Is Podcasting a Good Idea?

I was asked a few weeks ago if podcasting was a good idea. I think I surprised my friend with my answer. After all, he knows I'm involved in teaching people to write books and create large training courses. So he figured I wouldn't think very highly of short audio podcasts.

He was wrong.

Podcasts are a great way for internet marketers to create products including marketing products.

There are a number of reasons why podcasts are such a great product for information marketers to create. However, I've only got room for five in this article:

1. They are reasonably easy to create. At one time recordings -- of whatever length -- were difficult to create. But modern software makes creating podcasts or any other type of audio very easy to create. A headset, computer and the appropriate software make recording easy. And the software is available both as trialware and as open source.

2. They are inexpensive to distribute. MP3s are an extremely efficient way to store audio recordings. Unlike some other forms of audio they do not take up very much storage nor do they take up a great deal of bandwidth. And they are very inexpensive when compared to products like webinars or videos. Even eBooks take more bandwidth than an equivalent MP3.

3. They can be done in a number of formats. An audio blog is one form that can be produced quite easily and inexpensively. Interviews are another alternative. These have the advantage of letting someone else provide the content. In any case, the number of formats allows the podcaster to keep the format fresh and revise the content often enough to keep the audience interested.

4. They are fast to produce. Because they are a short product involving only a short amount of time there isn't as much editing involved as there can be with an extended product. In addition, it is an audio product which always involves less work to edit than other media. The result is a product which can be written, recorded and edited within a half day or less.

5. They are well received by their audience. Many people like having short information sessions playing while they drive home or drive to work. Rather than waste the driving time listening to music or the mindless fights common to talk radio, many people prefer to learn while they drive. Audio books typically require more concentration and more time than is available for a normal commute. A podcast is usually short enough that listeners can play several of them during their commute.

The Benefits of Starting a Podcast   Podcast Transcription: Converting the Spoken to the Written   How to Begin Podcasting the Right Way   The Art of Podcasting   

Is It Smart to Charge For a Podcast?

There's no debate about Podcasting itself. Podcasting is one of the best techniques to adopt for an information marketer or someone in the advice business. They're easy to create. Powerful in the ability to influence. And valued by the audience. That's a powerful combination for any technique.

But there is a debate about Podcasting.

Specifically the debate is around whether it is smart to charge for a podcast. People are lined up on both sides of the table. They're taking sides and as usual they're quite vociferous in their support for their opinion. The truth, of course, is somewhere in between.

Some people believe that there should be no doubt about charging for podcasts.

Podcasting can be the basis for a very useful and powerful membership product. Many membership programs are built around newsletters or video products. But podcasting can provide a higher value product for more people with less work than the alternatives.

Ongoing revenue products are extremely powerful and profitable. But there aren't many methods of generating this type of revenue. Membership programs, newsletters and coaching are the normal techniques used. However, a podcast is a recurring product and therefore makes an excellent base for a recurring revenue product.

Podcasts can also be repackaged in many ways. By charging for the base product (the podcast) you can ensure that the subsequent products retain their value. After all the information is proprietary and shouldn't be shared without recompense.

On the other hand there are a number of people who believe that charging for podcasts is foolish. They also have a strong argument.

Not all products will sell equally. Changing formats may cause a product to suddenly start to sell. Even though it is essentially the same product. Podcasts are such a powerful source of subsequent products that selling them may fool you into believing there is no market when there really is. If the podcast does not sell well you may decide not to release the subsequent products. The result would be a major loss in profits.

Podcasts are an extremely powerful technique to increase credibility and build a reputation. As such they are a marketer's dream. Selling them would seriously impact their distribution and therefore reduce their ability to deliver increased credibility. Bluntly they are worth more as a free product than they ever could be as a paid product.

Podcasting draws part of its history and techniques from the broadcast media such as radio. But unlike traditional broadcasting it is a content rich media. And it is judged by both its content and its production values. As a free product both the audience and the producer will concentrate on the content and tend to ignore the production values. However, as a paid product the producer will tend to focus on production values thus reducing the actual value of the product.

