the business world…

They know how to put together a classy Podcast. They know how to advertise.They know how to network. And possibly most importantly, they know how to market a Podcast. And you can scoff at the corporations invading the tranquil Podcasting Nirvana all you want, but the fact remains… If you want to get your new Podcast out to the masses, you had better bone up on some Marketing Basics.

So where do you start?

Well, one of the most important things that you can do is to understand and have a working knowledge of your business Value Chain. What’s a Value Chain you ask? Essentially it is the logical flow of your new Podcast business starting with your original concept and following every step through until the finished product hits your listener’s iPod.

Did you catch that? In other words, your Podcast’s Value Chain consists of all the steps you need to take to get your product into the hands of your listeners.

A Podcast’s Value Chain will consist of 10 steps:

Concept -> Pre-production -> Post-Production -> Publishing -> Hosting -> Promotion -> Community/Search -> Downloading -> Show Viewing

If you produce a podcast show, you will touch on each of these steps. And while each step may offer you a unique set of challenges, each will also provide you with their own opportunities to monetize and market your new show.

The Value Chain of your Podcast Show will always be at the core of your venture whether you utilize it or not. This being the case, the more aware you are of your Value Chain, the easier it will become for you to take advantage of and capitalize on each step of the process.

This is the first in a series of articles that explain how to take advantage of your Podcast Show’s Value Chain and help you to maximize your Show’s listenership. To see the following articles, please visit http://www.podcastempire.com.

What’s in it for you?

Podcasting is obviously all the rage nowadays. According to I ISP Interland’s Summer 2005 Small and Medium-sized Business Barometer, 11% of small business leaders are interested in using podcasting as part of their website features.

A forecast based on the data on sales of portable digital music players and high-speed Internet penetration by The Diffusion Group released in June 2005 showed that demand for podcasts is expected to reach as much as 60 million users by the end of the decade.

Another interesting fact probably worth mentioning is the release of iTunes 4.9 in June 2005, which integrated podcasting for the first time into the music player used by close to 40 million consumers.

Only two days after the release, podcast subscription reached a number probably none of us would believe before: one million. Many podcasts received free exposure and got surge of subscribers at that time.

As Yahoo! Podcasts entered the market, this event might very well happen again the second time. I am not a psychic but if you can tap into this publishing medium and be one of the first to immediately get exposure to millions of people searching for very specific content they are interested in, I know only good things will happen to your business. I hope you agree with me.

Why it matters to your business

iTunes Podcast Directory offers more than 15,000 podcasts and growing quite rapidly at 1,000 a week according to Steve Job, the CEO of Apple Computer. That is just one directory. This may seem like a lot at the first glance but really it doesn’t even scratch the surface when compared to how many websites are currently available on the Web.

With more than 6 million podcast consumers have already listened to podcast in April 2005, there sure are a lot of room to play. If you want a proof, just browse on any popular podcast directory and see how many of them only have a handful items, even on a relatively popular topics.

But really, “Why does it matter to my business?” Well, for the first time there is a way to reach your audience of customers through the use of voice. It’s much like your own radio show but listeners can tune in any time they want to.

The power to be able to express emotion and bring personality to your marketing communication can be very powerful. From public relation, customer relationship management, name branding, to generating leads and sales, all can be done through the same medium, but more powerful than the traditional text based communication. Imagine these benefits and the ability to get your podcast in front of millions of Yahoo! Podcasts visitors for free.

How to participate

You can use existing computer equipment to record your voice or anything audible. Really, podcasting is not limited to talk show but can be in the format of music samples, audio books, and more. A microphone that comes with your computer can do it, but a decent one makes you sound professional.

If you need to edit and mix the sound before publishing, some audio editing tools are available for free. To make a podcast file accessible, you need to upload the audio file to a public web server. In the future we may have alternative distribution methods but for now serving it through a public web server is the most common one.

When it’s time to publish your podcast, you can use the existing blog software to build a podcast website for the podcast show. Using a blog platform allows you to manage content easier. Most of them can generate a valid podcast feed to for you. It’s such a nice feature, but not compulsory.

An RSS feed carries the podcast audio metadata and syndicate it to the mass. Existing technologies even make the whole process of creating and publishing the feed almost seamless.

Once you have a podcast ready, all you needed to get listed is to enter the URL to your podcast feed at the Yahoo! Podcasts Publishing page (http://podcasts.yahoo.com/publish). You can even tag it so that others can find your podcast easier.

