What is podcasting and why is it so popular?
How come I’ve never heard of it before?
Who uses it?
Why would I want to know more about it?
How can it help me?
Can it help improve my business?
Can I make money from it?
Is it safe to do or can I get a computer virus?
Does it take a lot of work?
Can I use my palm device or smartphone to hear podcasts? Will it still be around in the future?
What You Need to Know
Introduction
What is podcasting?
How can I understand podcasting?
How does it work?
All the history you need to know… and nothing else Advantages/Disadvantages
How can podcasting help your business? Similar concepts
The future of podcasting
Take Action
Useful sites
Do it now! – for personal podcasters Do it now! – for business podcasters
Wrap up
Summary
Watch your step
The three things you need to know Stay tuned…
The term “podcasting” can be confusing to some people, because it draws its origin from the combination of the word “iPod” and the word “broadcast.” While you do not need an iPod to enjoy podcasting, the term probably caught on for convenience, and its audible similarity to the word “broadcast.”
>>>TECHNICAL TERM: PODCASTBy the end of this book you'll know what podcasting is, be able to find and enjoy podcasts at your convenience, and have the chance to do your very own podcasting! The technical "stuff" is not as scary as some people might think, and you’ll be surprised how easy it is to get involved. So if you're afraid that it might be too technical over your head, keep reading!
>>>SECRETS OF THE PROS! DON’T LET FEAR STAND IN YOUR WAY!Although we'll get into the technical terms later, podcasting is an audio file that you can listen to on your computer or on a portable device. Note that it does not have to be an iPod, but can be almost any kind of portable audio device, also referred to as an MP3 player. An MP3 player, though, is also a misnomer because these devices will often play more than just MP3 files.
>>>TECHNICAL TERM: IPOD >>>TECHNICAL TERM: PORTABLE AUDIO DEVICE >>>TECHNICAL TERM: MP3
How can I understand podcasting?If you were to ask someone on the street what podcasting is, most of them will not have any idea what you are talking about. They will ask if you said "broadcasting." You might explain to them that it is a special audio file that you can listen to on your MP3 player. But even then you would not be doing it justice. Here are some other ways of understanding what podcasting is.
In the introduction section you were probably reminded of your childhood when the people in your household fought over the sections of the newspaper that had been delivered to your door. If you can imagine that same newspaper, rather than being delivered in one section to your front door, but being packaged up in individual sections for each member of your family, with the sections that are not read left out completely.
That is one way to think of podcasting: the information that you are interested in delivered to you, without the stuff you don't want. Some people have called podcasting TiVo radio.
Another way to think of podcasting is like a radio program that is only about your specific interests and when you click the link or synchronize your MP3 player with your computer, it gets downloaded to you automatically.
>>>TECHNICAL TERM: SYNCHRONIZEIt’s like you’re the owner of the radio station. You tell the DJ what you want to hear and they’ll play it for you. All news? All sports? Regular updates on the financial markets? Entertainment news? Information on your industry? No problem, it’s all at your personal DJ’s fingertips and in moments it’s playing in your ears.
And a third way to think of podcasting is a targeted audio program for businesses to add value to their customers and prospects, and for organizations to pass information on to their users. >>>SECRETS OF THE PROS! ADD VALUE TO YOUR CUSTOMER’S LIVESHowever you think of podcasting, other people will still give you a funny look because it is still in its infancy. In fact, the term "podcasting" was only coined in 2004! It won’t be long, though, and everyone will be talking about it.
How does it work?Essentially, podcasting allows you to select the things you'd like to listen to, subscribe to them, have them downloaded to your computer or portable audio device, and listen to them when you want to. Once you’ve subscribed, they will update automatically for you, like a magazine you don’t think about until the subscription arrives in your mailbox every month.
What is the advantage of a podcast over other types of broadcasting? Podcasts assimilate radio, portable CD players, and satellite radio, into one convenient format, and allow new uses not previously available. So what is it that you can listen to? What kinds of podcasting are available? The answer to those questions is this: everything you can possibly imagine! You will be amazed at the volume and variety of podcasts out there and the possibilities that exist.
Just as the Internet has allowed pretty much anybody to create visual files of information and entertainment, called web pages, podcasting has allowed virtually anybody to create audio files of information and entertainment. While the technical details are not important here, all someone needs in order to become a podcaster is a computer and an Internet hook-up. You don’t even need a microphone to create your first podcast. (You may want to get one later, but you don’t need one now). In fact, if you have a telephone and can browse the Internet, you will be able to listen to podcasts and even create your first podcast by the end of the next chapter! Who can podcast? Anyone can podcast! We’ll go into much greater detail later about who might want to podcast, but generally speaking, there are several reasons why everyone would want to podcast:
• Organizations like churches and nonprofits will podcast to keep people up to date with what’s going on, providing news, seminars and speeches, meeting transcriptions, etc.• Businesses will podcast to maintain their name in the marketplace, offer information on products or strategies, and position themselves as the expert in their industry.
