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So what is a Podcast? Before we discuss how podcasting can impact your business we should first explain exactly what a podcast really is. The best way to understand a podcast is to think of it as an online radio show, in most instances more like an online talk radio show. Many people think you need an iPod or another type of MP3 Player to listen to podcasts but that is not the case at all. Anyone with a computer that has speakers and internet access can listen to a podcast just by visiting the page where the show is stored. The big differences between conventional talk radio and podcasting are as follows… 1. No Barriers to Entry - Podcasting is done online and you don’t have to deal with airwaves, the FCC, the huge cost of entry or any of those things. So unlike radio anyone with a little money and solid technical knowledge can produce a podcast. 2. No Government Regulations - Thanks to a lack of regulation and a low cost of entry podcasting enjoys a massive array of topics on just about any subject you can imagine. Podcasting represents true “free speech” for all not just those with large resources. 3. Long Promotional Life Cycle - Unlike a radio show that is broadcast only one time a podcast is typically archived and available for years after it is first published. This gives podcasters and sponsors a much longer promotional life cycle. 4. Information on Demand - Podcasts are “on demand” sources of education and entertainment so you get listeners that are very targeted to your message with out time barriers. Listeners can tune it at work, at home or download podcasts to a portable player and listen to what they want when they want. 5. Unlimited Reach - Podcasts are global! Your local exposure on a radio station is nice but podcasting reaches across the state, the nation and in fact the globe. In short podcasting is a way to use audio or video to reach more people then can be reached by radio and to make that content available on demand for as long as you choose to. With a low cost of entry and countless topics there are opportunities for any business to utilize podcasting. Many people tend to believe that podcasting is only for really technical businesses or audiences but this is not the case. Just like millions of people 2

listen to talk radio every day that don’t know the first thing about how a radio works or a radio show is produced there are millions of people that listen to podcasts every day that know nothing more technical then how to point and click a computer mouse. Additionally one does not need to produce or even run a podcast to benefit from the new technology. There are opportunities in podcasting that range simply from listening to podcasts about subjects you find interesting, being a guest speaker on a podcast or simply sponsoring podcasts that are listened to by the type of people that your business serves. Here is a break down of the different options that podcasting offers.

Just Listening There are more and more podcasts available every day and odds are there is a podcast that you will find interesting. From politics, to fine wine, to internet marketing, to sports and more there are podcasts about everything. Finding podcasts is easy, here are a few sources to find podcasts about subjects that interest you, Yahoo Podcast Search - http://audio.search.yahoo.com/audio (run your search and then select “podcasts” in the submenu) Podcast Search Service - http://www.podcastsearchservice.com/ ( a good source to find podcasts) The Podcast Directory - http://www.podcast.net/ (a good listing of many podcasts) Digital Podcast - http://www.digitalpodcast.com/ (another Podcast search engine that will find many lesser known podcasts). iTunes - http://www.apple.com/itunes/overview/?ref=http://itunes.com this is the number one source in the world to find the best podcasts. Important – I don’t know how many people have told me “I can’t use iTunes because I don’t have an iPod”. Please note that you do not need an iPod and you don’t need a Mac to use iTunes. You can download it free from apple at the above link and listen to and view any material available from the iTunes store and 99% of all podcasts on iTunes are free.

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The big thing to realize is that you have more choices then ever about where to get your information and audio entertainment today. Give listening to podcasting a try and that alone will begin to give you ideas and help you target opportunities.

Hosting Your Own Podcast If you find there isn’t a podcast that meets the niche you have an interest in one option is to create your own. The technical requirements can be learned with just a bit of effort and the cost of all the equipment you need is well under a thousand dollars. The low cost of entry makes podcasting very attractive to those with the time and resources to produce them. There are several challenges that would be podcasters should consider before making the decision to produce their own show. •

Time - There is a lot of time that is invested in producing a daily or even weekly show. In addition to having to set up a site to host your podcast on you have to schedule and plan shows, edit the audio files, arrange guests and more. None of this is really difficult just time consuming.