The Benefits of Starting a Podcast   Podcast Transcription: Converting the Spoken to the Written   How to Begin Podcasting the Right Way   The Art of Podcasting   

What Is a Podcast and How Does It Work?

Podcasts can be an effective method of developing traffic, attracting customers and building your credibility. It can turn you from a want to-be to a true expert in the eyes of your customers and prospects.

But what is a podcast?

The term itself is a contraction of two words - iPod and broadcast. The Apple iPod of course, is an MP3 player. An electronic version of the old tape recorder if you will.

So the term itself would indicate that a podcast is some form of a regular broadcast using MP3 audio format and portable players -- the Apple name being optional. But a podcast is really both more and less than this.

For the purposes of this article I'm going to deal with what a podcast is on four levels.

1. A podcast is an audio file. In theory it is provided in MP3 format. MP3 format is a very capable, yet very compact format used for audio recording. It is also manufacturer independent. However, podcasts can also be provided using either the Windows native format (WMA) or Apple's Quicktime audio. In fact, there are a large number of audio formats available and podcasts can be found in any of them. However, MP3 is the most popular format.

2. It is intended to be retrieved from a website (e.g. iTunes or the creator's website) and downloaded to an MP3 player such as the iPod or one of many other manufacturers products. This recording can then be played back at any time while the audience is busy doing something else. Cars are a frequent location for the playback of these files. Busy commuters can listen to something useful while traveling to and from the office.

3. Content is whatever the podcast creator wishes. Like any radio broadcast. However, typically they tend to be focused on spoken content rather than music. This content can be provided in a number of different forms including teleseminars, interviews and readings.

4. In theory podcasts do not have to be regular. However, in practice they fit into two types. One time podcasts are usually not referred to as podcasts. The repeating podcast is repeated either once per week or once per month or daily. In short, they are meant to be a regularly re-occurring broadcast of opinion, information or news. In practice, audio files which are one-time only are referred to as MP3s. The term podcast is usually restricted to broadcasts which repeat on a regular basis.

The Benefits of Starting a Podcast   Podcast Transcription: Converting the Spoken to the Written   How to Begin Podcasting the Right Way   The Art of Podcasting   

Can You Make Money Podcasting?

Podcasting has become a popular way for websites and blog owners to spread their information and opinions online. Podcasting can be done in either an audio only format or in a video format with audio, which can also sometimes be referred to as a webcast. As more people jump on the podcasting bandwagon, some people are even trying to make money from their podcasts. For those who are thinking about podcasting or even for those who already have one up and running, the question is: Can money really be made online by podcasting? 

Yes, money can be made online through podcasting and here are a few of the most popular ways to go about doing this:

Whether in audio or video format, a podcast needs to be set up on a website. Blogs are a very popular option for hosting an audio file or webcast and due to this, many of the same money making techniques that blog owners currently use, can also be used with podcasting. This means that podcasters can set up advertising on their websites or blogs in order to make money. Another method of making money with podcasting is by promoting a company or brand during the actual podcast itself. To do this, a company must contact the podcaster and ask them to promote their website, company or services for a fee or the podcaster may contact some companies that he or she feels might be interested in having their company mentioned during the podcast. Many podcasts ask for donations to keep their podcasts going. Putting up a video or audio file does take time and money and podcasters need to pay for equipment and web space or in order to keep going. Keep in mind however, that while you can make money podcasting through donations, this method should not be used in order to get rich quick or to pay for personal expenses. If accepting donations for the podcast, the person should do the right thing and use those funds to pay for what it costs to keep the podcast going.

There are a few other ways to make money podcasting, but the above three are some of the more popular methods to go about doing this. 

The Benefits of Starting a Podcast   Podcast Transcription: Converting the Spoken to the Written   How to Begin Podcasting the Right Way   The Art of Podcasting   How To Pick A Great Name For Your Podcast   

How to Use Podcasts As An Educational Tool

Podcasts are a wonderful marketing tool. They help to establish you as an expert. They repeat on a regular basis so they are always reinforcing their message. They are well received and looked forward to by many busy people.