When to start

While the use of podcasting has gained a significant boost lately, it is not for every market yet. Some industries are better serve through other channels. Yet others mostly consist of users who connected with slower Internet connection where regular audio downloads may be more difficult and longer, or simply are not that technical savvy.

You know your market better than me, but you can’t never be sure until you test it. The technologies are here, allowing you to start on a shoestring. You may even stop if this is not for you and continue after your market is ready. Whatever it is, just make sure you don’t miss the opportunity.

If you decide that podcasting is for you, there are dozens of free resources you can use to start immediately. The sooner you start the better. Your audience may have been waiting for your podcast and if by the time they can’t find yours, obviously you’ll be missing not only targeted traffic from one of the search engine giants but also prospective customers.

Copyright 2005 Hendry Lee

Hendry Lee helps people use technologies to market their business online and actively blogs about Podcast Marketing. Subscribe to Podcast Profit Tips to receive concise information and strategies to get the most out of your podcast.

If you love talking and have a lot to say about a particular topic, you may want to consider broadcasting an Internet Talk Radio show online. Quite a few of these independent shows have been popping up over the past year on a variety of topics from parenting to scrap booking to car repair.

Internet Talk Radio shows are usually anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours long and are available to listen to and for download 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Some broadcasters offer a new show every week; others are on a bi-weekly or monthly schedule. It’s up to you to determine how often you would like to create a new show.

There is a little bit of equipment and software that you will need for a professionally sounding show. You will need a computer with a decent soundcard. Most new computers have pretty good sound cards build in. Of course you should also have a microphone. Skip the cheap $10-15 models and go for a good headphone microphone combination that will record less background noise than a basic desktop microphone. Plantronics has several good models available.

To record the show and add the audio to your website, you will need software, or preferably a service like Audio Acrobat, that will allow you to record from your computer, or call into your own phone line and record the show this way. For a monthly fee audio acrobat also hosts your audio files, which will come in handy when you start to get a following of listeners. The large audio files can eat up quite a bit of bandwidth. You will save on your website hosting, because you will use less bandwidth by hosting the audio files with Audio Acrobat.

If you would like to be able to edit shows, you can download a free piece of software called audacity. You can edit your show; fade in and out of music and more. Once your done editing, you are ready to upload your show, get some listeners and start making money.

So, how do you monetize an Internet talk radio show? Your two main sources of income will be paid advertising and affiliate programs. You can sell 30 - 60 second ad spots on your radio show. Some Internet Talk Radio Shows (mainly those that already have a good following) will also charge guests to come on the show and promote their product.

As far as affiliate marketing goes, you can promote related products on your website and mention them in your show. If a listener follows your recommendation and buys the product through your link you will make a commission.

If you’ve always dreamed about being on the radio, having your own Internet Talk Radio Show may be just the thing for you. Give it a try, the start-up cost isn’t very high and Internet Radio is fast growing industry.

Nell Taliercio is the owner of a leading work at home mom resource website packed full of unique information for the telecommuter, business owner and virtual assistant. Visit http://www.mommysplace.net today!

As the host and Executive Producer of Google’s “number one” ranked PodCast Radio Show, I believe we have made a fairly significant discovery that you can almost immediately put in motion to bolster your Internet Marketing efforts, too.

The Art Of PodCasting

There is no dispute that streaming media has been deployed effectively across the Internet now for a number of years. Enthusiasts and professionals alike have clearly figured out how to write copy (for the spoken word), operate simple audio recording software applications, plug in a microphone and record basic as well as highly produced audio messages, presentations, training and yes, even advertisements.

Podcasting is truly nothing more than what I refer to as a blog “plug-in”. That is, combining a simple syndicatable blog with an audio component. The practice is very much like ordinary audio streaming (media delivery from server to browser), but with the ability to capture, download and install (automatically on the date and time of your choice) to either a local PC or directly into any one of today’s available hand-held audio devices such as iRiver, iPod or Creative Zen.

PodCast Marketing Opportunities

Today’s Internet marketers can now combine the power and almost lightning speed of blog syndication with valuable training and advertising messages (just like you might hear across your FM dial).

The PodCast Limit Is Your Imagination

Imagine uniting the ability to syndicate your blog and PodCast (audio component) globally in a matter of seconds.

You could easily and almost effortlessly deliver the following for added impact to your awaiting audience:

1. Product Information

2. Expert Interviews

3. Tutorials (FAQs)

4. Advertisements

5. Public Service Announcements (PSAs)

6. Fund Raising

7. Religious Programming

8. Self-Help and Personal Development

9. Coaching and Consulting

10. Meetings and Reporting

11. Network Marketing Development

These are just a tiny smattering of how you could merge blogging and PodCasting into your Internet Marketing model.

