Every once in a while someone will come up to me and say something along the lines of "I want to have a podcast but I don't know where to start."

My response is usually "Great. Who's your audience and what are you going to say?"

And usually the response is something like a blank look and "Well, I figured I'd talk about... since that's what I'm selling." At which point I have to stop them and explain that they are ahead of themselves.

You've got to start with your audience.

You see that's one of the biggest mistakes that new internet marketers (especially information marketers) make -- they start with their product. But information marketing needs to be a niche marketing endeavor. And the word niche refers not to your product but to your customer.

When creating learning content (aka an information product) -- and a podcast is a form of learning content -- you always need to start with the audience.

Why?

Because your audience is going to be buying your podcast. They may not be paying for it with dollars (although that would be nice). But they will be paying with their most valuable asset -- their time. And you need to provide them with value for their time. Or they aren't going to be interested in downloading or listening. And they shouldn't be.

You also need to be able to motivate your audience. You need to convince them not only to download your podcast but also to listen to it. You need to convince them that this is a must have, must listen podcast. You need to convince them that not only is it valuable to them but it's absolutely necessary for them.

The way to motivate your audience to listen is by picking topics based on what motivates them. It sounds simple. And it is. You need to identify what their biggest and most immediate problem is. You need to identify what they are afraid may happen. And you need to identify what they are hoping will happen. And you need to identify what is at the front of their minds at the moment. What has their immediate interest.

But of course, that's not all you need to do.

You also need to solve, avoid or achieve. That's right you need to solve their problem with your topic. Or you need to show them how to avoid the pain that they are afraid of. Or you need to show them how to achieve their dreams.

But to do that means you need to know them.

Do you want to learn how to create information products (learning content)? Check out my new free eBook "7 Myths and Seven Tricks in Nine Steps": http://www.learningcreators.com/myths.htm

Do you want to read more free information like this? Go to my blog: http://www.learningcreators.com/blog/

Glen Ford is an accomplished consultant, trainer and writer. He has far too many years experience as a trainer and facilitator to willingly admit.

View the original article here

Are you selling information or learning content products over the internet? Or are you perhaps using a website to gain leads for your bricks and mortar consulting? Or maybe you're doing a mix and providing coaching or consulting programs through conference calls and collaboration tools.

Whatever you are doing, if it involves being an expert or providing a service, you should start podcasting.

Why?

That's a pretty strong statement after all. There has to be something to back up that statement. There has to be some solid reasoning behind such a statement.

And there is. In this article I'm going to deal with only four of the reasons that you should start podcasting. There are more reasons but these are the most important -- at least to my mind.

1. Podcasting builds credibility.

Podcasting is a repeating learning content product. It's the teleseminar equivalent of articles. But with repetition built in to reinforce the effect. Each week your customer will hear you -- not an outsourced freelance writer but you -- explain something around your product. This constant barrage of quality information will convince your audience that you can be trusted. And trust is one of the major buying criteria.

2. Podcasting builds a reputation.

For the same reason a podcast will help to build your reputation. In fact, it's just the opposite side of the equation. Not only can you be trusted but you can be trusted because you know what you are talking about. The constant repetition of quality information reinforces the fact that you know your subject.

3. Podcasting builds relationships.

Podcasting is a very personal media. Perhaps not as personal as video is but certainly much more personal than writing. It takes a gifted writer to express passion in their writing. To let your audience inside your head enough to feel what you are feeling. But we do it all day long with our voice and our body. That's why people we are close to often mistake what we are saying in our letters but seldom in conversation. (Okay, no communication is perfect. Even body language can sometimes lie. But in general it's still true). The personal nature of podcasting allows your audience to believe they know and like you. And that's the second major buying criteria.

4. Podcasting generates targeted traffic.

There are many ways of generating traffic to your opt-in or sales page. But many of them generate barely qualified traffic. Their conversion rates are unbelievably low. And that wasted traffic -- people who aren't really interested in you and your product -- costs you money. You are better off getting less traffic but increasing your conversion rate. That's the point of targeted traffic techniques such as podcasting. After all, anyone visiting you from the podcast already knows who you are, what you are selling and why they are interested. Chances are they already know they are going to buy when they show up to your site.

Do you want to learn how to create information products (learning content)? Check out my new free eBook "7 Myths and Seven Tricks in Nine Steps": http://www.learningcreators.com/myths.htm.

Do you want to read more free information like this? Go to my blog: http://www.learningcreators.com/blog/.

Glen Ford is an accomplished consultant, trainer and writer. He has far too many years experience as a trainer and facilitator to willingly admit.

