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Many large companies are only now beginning to take notice of
the vast potential for podcasting in business. This new and fast-growing technology offers
businesses a unique reach and gives customers the kind of choice and convenience they are
coming to expect. A podcast, in case youre not entirely sure, is little more than
an audio file posted on either a website or a blog. In some ways, its like a radio
program on a topic of your choice, except that its ready to be listened to whenever
you are. In other ways, it may be more comparable to downloading music, except that
its usually free and |
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offers businesses a unique resource. Another
comparison still might be a book on tape, except theres no cassette or trip to the
bookstore. However you want to look at it, what a podcast can do for your business is
present relative information for customers and employees in any number of audio forms,
including lectures, interviews, talk shows, meetings, sermons anything that works
for your business. Explore a podcasting directory such as iBizRadio.com for a short amount
of time and you will find that there are innumerable ways businesses and individuals are
already utilizing this young technology. Some companies offer tours, others offer training
via podcast. Schools provide news and parenting tips while hospitals showcase health
programs. |
In addition to the variety of formats possible for your particular
niche, podcasting also offers a new dimension of information diffusion that can make it
easier for your business to establish a deeper connection to its customers than ever
before. Teleconference calls, audio newsletters, and lectures delivered via podcast are
only a few of the ways businesses are already managing to use podcasting to strengthen and
simplify their relationships with their customers. Because the podcast is available at any
time, customers are able to listen as they wish on their computer or MP3 player, or even
burn it to a CD to listen to in their car or while on a jog. In this form, your message
becomes both portable and time-shifted. Even better, customers can subscribe and get your
podcast updates downloaded to their computer automatically, with no additional work from
you.
While podcasting is a powerful and fresh tool for business, it is also very easy to
understand and use, and the software is almost always free. Many podcasters work with
nothing more than their computer and a microphone. Low-cost delivery audio messages can be
targeted to and tailored for your audience at little or no cost to your business. With the
growth of podcasting technology (keep in mind the more than 50 million ipods sold and
counting), the potential pool of customers is already enormous, and expanding.
Though the technology as it applies to business is in its infancy, some businesses are
already beginning to share and compare what is and isnt working for business
podcasting. If podcasting is something youre considering for your business, you may
want to think about a few things:
Depending on the format, keep the audio length and your customers attention span in
mind. Even as much as 15 minutes might be too long for some podcast formats or topics (or
customers). As always in business, being concise and targeted is likely to pay off best.
Advertising over a podcast may or may not work the jurys still out. One thing
most in the podcasting industry agree on is that the technology is still new enough that
businesses should remain cautious about inserting ads into podcasts. In radio an ad is
acceptable, but for a download its usually not. A re-invention or new form of
advertising to suit podcasting may take place at some point, but it hasnt happened
yet.
One way to make sure your podcast is easy to find is to make sure youre using the
keywords or categories your customers will use, so give your podcasts tagging some
thought.
Make sure your podcasts are easy to subscribe to and listen to by offering customers links
to listen right away and to subscribe. Apple itunes 4.9 allows podcast listings in a
directory almost tailored for marketers, as well as a customer-friendly subscription
service.
Though podcasting has only been around a short time, more than 6 million people have
downloaded a podcast. Dont kid yourself: this technology is applicable to much more
than leisurely interests and music. Podcasting is just waiting to be discovered and
explored by business. But dont let time-shifted radio pass you by, the time to get
on board with podcasting is now.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Christian Del Monte- Vice President of Operations for TMA E-Marketing - has directed and
worked on Internet marketing projects for mid to large-scale businesses, launched the
worlds first Business Blogs
Directory, and writes weekly to an Online Marketing Blog.
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