Building Strong Community

With blogging and PodCasting you are really building a more robust interactive community of listeners (prospects and customers). The blogging component allows for the easy implementation of questions, comments and suggestions from listeners (prospects and existing customers) directly into each and every blog/podcast post you make. Internet “stickiness” is key to nurturing a healthy Internet base. PodCasting is undeniably one perfect solution that can do just that for you.

A Search Engine Love Affair

Mindful search engine optimization practices are paramount and required if you are serious about leveling the Net’s playing field. Blogging and PodCasting will catapult your position faster than just about any other optimization method available anywhere.

Your PodCast (Audio Blog) will be speak very friendly to those web crawlers in that Podcsting puts in proper pecking order what I like to call the “Search Engine Algorithm - Big 3″.

They are:

1. Link Popularity

2. Text Rich

3. Link Rich

Learn All About PodCasting - Boost Awareness

Now’s the time to make your move. Get out there. Learn and discover all you can and start drafting your very own PodCast plans.

No matter what your Internet Marketing regimen currently consists of, you will certainly want the PodCast arrow placed neatly within your Marketing Quiver!

Happy PodCast Marketing!

About Tony Marino, Ph.D., Marketing

Dr. Tony Marino is not only the CEO of America Web Works (http://www.AmericaWebWorks.com), he is also host of the PodCast Radio Show ( http://radio.weblogs.com/0144135/ ), the Founder of the http://www.AudioVideoStreams.com, the International ePublisher’s Association, Christian Times eBusiness Newsletter and the author of the ePublishing Master’s Course at: http://www.ePublisherUniversity.com Additionally, he holds Email Compliance Officer status for many of today’s leading Network Marketing companies.

He has also worked with the likes of legendary Direct Marketers Ted Nicholas and Gary Halbert. Best-Selling Authors, Harvey McKay, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. ABC Television’s, Jimmie Kimmel and NBC’s, Carson Daly. Online Marketers, Dale Calvert and Jay Abraham just to name a few. His offices are location in Portland and Los Angeles and he’d love to hear from you anytime!

http://www.AmericaWebWorks.com - 866-824-9684

Launching a podcast can be a fun adventure. You’re able to bring your voice, your rant and your thoughts to the world without having to go through editors, segment producers or other filters.

Although you may have great content, you may be missing the mark when it comes to adding a little pizzaz to your podcast. Interviews with experts, monologues on an issue you’re passionate about and energizing music are all equally liked by listeners. However, if your podcast lacks intrigue, it will sit in a podcast directory with no downloads and very little subscribers.

Because I just launched a podcast, I wanted to ensure that I’m on the right track. So, I asked some other podcasters on what makes a great podcast. While they agreed that it’s an awesome marketing tool, they disagreed on the two ingredients that could make or break the popularity of your podcast - the use of humour and the presence of personality.

One podcaster, Donna Papacosta, president of a communications company in Oakville, Ontario and who hosts a podcast herself, suggests that when communicating with a business audience, leave the humour out.

“For a B2B podcast, I would skip the humour. People want content that is relevant to them,” says Papacosta.

However, Penny Haynes, CEO of Georgia-based company that teaches people how to create their own podcasts through a virtual course, disagrees. She doesn’t think your podcast should be dry and stiff, no matter who’s your target audience.

“Everyone has their own ideas and tastes regarding programs, but I love a little humor. A little bit of someone’s personal side can add a lot to it,” says Haynes.

Paige Eissinger, who hosts a computer call-in radio show in Missouri, says that she is immediately attracted to podcasts that inject a little humour.

“The worst people in the world to do business with are the ones who are humorless and I sure wouldn’t listen to their podcasts,” says Eissinger.

“I don’t mean that you should have a ready joke for all your B2B podcasts, just that if your message lends itself to humor, take advantage of it. Don’t pass up a witty remark just because ‘It’s business’,” says Eissinger.

Being witty is one thing, but being silly can really turn off a listener. Just ask Papacosta, who’s not afraid to unsubscribe from a podcast if it turns out to be a total dud.

“I’ve hit the stop button on many a podcast because of content I deemed stupid or a waste of my time,” says Papacosta.

At the end of the day, it’s a podcaster’s personality that will win many fans and garner tons of downloads.

“Content [of a podcast] is important, but surprise, surprise - personality wins out,” says Haynes. “When it came down to a choice between great content and great personality, personality was the winner.”

