Is Podcasting For You?

Regardless of the kind of business you're in, you may want to seriously consider doing a podcast. You can set up a professional-sounding podcast for a few hundred dollars, and get a great return on investment.

First of all, a podcast is a previously-recorded audio file that you make available to the public. Podcasts vary in length; some are only a few minutes, while most are in the 30-to-60 minute range. Podcasts also vary in frequency, from daily to weekly or longer.

The content of your podcast can be whatever you want it to be. It can take the same form as a radio show - with guests, music, news, etc. - or can just be a time for you to talk about your own experiences with life, business, or anything else.

So here are some reasons you should consider starting a podcast for your business:

· Additional Exposure You may have a Twitter account, be on Facebook, and have plenty of visitors to your website, but there may be people who would be exposed to your business (whether online or brick-and-mortar) through a podcast. And maybe some of your loyal customers are serious runners or have a long commute and would love to hear from you more often.

· Chance to Talk A podcast can be a way to talk about your business, the industry, your customers, or whatever is on your mind. It give you a way to better connect with your listeners in a way you may not have previously been able to.

· Minimal Investment If you already have a computer, setting up a podcast has an initial investment of a few hundred dollars (microphone, simple audio editing software, perhaps an updated sound card) and zero ongoing costs (other than your time).

· Revenue Opportunity Many podcasts have weekly sponsors. So you may want to contact your advertisers and ask if any would be interested in sponsoring your podcast for an episode, a week, a month, or longer. Then, during the episode, you can read their ad, which would mention the company ("This week's episode is sponsored by the XYZ Company"), a little about the business, and how to contact them. You can also charge people to download your podcast.

If you've decide this is something you want to undertake, here are some tips:

· Don't Charge for People to Download Even though that option is available to you, people will be more likely to listen if it's free. There are other opportunities to use your podcast for revenue, do don't worry.

· Update Regularly You shouldn't go longer than one week without doing a new episode. You can do it more often, but not less.

· Be Consistent in Length It's okay to occasionally have one that's longer or shorter, but stick with a length (anywhere between 15 minutes and an hour) so your listeners aren't too surprised.

· Have Unique Content Podcasts are a great way to give out coupon codes, talk about special offers, and promote the business. This will also give people incentive to tell their friends about your podcast so they too will listen in.

Scott Spjut is a writer and editor who has been featured in various magazines, newspapers and websites, including Newsweek, the Washington Post, CBS News and the Las Vegas Review-Journal. With a B.A. in Communications, he continues to write on a wealth of topics - politics, health and fitness, business, marketing and more. Scott currently works with Professional Marketing International helping people change their lives.