Podcasting FAQ

Another set of questions that I get from clients and potential clients relate to podcasts. Because of that, I’ve decided to create this little FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) about podcasting. As always, if you have more questions, leave them in the comments or contact me for a private consultation.

Q1. Who listens to podcasts? Isn’t it just kids in their parent’s basement with nothing else better to do?

A1. Everyone listens to podcasts, not just geeks and kids. Forrester research did a study about it, and so did Marketing Sherpa. Institutions big and small have podcasts that they put out for their audiences. To name a few: National Geographic, Adam Corolla, NPR and a slew of others.

Q2. How do you get people to find your podcast?

A2. Add keywords into the description/ title field of the podcast. Make sure that you’re calling your podcast something that people are actually looking for and that will resonate with your target audience. Ex. “For immediate release” will resonate with people in the PR world, but won’t resonate with people not in the PR field. Name your podcast something that people in your market are likely to look for.

Q3. What should I use to publish and distribute my podcast on my website?

A3. Use a blogging platform to distribute your podcast. There are several choices, but the reason you want to use a blogging platform is because the platform will handle all you feeds, help you organize your data and manage your subscribers all in one place.

Q4. Where do I syndicate my podcast?

A4. Places to syndicate from:

• feedburner.com
• libsyn.com. There are others, but those 2 should get you started.

Q5. What’s one thing that I shouldn’t forget to do whenever I publish my podcast?

A5. Don’t forget your id3 tags.

Q6. What are some other podcast directories?

A6. Here they are, in no particular order:

1. iTunes
2. Podcast alley
3. Podcast pickle
4. Odeo
5. Podnova
6. Podcast.com
   

Q7. What are some other sites that I can use to notify search engines etc. about my new podcast?

A7. What you’re looking for are called ping sites. Here’s a list of a couple of them:

1. Pingomatic.com (included by default with wordpress)
2. Pingoat.com
3. Pinger.blogflux.com
4. Autopinger.com

Q8. I’m really not sure that I want to go through the hassle of setting up a blog and so on. Is there someway that I can just practice podcasting and see if I like it?

A8. Yes, you can try some these instant podcast tools, just be aware that you’ll be limited as far as templates etc. and you won’t be able to customize your feeds.

1. Gabcast.com
2. Podomatic.com

Q9. What software do I need to edit, record and produce my podcast?

A9. There are several different options, but mainly:

1. Adobe Audition – for PC, costs around $99 for an upgrade, $349 for the full version
2. Audacity – both Mac and PC – Free
3. Garageband – Mac only, comes with iLife

Q10. What can I use podcasting for?

A10. This is a tough one to answer, but let me just list off a few of the things that you can use podcasting for:

• Training
• Premium content
  
• Product updates
• Interviews
• Lead generation
• Lead retention
• Sales

Q11. How often should I podcast?

A11. Come up with a schedule and stick to it, whether it’s once a week, once a day or once per month. Tell people how often you plan to release podcasts and then stick to them.

Q12. How long should my podcast be?

A.12 It should be as long as it needs to be, but it should have a similar length every time.

Q 13. Where do I get topic ideas from?

A. 13. From within your expertise, but you can usually setup a Google alert for topics.

Bottom line: The more podcasts the better. 40 podcasts with inbound links and associated matching posts on the site are great for page rank and listings. Make sure that you have a downloadable link for your podcast. Always have a call to action in the podcast.