Haynes recounted a podcast where she shared her thoughts and feelings about celebrating the one-year anniversary of her business. She was surprised by the response of her listeners.

“They loved it, as it made me ‘real’. They felt invited and involved in my private world,” says Haynes.

Eissinger can relate. One of her favourite podcasts is hosted by a man who has a southern accent. Although she learns alot from his podcast, she’s a sucker for his accent and in her mind, this lends alot of personality to his podcast.

“His content is great and very relevant to my business, but [his Texan] accent grabs me every time,” says Eissinger.

While spontaneity, humour and personality can add some sizzle to a podcast, Angelo Cerase, a Toronto-based financial advisor who has a list of podcasts he enjoys listening to, draws the line when a podcaster lacks focus in their program.

“I really, really, really hate it when a podcast has the author going on and on about absolutely nothing, without a real plan or script of what he was going to say,” says Cerase.

“A little ‘useless’ filler is welcomed in a podcast, it makes the person on the other end seem more human. But too much is, well, too much,” says Cerase.

Having a great mic, snazzy music and earth shattering content is not enough. You need to inject a little bit of humour and personality into your podcast to really get people to subscribe to your feed week after week.

Special thanks goes out to the members of the Podcaster Central Network who contributed their comments for this article. If you want to learn more about how to create, publish and host a podcast, join Podcaster Central by clicking here:
http://podcastcentral-network.ryze.com.

Copyright 2005 Leesa Barnes. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Leesa Barnes, Chief Divapreneur, helps consultants, virtual assistants, professional organizers and coaches pull clients to them using a podcast. Leesa’s advice is based on her experience producing and hosting a podcast where she saw a spike in subscribers to her ezine list and signed up 10 new coaching clients. Her audio program called Podcoach Your Way to Success: Secrets for Coaches on How to Use a Podcast to Market Your Business & Gain More Clients contains worksheets and exercises to help any coach set up their own podcast in as little as 4-hours.

Go to http://www.podcoachyourwaytosuccess.com and sign up for her free ecourse that will teach you how to use a podcast to grow your coaching business and pull clients to you.

Video podcasting is a wonderful new way to keep in touch with family and friends,
and also provides an innovative way to show the world your expertise.

Although new and computer-based, podcasts are not just a tool for young people or
advanced computer users. They are a tool for sharing knowledge and experiences.
And although the name may suggest they are a complicated, in fact they are
relatively easy to create and publish.

A podcast is an audio or video file distributed by RSS software that can be
downloaded on the Internet. But, rather than typical online audio or video files -
which are only available to be downloaded or viewed after the user has found it -
when a podcast is created, subscribers automatically download new episodes as
soon as they become available.

This is because of RSS software. RSS - which stands for Really Simple Syndication -
is a technology that feeds a description of web content with a link to the original
content. When content is updated, the RSS feeds a headline and description to
subscribers automatically.

When combined with a podcast, it allows subscribers to see when new episodes of
the podcast have been created, and automatically downloads these episodes to
subscribers. All that is required

A video podcast is a creative way to securely share your experiences with family and
friends, and your expertise and skills with people on the other side of the city or the
other side of the world.

Vacation highlights, birthdays, anniversaries, outdoor adventures, and holiday
celebrations are all perfect for a podcast. In fact, any photos or video material can
easily be made into a video podcast.

Digital photos can be turned into a video photo-album, complete with a voice-over
and background music. And a two-minute video-clip can make the viewer feel as if
they are experiencing the moment, rather than merely watching what has already
happened.

A video podcast provides an added a dimension making the viewer feel as if they are
experiencing the event as it is happens - a feeling not conveyed through traditional
email and photos.

Podcasts can be easily shared and password protected so only your family and
friends are able to access them. So you can be assured your memories and precious
moments are shared with only the people you choose.

In addition to sharing your experiences, video podcasts are also an excellent way to
share your knowledge.

There is no substitute for experience, and your years of experience have made you
an expert. There is no better way to share your expertise than through a video
podcast. Your experience doing any craft, pastime, hobby, or trade are all skills that
can be easily captured on video, and published on the Internet for a world-wide
audience.

If you own your own business, or plan on starting a business, a video podcast can
be an easy way to reach potential clients and customers. By showing the world your
expertise, you are telling the world that you are an expert and can provide the types
of services people are looking for.

Even in a world where technology is advancing every day, skills and expertise are always in demand. Podcasting is a technology that will allow you to reach a greater
audience.

