Hi there, The Digital Marketer here, ready to help you put the power of the Internet and technology to work for your business.
I've really been enjoying podcasting. As a content creator, podcasting is a great way to publish more content in a new format--audio. I'd like to discuss how podcasting can help your business and suggest some easy ways to get started.
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Back to audio podcasts.
The Portable Podcast
I've been exploring podcasts as a different way of publishing content online. While I usually promote my business through websites and blogs, there are several reasons why podcasting is the logical next step to online publishing.
Podcasts are convenient and portable. People can listen to a podcast while doing other things--like checking their e-mail--and still get your company's branding and message. Also, people can listen to podcasts on a variety of portable devices and play them everywhere from the car to the gym to the grocery store.
What Should You Podcast?
Coming up with a good podcasting theme is similar to deciding what to blog about on your company blog. You need a focus, a catchy title, and a consistent format.
The key to effective podcasting is to establish a voice and a clear direction. Rambling may be entertaining but won't necessarily achieve your business goals such as:
1. Branding your company. Through consistent messages in your podcast, you can brand your company name, slogan and other important facts that can help establish your company in people's minds.
2. Establishing your expertise. If you know your stuff and can communicate your knowledge well, you can position yourself as an expert in your field.
3. Driving traffic to your website or blog. While a podcast may not work well as a sales tool, it is definitely a creative marketing tool.
4. Build a loyal following of listeners. Listeners could translate into customers over time.
How to Podcast Easily
Once you know what topics you'll cover in your podcast, there are many ways to create and publish a podcast online.
One of the easiest ways to podcast is to use a Web application that will record your voice through a telephone call, save the recording as an MP3 file, and automatically upload it to the Web for you. I would call these phone-in audio recordings "quick and dirty" podcasting because they don't involve any editing or post-production work. But with practice, you could create compelling podcasts with little effort on your part.
Personally, I've used Utterz -- U-T-T-E-R-Z dot com -- to record podcasts by phone. Just set up a free account on their website, call their number, press 2 on your phone, and start speaking. Once you hang up, the MP3 recording of your call appears on their site instantly. Then you have ten minutes to edit or delete the file before it is distributed to all the places that you've designated such as your blog or your Twitter page. You can also add text, photos, and video to enhance your audio podcast on the Utterz site. You can even embed an audio player into your own website or blog.
Another audio recording application is Jott at J-O-T-T dot com. Jott positions their automatic audio recording service as a memo tool to create audio to-do lists. Jott converts your voice message into e-mails, text messages, reminders, lists and appointments. But you can also set up Jott to automatically post audio messages to your blog.
An unexpected use of some of the new Web-based conference call systems is as a podcasting tool. Check out Calliflower at C-A-L-L-I-F-L-O-W-E-R dot com to see how you can use their service to place a call, record the call, and end up with an MP3 file that you can link to from your blog or site. I'll talk more about free Web-based conference call applications in a future podcast.
Bottom Line: There are a variety of ways that you can create and post a podcast online without having to be an audio tech wizard. Just make sure you craft your content with care, pick the tool that's right for you, and go for it!
That's all we have time for today. Visit the show’s website at digitalmarketer.quickanddirtytips.com for links to all of the sites mentioned in the show. If you'd like to ask a question or request a topic for The Digital Marketer, email me at digitalmarketer@quickanddirtytips.com or leave a message by calling 206-339-6279
And remember to get your web hosting and domain name needs taken care of at GoDaddy.com and use the code POD111 for a 10% discount on any product at GoDaddy.com.
The Digital Marketer's Quick and Dirty Tips for Building Your Business With Web Tools is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips network at quickanddirtytips.com. Tune in for another business boost from The Digital Marketer, the host who's not afraid to go under the Internet's hood & get a little dirty!
Resources
Utterz - http://www.utterz.com
Jott - http://www.jott.com
Calliflower - http://www.calliflower.com