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Consistency – It is a challenge to stay consistent in your schedule but it is very important to building a successful long term podcast. It is important to produce your podcasts at regular intervals or you will find almost it impossible to build a real base of listeners. This one area is why most podcasts fail long term to build a real following. Weekly is probably the bare minimum of frequency to even consider.

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Sustainability - For many companies it can be a challenge to constantly come up with new subjects and topics of discussion. While almost any business can come up with several topics of discussion for many coming up with 50 a year for a weekly show is quite difficult.

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Marketing - Podcasts are basically a website with audio, they are not magic so just like any web site you have to promote and market them. So podcasting at least initially requires additional marketing resources, capital and expertise.

Fortunately for those who don’t want to or don’t have the time and resources to produce their own show there are additional options.

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Podcast Sponsorship Sponsorship of a podcast amounts to simply purchasing advertising either on a podcaster’s website and or in the actual audio of their show. There are many advantages to this type of sponsorship over conventional radio advertising. •

Highly Targeted - Podcasts tend to address specific niches and that makes their listeners very specific in demographics. So while a podcast may reach fewer people then a large radio station the listeners are generally very highly targeted and much more responsive.

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Staying Power - Podcasts are long term investments for advertisers vs. short term busts as they are on conventional radio. The podcast you sponsor today may very well continue to market your business for you for 2, 3 or even more years. There is very little incentive for a podcaster to take down an old show so you get very long term exposure for your business.

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Low Cost - The cost of sponsoring even several dozen episodes of a podcast is generally a fraction of the cost of just a few 60-second one time blurbs on conventional radio.

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Listener Loyalty - Podcasters build massive loyalty in their listener bases and are far more approachable then typical radio talent. If you want a personal endorsement from a Podcast host rather then stock voice over work, odds are all you have to do is ask.

The beauty of podcast sponsorship is that you can do it for a very low investment and it requires little more then contacting hosts and asking for their options. Pay a simple fee and make sure you are happy with your advertising and you have a long term marketing channel that can pay for itself many times over.

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Appearing as a Guest Speaker For many business people this is an excellent option and it has a lot going for it. There are a lot of attractive things about appearing as a guest on one or multiple podcasts. •

Story Telling - All you need to focus on is telling your story and answering the questions your host asks. You don’t need to worry about any technical issues or hosting, editing, scheduling or promoting of the podcast. You will of course want to notify your customers, prospects and contacts of your appearance.

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Establish Expertise - Being a guest speaker establishes you and your company as an expert on a given subject. There is a certain “clout” that comes with being a guest speaker on a show or a series of shows. In effect you get trickle down goodwill and authority from your host.

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Marketing Leverage - The owner of the show is working hard to market and build an audience for their podcast so you are able to benefit from their marketing efforts.

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Repeat Exposure - Just like podcasts continue to be replayed and live on for sponsors they can provide the same benefit to you if you are a guest on them. You can make the most of your podcast by linking to it from your website and pointing it out to your clients, contacts and site visitors at every opportunity. If you are really slick then you will use a service like PRWeb (www.prweb.com) and do a short press release about your appearance on the podcast. I promise you if you do this that the host will be happy to have you back on any time you have new content to contribute.

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Guided Success - By appearing as a guest you are able to take advantage of the experience in show creation that your hosts have. With a good host guiding you, you tell a more interesting, more entertaining and more concise story.

Guest speaking is a powerful form of marketing as savvy business owners have known for a very long time. Speaking at Chamber of Commerce Functions, Toastmasters, Charity Events and Seminars has been helping businesses grow for decades. Podcasting takes this form of marketing to a new level.

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Becoming a Regular Podcast Guest You know how some people are always on all the radio and TV talk shows. That guy that is on Fox News, AM Radio, etc who is always called in to answer questions about the economy or what have you? Getting that type of media exposure isn’t easy to pull off but getting a circuit of podcasts you can appear on often is relatively easy to do if you make it your focus. Here is a simple plan to get it done. 1. Define Your Niche - Determine your personal area of expertise/interest and your specific niches. 2. Create a Targeted List - Find as many podcasts as you can on these topics or related topics. Get creative with what is a “related topic”. 3. Listen and Learn - Download at least 4-6 episodes of each one and get a feel for the show. Please understand the show, the host and the audience before contacting them. 4. Use Professional Promotion - Put together a simple “media kit” and start emailing hosts asking if they would consider having you on as a guest. When you do this propose an angle and topic to them and tell them why you think their audience would be interested in your information. This approach is far more organized then 95% of Podcasters will ever be approached with. Not all will say yes but most will want to chat with you (they will be interested in your voice and delivery not just your knowledge). A good portion will be happy to have you on.