Video podcasting is a technology with endless possibilities. Whether it be to keep in
touch with family or friends, or for a business to reach-out to new clients,
podcasting is a simple and affordable way to do both.

Adam Peck is a freelance journalist in Toronto, Ont., Canada.
Visit http://www.northstreams.com for more information about podcasting.
Northstreams Inc., is a Toronto-based company that specializes in producing
professional video and audio podcasts.

Interested in podcasting but overwhelmed as to what software to use to help you? Here’s a list of some of the top podcasting software programs you can find on the Internet:

1. iPodder - subscribe to and receive podcasts on your PC

2. Radio Blog Club - creates a playlist of audio files for a web site

3. Doppler Radio - podcast aggregator that downloads podcasts to your computer

4. iPodderX - another popular podcast aggragator

5. PodFeeder - tool to manage your podcast subscriptions also let’s you search for podcast feeds to subscribe to.

6. Blog Matrix Sparks - you can record streaming Internet radio programs and download podcasts with this program.

7. jPodder - another popular tool to subscribe to podcasts.

8. podOmatic - service to create podcasts and host them online.

9. EasyPodcast.com - tool to create podcasts

10. Propaganda - a software program to create your own podcasts

11.Poderator - online tool that creates the podcast RSS feeds.

12. Podcast Teleprompter - tool to make your recordings sound like a professional news anchor when you do your podcasts.

Well those are the 12 podcasting programs I can think of at the moment and I’m sure over the years more and more podcasting software programs will be developed.

As you can see there are a lot of different podcasting software programs to check out ranging from programs to download podcasts to your computer, to places to host your own podcast to podcast teleprompters to make you sound more professional.

Reed Floren is the author of How to Podcast for Fun and Profit the book that teaches you how to profit from your own podcasts and creator of Podcast Teleprompter Software the software that makes you sound like a professional news anchor every time you do a podcast.

Podcasts are literally ways the ordinary average person can have their own broadcast media. What makes Podcasts different from other types of audio content is the users must use RSS protocol. However, it also allows you to produce and create your own self-published radio-type shows.

Several radio stations use Podcasts either as their entire format or as part of their format. These stations include KYOU Radio in San Francisco, 99.5 The Mountain in Denver, and KFI in Los Angeles. Of course, the Internet provides listings for where Podcasts can be found as well. At www.Podcasts.net, you’ll find a list that is based on any topic you’re interested in. This includes entertainment, politics, arts, science and nature, business, lifestyle and shopping, with many of the categories broken down into more specific categories.

If you don’t have an iPod, you may wonder why you would even want to find Podcasts. The term Podcasts doesn’t mean a person has to use an Apple iPod. Podcast, though, is a term merged from the words iPod and broadcast. Any digital audio player or computer with the proper software can be used to listen to or create Podcasts. But, users must have “Podcatching” software, also known as “aggregator” software, to be able to listen to Podcasts.

Those wanting to either listen to or make their own Podcasts will need something called iPodderx. This is nothing more than a newsreader that can interpret RSS 2.0 feeds. While the iPodderx allows for listening to Podcasts, it is also needed to help with the broadcast side as well. Other Podcasting products available, as shown on www.alesis.com, include the 10/2 2-channel portable audio interface. This is a 24-bit /96k USB product. The Photon X49 is a keyboard controller, as is the Fusion 6HD and 8HD. The MultiMix Mixers are used to mix sounds for the Podcasts. M1 Active 520 and 620 nearfield reference monitors are also available. However, be ready to spend some serious cash if you’re planning on doing any major Podcasts.

Podcasts can be broadcasted world wide, adding an even broader base to the places you can find Podcasts. A couple of the global Podcast sites, according to www.wickmedia.com, are CBC Radio One out of Canada, Triple J Podcast from Australia. Podcast sites in the US can be found at www.podarama.com-dj. To find more podcasting sites, just log on to the Internet and visit locations such as http://www.apodcasting.com/dir/HowToFindPodcastingSites to do a thorough search.

There are no rules or regulations to individual Podcasts and their content, until some specific situations apply. That includes Podcasts that are broadcast over regular radio waves on radio stations across the nation. Those Podcasts are regulated by Federal Communication Commission laws because they are geared toward the masses at large. That means that, for an individual who wants to become a Podcaster, the sky’s the limit.

Copyright 2005 by D. L. Randolph. All rights reserved.

Looking for information about podcasting? Go to http://www.apodcasting.com. About Podcasting is a Podcast Information Directory and Resource Site which provides a consolidated listing of the best Podcasting sites in one easy to navigate location.