View the original article here

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Podcasting is helping revolutionize the world of entertainment by empowering millions of people with the ability to create and distribute their own comedy podcast online. Popular stand up comedians like Adam Carolla, Greg Fitzsimmons and Jim Jefferies have already started podcasting as a way of expanding their reach as a performer and helping to spread their unique brand of comedy. Thru podcasting comedians who may have been stuck in a small market and never discovered now have access to a global audience. Podcasts have a variety of formats and genre, but the comedy podcast seems to be one of the more popular. Creating a comedy podcast can be broken down into three broad steps, planning your podcast, recording your podcast and distributing your podcast.

When it comes to planning your comedy podcast, the format is one of the most important decisions and should be the first one you make when creating your comedy radio program. Some comedians choose to pick a specific theme for their podcast, like Doug Benson and his I Love Movies podcast. Other comedians like Adam Carolla choose to go with a format similar to that of a traditional morning show, complete with a news girl, sound effects and interview segments. The minimalist approach has worked for some stand up comedians like Bill Burr and his Monday Morning Podcast, which features just the comedian speaking into a microphone. Successful comedy podcasts often have recurring bits, which help create a structure for the program and aids in building listener loyalty. If you aren't a seasoned comedian, or just beginning in broadcasting, I would recommend picking a genre that you have some experience on or at least a lot of strong opinions. Starting a comedy podcast that doesn't focus on one specific theme, may be too overwhelming for someone just starting out.

Recording your comedy podcast can be done through a number of ways but the easiest way involves setting up some microphones and having them plugged into a recording device or a computer. You'll want a room that is not only quiet, but will also provide solid acoustics for your comedy radio recording. You will need to make sure that the microphones are spaced out properly to avoid feedback and that the microphones are held in a stand to make it easier to talk. The microphones can be mixed using a simple mixer, and that feed can be sent into the computer which will be recorded using a software program. Having someone monitor the podcast as it's been recording, is also important. You wouldn't want to waste an entire hour performing a comedy radio show, only to realize that the audio is unusable. Garage Band, is a popular program that many people use to record their podcasts. After you've finished recording, you can edit it down if you'd like with an audio program, I recommend the program GoldWave.

Now that you've planned and recorded your comedy podcast, the next step is getting it distributed. First your comedy radio show must be uploaded to a central location for download, whether it is your personal website or a free file server there are plenty of options when it comes to housing your podcast. Publicizing your comedy podcast there are a multitude of options, Facebook, Twitter and iTunes are great ways to get people to check out your podcast. There are even podcasts out there that review other podcasts, you can submit your show to them for review and a good way to gain more exposure. Posting your comedy podcast on iTunes requires a separate tutorial that can be found at Apple.com. Additionally a great way to get your comedy radio program noticed is to be a guest on other people's podcast, or to post on forums to generate listeners to your podcast.

Now that you've planned, recorded and distributed your comedy podcast you can repeat the same formula for the next episode. Or if the formula needs tweaking make adjustments, but the keep to a successful comedy podcast is consistency. People get accustomed to enjoying a show and you want to keep them coming back and continuing to listen. As far as monetizing the podcast, seek out advertisers or affiliate programs as a way to generate revenue. Many comedy podcasts are not yet profitable, however with the seismic shift to online advertising those days could be few and far between, so strike while the iron is hot and start your own comedy podcast.

Sean Green is a hilarious stand up comedian that performs regularly on the LA comedy stages. Listen to Sean's show, one of the best comedy podcasts The Green Room with Sean Green at http://www.seantgreen.com

Every once in a while someone will come up to me and say something along the lines of "I want to have a podcast but I don't know where to start."

My response is usually "Great. Who's your audience and what are you going to say?"

And usually the response is something like a blank look and "Well, I figured I'd talk about... since that's what I'm selling." At which point I have to stop them and explain that they are ahead of themselves.

You've got to start with your audience.

You see that's one of the biggest mistakes that new internet marketers (especially information marketers) make -- they start with their product. But information marketing needs to be a niche marketing endeavor. And the word niche refers not to your product but to your customer.

When creating learning content (aka an information product) -- and a podcast is a form of learning content -- you always need to start with the audience.

Why?

Because your audience is going to be buying your podcast. They may not be paying for it with dollars (although that would be nice). But they will be paying with their most valuable asset -- their time. And you need to provide them with value for their time. Or they aren't going to be interested in downloading or listening. And they shouldn't be.

You also need to be able to motivate your audience. You need to convince them not only to download your podcast but also to listen to it. You need to convince them that this is a must have, must listen podcast. You need to convince them that not only is it valuable to them but it's absolutely necessary for them.