But can you use them as an educational tool?

The answer is a resounding yes!

In fact, it's hard not to use podcasts as an educational tool. In this article I'm going to show you how to use podcasts as an educational tool. There are a number of formats that you can use to deliver learning content. I'm going to cover each of them but I'm also going to discuss some overall formats that you can use.

So what formats can you use to deliver learning content?

Of the four major formats for podcasts, only the audio blog will not deliver learning content. And even that can deliver education. However, it typically includes learning content, commentary and even humor. Because of this flexibility -- and its personal nature -- the audio blog is typically not consistently an educational tool.

Interviews on the other hand, do work well as an educational tool. Most podcast interviews do focus on providing information in the form of a question and answer. In theory they could provide non-educational information (for example interviews with celebrities) but in practice that isn't common.

The audio article, like any article marketing, is focused around providing information. One could probably create a pure humor article with no redeeming value but it's hard and would be most unusual.

The hybrid or column format of course mixes all three formats. Often at least one of the columns is humorous or at least commentary. However the rest of the podcast is usually educational in nature. This will flavor the whole of the podcast.

Now that we've examined how you can use each type of podcast to deliver education, let's consider the format of the podcasts overall. So how can you use podcasting as a tool to deliver education?

Podcasting is by definition a repeating information product. Otherwise it's not a podcast it's a one off audio product. Because it's repeating it can easily be the centerpiece for a monthly membership product. When combined with a newsletter or other product it can be the core for a very valuable monthly recurring income product.

Podcasting can also be used as a free service especially if it is made available to existing customers as a relationship builder. In this case it functions as a newsletter equivalent.

Podcasting can also be used as the ethical bribe for an opt-in page. The weekly or monthly education provided can help to create a strong relationship with your potential customers.

Finally, it can be used as a free educational product for the purposes of traffic generation and reputation building.

The Benefits of Starting a Podcast   Podcast Transcription: Converting the Spoken to the Written   How to Begin Podcasting the Right Way   The Art of Podcasting   How To Pick A Great Name For Your Podcast   

How a Podcast Can Make You an Instant Success

Are you looking to be an internet guru? Are you looking to sell lots of information in the form of eBooks, webinars and other courseware? Then podcasting is one way you can become an instant success.

Not let's get serious here for a second. No one is ever an instant success. It doesn't happen. Not in the real world and not in the internet world. Instant success actors have been working for starvation wages for years. Instant success writers have been writing for decades. And instant success businesspeople have been building businesses over and over and over.

But if anything could make you an instant success podcasting could be one of them. And podcasting can make you a success very quickly with very little work.

But why?

Here are four reasons that podcasting is so successful.

1. Podcasting is a high touch medium. Not as high as coaching perhaps but high touch nonetheless. Your audience will hear your passion. They'll hear your emotions as you diss an idea. And listen as you blow off steam at something you hate. They'll pay attention to you as you try to convince them of the importance of something you are passionate about. And all this emotion helps them to feel closer to you. They'll believe that they know the real you. And just as in real life, they'll come to like you. (Or hate you!)

2. Podcasting is a recurring media. Unlike an eBook which only is read once (if at all) or a teleseminar which is watched only once, a podcast is repeated on a regular schedule. Every week or every month there'll be a new subject and a new chance to learn more about you as a person.

3. Podcasts are also a chance for you to show off what you know. Like a blog for the ears the format isn't set in stone. One week you can teach. The next you can complain. The week after you can critique. The week after you can compliment. All formats are available to you. And that means that you can use them as a teaching platform. And whenever you do that you will be building your reputation as an expert in your field.

4. Podcasts are popular and a great way to keep one's mind busy. As we become a world of commuters we need to fill up our wasted time. Sitting on a train for an hour and half is frankly boring. Consumers want to have some form of learning or entertainment during that wasted time. Podcasts are both well suited and popular for that purpose.

The Benefits of Starting a Podcast   Podcast Transcription: Converting the Spoken to the Written   How to Begin Podcasting the Right Way   The Art of Podcasting