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PodCasting 101: Everything You
Need to Know to Get Started
By Merle MCPromotionsPress.com
Everywhere you turn online these days you hear the word "podcast" or "podcasting."
No, it's not some broadcasting method used by Martians, even though it might
sound like it. A Podcast is just an audio file that is syndicated via an RSS
feed, that you download and listen to with your computer or a portable device
such as an iPod.
What makes it different from an ordinary RSS feed is the audio component
included in the "enclosure field." Think of it as a feed that talks to you.
Podcasting is increasing in popularity. According to Forrester Research, by
2010 podcasting should have about 12.3 million listeners. That's a pretty big
audience. For more info see
http://tinyurl.com/84tyo.
Similar to a talk radio show, podcasts can also take the format of an
interview. Topics range from business to hobbies; even rants and obsessions.
Lengths vary, but a typical podcast will run anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, but
I have seen some longer. So far, there are not many music podcasts due to the
red tape and cost of music licensing -- although musicians and/or small record
labels bypass that issue by utilizing their own recordings.
Before you think you need some special device to listen to a podcast, let me
assure you that you don't. Most RSS readers have the capability built in to play
podcasts. Any software that can play a sound file can play a podcast. If you
want to take them with you to listen to while on the road you'll want to invest
in a portable MP3 device like an iPod.
Like other RSS feeds, you decide which ones you want to subscribe to and you
can unsubscribe at any time.
Online business owners should think of podcasting as yet another avenue for
promoting your products and services. Like an ezine or the RSS feeds you already
use, it's a simple inexpensive method of syndicating your audio files online. It
would appear that a podcast is a bit more personal. Instead of just reading,
like an ezine, people can listen to the sound of your voice and make a more
personal connection.
Now that I have your attention you may be wondering "How do I create a
podcast?" Well, it's really pretty simple if you follow the easy steps below:
1) First you'll need to use software to record your own audio file. A good
frëe one is Audacity which you can download at
http://audacity.sourceforge.net.
While there, you'll also need to download the Lame MP3 Encoder which allows MP3
exportation.
2) Once your audio is recorded you'll need to create an RSS feed file which
is simply a special text file with an RSS extension that also includes a
particular enclosure tag. For step by step directions on making a feed file see
this site:
Make-RSS-Feeds.com
There's also a great tutorial on RSS at:
Mot.net
3) Once your audio and RSS files are completed you'll need to upload both of
them to your server/website.
If you'd like to read more, hëre are some additional online sites to help
guide you.
Make Your First Podcast
Create Podcasts Using Your PC
If you don't want to do all this work manually, there are software tools
specific to podcast creation.
ePodCast Creator
Pod Producer
That's it. Wasn't that simple? Remember, you can't get subscribers if people
don't know about your feed, so make sure you add it in a prominent place of your
site. You want to make it easy for them to subscribe and add your feed to their
news reader.
Audio files are rather large and can take up a lot of space on your server,
so make sure you won't run out of bandwidth. If you're tight on space you can
always farm it out to a third party service such as http://www.PodLot.com . For
only $5.00 they'll give you 150 MB of storage space with no bandwidth
limitations. Your domain will look like this: nameofyourshow.podlot.com.
If you think you're going to have a hit on your hands and want to try to
generate cäsh from your podcast, chëck out
PremiumPodcasting.com. They
provide a system that allows you to charge for your shows and also include
private access to them, track who is listening and more. You can try them out
for a four day trïal for only one dollar.
Once your podcast is live you'll want to make sure you list it with the
various directories that exist for just this purpose. You'll find a nice list
at:
Podcast Bunker
Open Media Network
Podcasting Station
Robin Good has a huge list at
http://tinyurl.com/9rusq
So now that you see how easy it is to create a podcast, what's stopping you?
Remember, this is a great tool to add to your marketing mix and if you're a bit
on the creative side this might be just the ticket. Have fun with it, experiment
and you'll become an expert podcaster in no time. |