• Individuals will podcast if they have something to say to the world. Opinions, rants, and artistic offerings are all fair game in podcasting.
Podcasting formats are as varied as the types of podcasts available. Some podcasts are like monologues where one person simply shares their ideas into a microphone for the listener to hear. Other podcasts are a dialogue between two or more people and may or may not follow format. Some podcasts are unscripted while others seem to be very scripted. Podcasting contain music, interviews, and while audio podcasts are quite popular now, audio/video podcasts are slowly gaining popularity as well.
All the history you need to know… and nothing elseThe history of podcasting is well chronicled. But you’re not reading this book to get a history lesson. You’re reading this book to develop a new hobby or business or enhance an existing one. So we’ve condensed the information here so you can get up to speed in about thirty seconds.
The idea of sending files of sound over the Internet is not new. It was just a matter of taking existing elements, like MP3 and RSS, and reworking them to allow technological visionaries to create a new form of communication.
>>>TECHNICAL TERM: RSSPersonal web journals called web logs, or “blogs” have been around for a while so people could voice opinions and provide information to others. People use these blogs as a personal platform so it was only natural to add files of sound to their textual offering.
>>>TECHNICAL TERM: BLOG RSS was a file format for sending sound but was not extensively used. It was developed into RSS-with-enclosures, allowing someone to attach MP3 files.When attached to an RSS file, these sound files could be sent automatically to subscribers, people who were interested in hearing what the person had to say, and downloaded to be heard at their convenience.
The term “podcasting” was coined in 2004 and in just a few months it went from being an unknown concept and an uninvented word to a Google-search result in the millions! Podcasts are springing up nearly every day, like weeds. But good weeds!
Now everyone is jumping on board the podcasting bandwagon from politicians, pundits, professionals, producers, and even pornographers. Anyone with something to say or a product or service to sell or an opinion to share can podcast… and many already are!
Advantages/DisadvantagesPodcasting, just like any other technology, has advantages and disadvantages. There is one primary factor that is both an advantage and a disadvantage at the same time: podcasting is the unexplored country, the Wild West of technology. This means that anyone with something to say has an opportunity to say it, whether they have political views they want to share at the world, or success tips to help people improve their lives. And the result is you’re going to get podcasts which provide real value and podcasts which waste your time and podcasts which could potentially offend. You'll get podcasts with nothing to say and podcasts that say way too much. Until a regulatory body is established that will bring some structure to the industry, podcasting is open to anyone and everyone who wants to get in on it, whether the things they have to say are of value to people or not. This is both an advantage and a disadvantage at the same time. Seeing what kind of podcasts are out there, though, and selectively choosing the ones you want, will allow you to take advantage… of the advantage!
How can podcasting help your business?If you have a business, podcasting has many applications that allow you to get in front of your customers, get your name out there, and ultimately make you more money. Later in the book we’ll show you ways that you can use podcasting to add value to your customer’s lives. And at the end of this book we’ll show you 10 ways that will help you make money with podcasting whether you own a big business or small one. It's a great way to boost your business with a very small investment of money and time.
If you are not ready to make the leap to full-time podcaster, there are other ideas that we’ve included in our “business podcasting” suggestions. For example, you can podcast on an area of the industry you currently work in as an employee. Show yourself to be interested in learning more about the business and you could find yourself considered as an up-and-comer when the next round of promotions happens at your office.
Alternatively, you can moonlight outside of your job as a podcaster. You can do this on a free basis as a hobby or in the capacity of an entrepreneur looking to eventually build your part-time business into a full-time career. You’ll learn much more about these options later in the book.
Similar conceptsPalmcasting is a similar concept to podcasting, except it applies to PDA devices which can receive and play podcasts. Punchcasting is a way of receiving podcasts in your smartphone without having to sync it onto your computer first. It requires that you have a smartphone with RSS.
>>>TECHNICAL TERM: PALMCASTING >>>TECHNICAL TERM: PUNCHCASTING >>>TECHNICAL TERM: SMARTPHONE
The future of podcastingThe future of podcasting is wide open right now because it is still a fledgling industry without a regulatory body. While podcasting is just catching on and only a couple years old, people are already talking about “zencasting” or “vidcasting” which is similar to podcasting but contains video as well.