The way to motivate your audience to listen is by picking topics based on what motivates them. It sounds simple. And it is. You need to identify what their biggest and most immediate problem is. You need to identify what they are afraid may happen. And you need to identify what they are hoping will happen. And you need to identify what is at the front of their minds at the moment. What has their immediate interest.

But of course, that's not all you need to do.

You also need to solve, avoid or achieve. That's right you need to solve their problem with your topic. Or you need to show them how to avoid the pain that they are afraid of. Or you need to show them how to achieve their dreams.

But to do that means you need to know them.

View the original article here

Podcasting is basically information presented in an audio format that can be downloaded and listened to at one's convenience. There are a number of reasons why you could become a podcaster: You might want to share your passion, for example music or movies, with a larger audience; you might want to advertise your business; or you could take up podcasting as a business.

The Work

Creating a podcast is a relatively simple task. You need a microphone plugged into your computer and audio recording software. You just have to record an audio file and save it on your computer in an.mp3 format. The last step is to upload the file on a podcasting site. You will also need to know how to create RSS files and upload them.

Before you start recording your podcast, make notes on the topic you want to talk about. Content is still king and listeners get bored easily if they feel you have nothing interesting to say. Play around with ideas for settings. You don't necessarily have to record podcasts in the same place every time. The length of a podcast is important. If used to market a product, it should be about 5 minutes long. Once you start podcasting, be regular. For example, recording a podcast twice a month is reasonable and practical.

Start Up Cost

You can start a podcasting business with less than $100. The start up cost depends on the type of equipment you purchase. Here is the basic equipment you'll need to start podcasting:

Microphone: You will need to get a durable and flexible microphone. There are many varieties available and the price differs according to type.Mixer: Small mixers with four units will suit almost every podcast recording. Again, there are many varieties of mixers, and you have to pick one that is best for you.Soundcard: It is important for high quality sound.Audio software: It is one of the most basic elements of podcasting. With the right software, you will be able to record the podcast, save, and edit it. Sound can also be manipulated for greater effect.

How to Market It

Market your podcast to a target audience. Participate in forums and add a link to your podcast under your signature. Think about investing in banner ads. Some of the smaller community sites sell these ads for a very reasonable price. You can also charge people to listen to your podcast. But with all the free podcasts available, this could be a difficult proposition. You could make submissions of your podcast to podcast directories. Send your podcast URL to different search engines. To do this successfully, keywords play an important role. You could also contact webmasters of sites that deal with topics similar to yours and exchange links. Apart from marketing your podcast online, you could also send a press release to your local newspaper, television, and radio stations informing them about your podcast.

View the original article here

Podcasting is basically information presented in an audio format that can be downloaded and listened to at one's convenience. There are a number of reasons why you could become a podcaster: You might want to share your passion, for example music or movies, with a larger audience; you might want to advertise your business; or you could take up podcasting as a business.

The Work

Creating a podcast is a relatively simple task. You need a microphone plugged into your computer and audio recording software. You just have to record an audio file and save it on your computer in an.mp3 format. The last step is to upload the file on a podcasting site. You will also need to know how to create RSS files and upload them.

Before you start recording your podcast, make notes on the topic you want to talk about. Content is still king and listeners get bored easily if they feel you have nothing interesting to say. Play around with ideas for settings. You don't necessarily have to record podcasts in the same place every time. The length of a podcast is important. If used to market a product, it should be about 5 minutes long. Once you start podcasting, be regular. For example, recording a podcast twice a month is reasonable and practical.

Start Up Cost

You can start a podcasting business with less than $100. The start up cost depends on the type of equipment you purchase. Here is the basic equipment you'll need to start podcasting:

Microphone: You will need to get a durable and flexible microphone. There are many varieties available and the price differs according to type.Mixer: Small mixers with four units will suit almost every podcast recording. Again, there are many varieties of mixers, and you have to pick one that is best for you.Soundcard: It is important for high quality sound.Audio software: It is one of the most basic elements of podcasting. With the right software, you will be able to record the podcast, save, and edit it. Sound can also be manipulated for greater effect.

How to Market It

Market your podcast to a target audience. Participate in forums and add a link to your podcast under your signature. Think about investing in banner ads. Some of the smaller community sites sell these ads for a very reasonable price. You can also charge people to listen to your podcast. But with all the free podcasts available, this could be a difficult proposition. You could make submissions of your podcast to podcast directories. Send your podcast URL to different search engines. To do this successfully, keywords play an important role. You could also contact webmasters of sites that deal with topics similar to yours and exchange links. Apart from marketing your podcast online, you could also send a press release to your local newspaper, television, and radio stations informing them about your podcast.

View the original article here