Creating a Media Kit Above in the last section I mentioned creating a “Media Kit” some also refer to this as a “Press Kit”. It may sound fancy but it isn’t, it is simply what your value proposition is to the media, in this case the media being podcasters. So what do you put in your media kit? 1. Guest Biography - Begin with a brief biography, you can include a bit of background, credentials etc. but this is not a place to show off with initials after your name. Stick to your relevant experience and expertise that are as specific as possible to the subject matter you want to discuss as a podcast guest.

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2. Sample Interview - Create a list of common questions, sort of a suggested base outline for an interview format. Make this only 4-10 questions max and clearly note these are just some suggested questions. 3. Past Exposure - Note any and all media coverage you and/or your company has had. Specifically note any podcasts you have done and provide links to them so that the host can evaluate you for their show. 4. Current Availability - Note your availability including times you are and are not available, your preferred duration of time for interviews and how much lead time you would need in advance of a show appearance. 5. Personal Connection - Including a headshot in your bio is a great way to personalize the presentation. Additionally provide links to your website and/or blog, you LinkedIn profile and any site or profile that has useful information about you. 6. Contact Preference - Provide your preferred methods of contact so you can easily be reached. If you provide a phone number but have an admin who takes your calls etc. make sure to note that as well so the host or his staff will know who they can expect to be speaking to.

The above can be done simply as a word document or in a PowerPoint deck (which is a really nice touch), either way it is best to convert the document to a PDF before sending it. You can use your “print” function to convert to a pdf from just about any file format. Just download a free program called “Cute PDF Writer”. You can use this even if you don’t actually have an external printer. It simply prints the document as a file to your hard drive. Cute PDF is available for free at http://www.cutepdf.com/Products/CutePDF/writer.asp

Getting a Good Pitch into Your Interviews While you should not be shilling as a guest you do have a business and or site of your own to promote so be clear about how you want to be introduced. Such as “Jack Spirko is the President of Franklin Spirko Media, an internet marketing firm in Dallas Texas”. You can bet if you script your introduction most hosts will say it almost word for word and will often use it to close down the interview as well. Honestly it makes their lives a lot easier. This is something you should do AFTER they agree to have you on by email, simply send a note asking if you could be introduced as whatever you want said.

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Additionally make sure to have a brief phone call in advance with the host if there is anyway you can. Most are very accessible and it will help establish a report between both parties. During this call you should let the host know a specific thing you heard on their show you really liked and any specific angle you think makes sense. Also make sure to request that they mention your sites address a few times during the interview. Follow this phone call up with a final email before the show, include any of the questions from the press kit you think are really good for the show and any other suggestions you have. Many times the host will provide you a question or two they are going to ask as well. This helps everyone be fully prepared and ensures a great show. Give any host a great show and they will have you back on anytime you want.

Telling Your Story Often many companies struggle with why anyone would really want to listen to what they have to say. While some thought must go into the production of a show or being a guest on one in general just about any business can produce several entertaining and informative podcasts with a bit of applied research and creativity. The keys to producing and telling a good story are.

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Provide Value - Understand that a podcast can’t be a 20 minute audio infomercial. To be successful a show must provide real value to the listener and discuss content they want to know about. The golden rule is, “a podcast is about its audience, not about you”, remember that and you will create successful shows.

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Educate and Entertain - Every person and every business has a unique area of expertise. The key is to use your unique expertise to identify and address a poorly understood or highly interesting topic and angle it in a way that makes it interesting to your target audience. Make sure to educate and entertain at the same time. These are the only two reasons anyone listens to a podcast.