>>>TECHNICAL TERM: ZENCASTING >>>TECHNICAL TERM: VIDCASTINGBut it doesn’t stop there. Visionaries will see beyond podcasting and even though it is exciting and new, technology advances so rapidly that it will get old very quickly. What is around the corner and how will podcasting influence it?
Soon, we may find highly interactive vidcasts that are automatically made available to us without us having to subscribe to them, based simply on our browsing or online buying habits and the technology will be streamlined enough that computers will automatically come with the programs that go out and “catch” the podcasts without having to download additional programs.
Take Action!http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcasting
Wikipedia is an online open encyclopedia that collects and synthesizes information. Anyone can contribute and add to pages so it provides real value as an ongoing source of information. If you want to learn more about podcasting and many of the related terms and technologies, go here.
http://www.ipodder.org/
This site is one of the original and most popular sites available on the internet for podcasters. It acts as a directory for people interested in listening to podcasts, although it can be difficult to navigate around if you want to find other information than what’s on their main page. Visually, it is so-so but it is a pioneer in the podcasting industry.
http://www.podcasting-tools.com/
This is an excellent site about podcasting and takes you through everything from an introduction to how-to-podcast as well as the technical aspects of podcasting. It doesn’t look great but it’s quite functional and informative.
http://www.apple.com/podcasting/
Apple, from whose product podcasting derives its name, has a very visually pleasing site on podcasting. It is fairly comprehensive and even a non-apple owner should find useful information and links there.
http://www.podcastingnews.com/
This might be a little advanced for the beginner, but it is an excellent and comprehensive news site devoted solely to podcasting news. Once you’re familiar with podcasting and want to really benefit from the industry and stay on top of it, this should be in your “favorites” folder.
http://www.podcastpickle.com/
This is an excellent site about podcasting and it doesn’t take itself too seriously. It claims to be the best on the Internet and that is probably a fairly accurate claim. It’s definitely one of the best. And very comprehensive, too.
1. After reading this chapter, go online and check out some of the sites to see what other kinds of information is out there.
2. Think about two or three areas of interest you have that you might like to hear podcasts of. What kind of hobbies do you have? Are there places you like to travel? What do you like to do in your spare time? What do you spend your money on? Thinking ahead on what you’d like to hear will help you stay focused through the myriad of podcasts available.
3. Come back and read the next chapter to learn about how you can download podcasts and start listening right away!4. Also, start thinking about an area you might like to podcast in as well. Don’t worry about how just yet, just think about what might be interesting to you!
Take it to the next level
If you are really excited about the opportunity to podcast, then take a moment to select two or three topics and start brainstorming some subtopics that might be interesting to podcast on. It doesn't have to be perfect yet, since you'll be working on it a bit more in the next chapter and in the chapters to come, but it's a good idea to get some thoughts on paper.
Do it now! – For business podcasters1. After reading this chapter, go online and check out some of the sites to see what other kinds of information is out there.
2. Think about two or three areas of interest you have that you might like to hear podcasts of. Specifically, think about an area you’d like to improve in your business, like marketing for example. What is your competition doing?
3. Come back and read the next chapter to learn about how you can download podcasts and start listening right away!4. Think about an area of your business or industry that you might be able to host a regular podcast about.
Take it to the next level
You can probably already see some opportunities for you to start a business or increase your current business through podcasting. If you have finished step 4 (above) then you may want to create some subtopics under each heading to start thinking about specific podcasts that you can do.
Wrap-upPodcasting is a new and exciting combination of existing technologies that allows people to hear information on topics of interest to them. Podcasting is a blossoming opportunity and everyone is getting on board. It benefits the podcaster as an opportunity to be heard. It benefits you as the listener, as a way to get only the information you want and to listen to when and where you want. And, podcasting is an opportunity for the entrepreneur to develop into a part time or even full time business.
Watch your stepPodcasting is an unregulated medium which means no standards or quality control. People can turn to the medium if they find regulations keep them from sharing their views on other forms of media. That means that not all podcasts will have content that you or your children will want to hear. Be sure to monitor what podcasts your family members hear, and be prepared you weed through the many podcasts out there right now.
The three things you need to know1. Podcasts can be an informative way of learning or being entertained while giving you the greatest amount of control on what to listen to and when or where to listen.
2. Podcasting is a great tool to be used by individuals, business, and organizations looking to connect with other people in a way that can add value to the lives of interested and dedicated subscribers.
3. Podcasting is still in its early stages, so learning about it now will help you cash in on the opportunities that lie just around the bend in the road.Stay tuned…
In the next chapter we’ll talk about how you can start enjoying podcasts today and how you can start podcasting. It’s easier than you think! In fact, it will probably take you longer to read the next chapter than it will to listen to your first podcasts and create your own!
And later, you’ll find out how you can make really good podcasts for personal or business use.