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Learn About Podcasting

Learn About Podcasting

Since being named word of the year by the New Oxford American Dictionary in 2005, “podcasting” has become a cultural phenomenon representing a huge shift in how corporations and individuals can distribute their messages online.

A podcast is an audio file, often an mp3, which is made available online for download to portable audio devices such as iPods. Using a technology called RSS (Really Simple Syndication), anyone with a microphone and the right software can easily distribute audio content to just about anyone with an internet connection. In addition, podcasts can be set to automatically download to a consumer’s media player as they are released.

Podcasts can be about anything from news to music to business strategy. If you can think of something you would like to transmit verbally, you can make it into a podcast. As an example, RSS Ray’s podcast, “Online Marketing with RSS Ray” covers the topics of podcasting, blogging, RSS, and all other forms of online marketing. It can be listened to here.

Podcasts are often delivered to users via RSS. You can learn more about RSS by clicking here.

Podcasting for Business

Developing a podcast as part of your marketing strategy can allow you to much more effectively keep in contact with your current clients, and at the same time reach out to many new customers.

Here are the reasons why you should be using podcasting in your marketing strategy:

• Increase Customer Retention: Customer retention is important to any marketing strategy. By delivering customers frequent content and updates, your business will be in the front of their minds when they are ready to buy again.

• Build Sales: Using podcasts to highlight products and present information is a great way to build interest in your offerings.

• Reach New Markets: Having a podcast allows you to go places that others can’t. Successful podcasts are featured front page on iTunes, and many other prominent podcast directories and search engines.

• Gain Prominence: Hosting a podcast not only builds you recognition in your field, it also can open up opportunities that are not available to others.

• Harness Viral Marketing: By making something really unique, your podcast can be distributed throughout the web to thousands of listeners in no time at all.

• Communicate With Employees: By making the company goals, training materials, and important messages available via podcast, your employees will be better prepared for the tasks at hand.
  

Podcasting is a great way to develop credibility, increase sales, and communicate effectively, all with a very nominal investment. Podcasting is still a new field and getting into it early can open up many doors to greater success in your business.

Who Listens to Podcasts?

Who listens to your podcast is largely up to you. While the largest demographic for podcast listeners is the 18-24 year old male, podcasts have garnered popularity among all ranges of demographics. As long as you develop quality podcasts, you can gain numerous listeners who fit with your targeted demographics online.

The whole world associated with podcasting in changing very rapidly. For current podcast reader demographic information, check out our recent show listings on podcasting.

More about Podcasting

Here are some things you can do to learn more about Business Podcasting:

• Read the other sections of RSS Ray's web site. Some of the information Ray provides includes starting your podcast the web's most comprehensive free listing of podcast search directories and search engines, a complete "toolkit" for marketers using podcasting, the web's most comprehensive free listing of podcasting advertising networks and a list of consultants that can help you with your podcasting initiatives.

• Listen to previous "Online Marketing with RSS Ray" radio shows about podcasts. You can access them by clicking here.

• Subscribe to our blog.

• Listen to the "Online Marketing with RSS Ray" show each week on wsRadio.com, the world-wide leader in internet talk. Click here if you'd like the podcast version of the show to come automatically to you.

• RSS Ray and his team of associates offer complete online marketing services for businesses with a specialization in blogging, podcasting, videocasting, and RSS marketing. Ray helps you improve your revenues, profits and customer loyalties. To arrange a free consultation with Ray, click here.