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Request Feedback - Talk to your customers/listeners often and find out their interests and needs beyond your immediate service offering and attempt to address that desire for information. This is good practice for all marketing efforts; it is amazing how many businesses fail to ask their customers what is important to them.

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Listen to Podcasts - By listening to podcasts you are interested in you will begin to get ideas by seeing what works and often by realizing what makes you just “tune out”. Often the best ideas come when you listen to several podcasts and find that there is some piece of missing information that you know how to address. Keep in mind when you find a hole in what is available it is often a great opportunity to become a guest if you are not inclined to create your own show.

Podcast Creation This eBook is designed to help you understand how to use and leverage podcasting and podcasting services, not as a how to guide that tell you step by step how to build, host and edit audio/video to publish podcasts. I did want to leave you with some resources though incase you want to publish your own show. The resources below allow anyone to quickly produce podcasts with simple turn key solutions or put you on the path to complete in house production. The choice between third party services and complete production is totally up to you. The advantage of a third party service is you can tie into their existing community and most often you can start podcasting with nothing more then a phone or a headset for your PC. They are often a lot easier to have guests on from multiple locations, etc. The disadvantage is you don’t really own/control the content. While you can usually download and republish and reuse it at will your show is actually building someone else’s brand and they may have advertising rights on your show, etc. Being totally independent is more difficult, you need a platform, editing equipment and server space that will have a monthly bill attached to it. The big advantage though is you 100% control your content and its’ distribution. You can archive old material and charge a fee for it; you deal directly with any advertisers, etc. In the end the choice is yours, many podcasts test the waters with a third party service and then shift over to in house production. This limits the initial investment while you determine if podcasting is a good long term fit.

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Podcasting Resources Third Party Services – These services will get you up and running with little to no technology skills at either no or a very low cost. •

MyPodcast.com - (http://www.mypodcast.com/) Is a full complete turn key service that is free to use and publish your podcasts with.

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PodOMatic - (http://www.podomatic.com/featured) is another good turn key third party service where you can publish podcasts for free.

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BlogTalkRadio - (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/) is probably the very best of the third party providers. While there are “premium paid” options you can start your show for free and it is very easy to host call in guests, etc.

Self Service Resources – These tools are for the full do it yourself types that want 100% control of their content at all times.

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WordPress – (http://wordpress.org/) This is the popular blogging software with thousands of plugins, even if you use a third party to produce your audio/video I really recommend setting up a Wordpress blog as a place to publish your shows along with show notes that will help people find you via search engines like Google. If you use a web host that uses Cpanel and a technology called Fantastico you can install Wordpress with a few clicks. Here is a free video that shows you exactly how it is done. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W6yOY6VsRI

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PodPress – (http://www.mightyseek.com/podpress/) This plugin works with Wordpress and it a wonderful plugin to increase your podcasts reach. With podpress you can automatically notify the top directories of new podcasts (including iTunes), include a great deal of information about your audio files and publish shows seamlessly. PodPress will take some time to learn as will WordPress but both are more then worth it.

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Audacity – (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/) This is a great free audio editor, you can record very high quality audio right onto your PC and then edit in intros, exits, etc. Additionally just by going to YouTube and typing in “audacity tutorial” you can find endless free instructional videos on how to use this free tool.

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HostGator – (http://www.hostgator.com/) After talking to a lot of podcasters and checking out a lot of podcasting forums I found that most podcasters that have used HostGator are very pleased with them. They offer huge bandwidth, huge disk space and frankly badass customer service for a very low price.

Podcasting Forums – Podcasters have a huge sense of community and are quite helpful folks. These forums are worth joining, just by searching their archives you can get most questions answered and you can share ideas and ask for advice.

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Podcast Alley – (http://www.podcastalley.com/forum/index.php) Really a top notch source for information. Not as active as it once was but you can find answers to almost any question a new person might have.

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Podcast Pickle (http://www.podcastpickle.com/forums/) – Good user and publisher forum. Lots of great people, suggestions and support.

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Apple’s Podcast Forum Board – (http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=1107) - Sort out all those iTunes issues and get some great advice, suggestions and direction.

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