Podcasting has become as popular as blogging possibly due to the fact you can download and listen to the content at a more convenient time. If it is going to be played back through an MP3 player and headphones, the sound quality needs to be spot on. It really isn’t that difficult to produce quality podcasts in minutes.

Your first requirement is a decent microphone. Quality podcasting relies on a quality recording. You also need to either filter out unwanted background noises or use a recording area that provides a quiet recording environment. Avoid unwanted background noises however don’t go overboard and record in rooms that sound hollow or produce slight echoes.

Using music or related sound effects to introduce and end the podcast adds that little touch of quality and professionalism. The overall effect is a more enjoyable podcasting experience for your users. There are many podsafe music directories where podcasters can purchase music that is royalty free; this avoids any recurring charges when using the music in a podcast.

Use a title that is not only catchy but also related to the content. Podcasts can be found through search engines so you need to package and market the finished product as you would your web site including the use of keywords in the title.

Podcasts can be ideal vehicles to promote your products particulalry if you can provide ‘how to’ podcasts. These ‘how to’ podcasting files are ideal for users to take to a problem where they can listen and follow the steps. Sometimes you just cannot take your laptop with you.

By provide your users with a polished podcasting experience they will return for more. Gain a loyal following of listeners and you will have the perfect vehicle to promote your product. The spoken word can be very effective in the field of subtle persuasion.

Podcasting has rapidly become an integral part of the internet with many companies using the technology to deliver the same message to thousands of people. One of the features of a podcast is that it can be created and delivered automatically.

Many users sign up to receive podcasts automatically from their favorite site. Give them a reason to listen to yours and they may well sign up to receive it. Podcasting your products is not going to win admirers, create a series of how to’s or question and answer type podcasts and you may hit on a winner. Leave a link to the podcast on your site and it may draw listeners many months after its release.

Podcasts can easily be distributed using online ads, directories, websites, RSS feeds and emails. They are easy to record with a minimum of equipment and software. Find a quiet room with reasonable acoustics and you are set to go.

When creating a podcast, keep in mind that it should be targeted towards your potential customers and what their needs are. A good introduction to your business is important and you may well add a short description of your services or products. Stay focused on how your services or products can help your customers and what your business can do for them.

Podcasting gives Internet users the ability to do listen while doing other things as the files can be downloaded to any MP3 player. If a potential customer is busy and not able to sit at a computer for hours, they are most likely to download the podcast for later use.

There is good evidence that podcasting is becoming an effective marketing tool and that it will only grow stronger and more successful in the future. As the sales of mp3 players continues to increase and more people become familiar with the Internet, old methods of marketing are disappearing into the background.

Podcasting is offering a quick, easy and inexpensive way to reach thousands of customers. Given the inexpensive and easy creation options, podcasting should be considered by all webmasters looking to add to their marketing strategies.

Is it worth your time to get into podcasting? Instat.com says that 182 million MP3 players were shipped in 2006, up 42% from 2005. Probably the main reason is that so much cheap, legitimate music is available online … but it also means your own market is probably buying more and more of the exact social networking media you can use to communicate to them. Projection for 2011: 275 million players shipped!

If you have a business, or a blog, or any sort of web presence, podcasting means just connecting a microphone to your computer and talking about your business.

Why? Several reasons:

• You’ll reach new people, many of whom you’d have never connected with otherwise.
• A lot of people download MP3s to play while they drive or work out.
• When they hear your voice, podcasting helps you build “know, like, & trust” a lot quicker than on a webpage.
• Podcasts are opt-in, so you are reaching only your targeted market.
• Your presentation marks you as a leader, an authority in your field.
• Your “prospects” have the option to listen when at a time convenient for them.
• You can state in your podcast that all questions “received by tomorrow” will be answered on the next podcast - giving your market a strong reason to contact you.

To do a podcast, all you need is a good microphone and audio editing software (available free online - do a Google search). So the cost of entry is almost zero. And you can post your audio files on your website, or give them away as a lead-generator on your site.

Two caveats:

1. Don’t record a commercial. Make it a session of valuable instruction or hard-to-find information. When your podcast gives real value, people will bond with you.
2. Plan on regular podcasts. Don’t do “one and done.” When you do a regular podcast, you have the opportunity to build a base of raving fans.

It’s pretty tough to lose when you do podcasting. Even if you make zero money, you get either more products to sell or more valuable items to give away to customers or prospects. Long-term, podcasting is a big plus.

(Source) The U.S. podcast audience hit 18.5 million in 2007 and is on track to increase 251 percent to 65 million in 2012, eMarketer estimates.

Podcasting has been on the rise since its inception, but this looks like a bigger jump than one would expect. It makes sense, though. More people are starting to pick up on the potential of podcasting and Internet radio. I believe there is huge potential here for advertising if approached from the right perspective.

If you are in an industry where you can expect a lot of listeners to tune into you each week then you can start your own podcast radio show. It’s really simple. You just need a digital recorder or a computer with a microphone. Download Audacity for free to do your recording and you can do all of your editing within Audacity. To monetize your radio show you can sell sponsorships. If you got $5 per show from three sponsors that’s $15 per week and about an hour of your time for a 30 minute show.

You can market your show through one of several podcasting directories. But you’ll also want to upload your podcasts to your own website. It’s not hard. You just upload them the same way you would any other file. The main things to consider are the capability of your host and how much capacity you have for saving files.  When it comes to social marketing, podcasting can benefit greatly.

Mark ‘Rizzn’ Hopkins, one of the chief writers at Mashable, laments the lack of advertisers in podcasting. Does that mean podcasting isn’t a viable business model?

I don’t think so. It may be difficult to get advertisers, or sponsors, for your podcasts, but I don’t think it’s impossible. Even if you can’t profit from the advertising, you can turn your podcasts into a marketing vehicle. Contrary to popular opinion, viral video marketing hasn’t killed podcasting. It’s just one more medium and you can use it to effectively market your business. Here are some ideas to help you understand how podcasting can be used as a marketing tool:

• Produce a weekly podcast radio show that covers important changes in your industry.
• Make an instructional podcast as a free download for your customers. This won’t work for every business. But it could work for yours. This will work well if you have a good voice for audio, you are not photogenic or amenable to video marketing, or your topic doesn’t fit in well with the video visual presentation format.
• Interview someone in your field who is prominent and has a name. If you find the right person to interview, you might be able to find a sponsor for the podcast who will pay you just for your time. Or you can share the podcast with others in your industry and allow them to download, distribute or use your podcasts any way they like as long as they give you attribution.

There are any number of ways you can use podcasting, but the most powerful seems to be as a free distribution vehicle for your audio content. Advertisers or no advertisers, if you can get new targeted traffic to your website using podcasts then why wouldn’t you?