Podcasting Cheat Sheet
Podcasts are growing in popularity and provide fantastic content for websites, so long as you do it right. Although recording, editing and uploading podcasts can seem technical, it is relatively straightforward.
What are podcasts?
Podcasts are audio files playable either via websites or downloadable as mp3 files for playing on portable mp3 players, such as iPods. You can find a number on this site as an example, but many leading media agencies – such as the BBC, Guardian and thousands of smaller publishers, make podcasts available as downloads or as playable audio from their site.
Why podcast?
Podcasts enable you to add a human touch to your website. You can speak directly to your audience about your product or service and provide ‘how to’ guides, for example. In an economy where mp3 players enjoy widespread use, it also means that people can listen to podcasts whenever and wherever they want. People seem to take in information more easily when spoken to rather than absorbing reams of written information; for example, studies from the US imply that students who didn’t attend university classes but listened to the lectures via podcast in their own time actually performed better in exams than those that simply attended and didn’t play the courses back via podcasts.
You can also really extend your reach via iTunes. A global audience which probably wasn’t aware of your brand before could be looking through the iTunes Store for podcasts on your field of expertise – now’s your chance to shine!
What equipment do I need to podcast?
There are just a few things you need to get going. These include:
- A good microphone (£50+) or headset (£25+), preferably with a USB connection to your computer for sound quality purposes
- Editing suite (£30+) – this software sits on your computer and is effectively a digital editing studio which enables you to cut your recording to make a smooth, seamless podcast
- Podcast host (free up to a limit) – there are a number of hosts which will enable you to store your podcasts online and provide you with code which you can insert into your website to act as a podcast player
- Great content!
It’s essential that you have an interesting subject matter to talk about. Have a listen to a few casts to see what keeps you tuned in or turns you off, and find presentation styles to emulate as well as avoid. Once you’ve scripted or planned something to podcast around, think about your delivery. Often the most engaging podcasts are those which involve two or more people in a discussion or interview format. One person on their own – audio book style – can sound like a monologue and may not capture listeners’ attention for long.
The cast can be as long as you want it to be but remember that with your podcast host you’ll need to pay for storage so the bigger the file, the bigger your bill. Also, remember your audience’s attention span may not be as long as you’d like so keep the content focussed and to the point.
Editing
Once you’ve got the material you need to cut it with an editing suite. There are a number out there on the market of varying quality so shop around and play with some free demos for usability before buying a full version. You should not need to pay more than £50 for a decent, basic suite which will fulfil your editing needs.
Cut and splice away until you’re happy with your podcast, then convert it to an mp3 file, which is compatible with iPhones, PCs and other audio playing devices.
Hosting and Distribution
Now you’ve got your mp3 file you’ll want to distribute it. Hosting services such as Podbean and Libsyn enable you to create a podcast channel and upload your audio files. Here you can categorise your podcast to help you hit the right audiences and they’ll even provide you with what’s known as an RSS feed, which will enable your content to be made available on the iTunes Store.
Download iTunes onto your computer if you haven’t already and enter the iTunes Store. Under podcasts you’ll see an option in the bottom right of the interface inviting you to submit your RSS feed. Once iTunes has approved your feed and content, which will take a few days, your podcasts will appear in the iTunes store and every time you add a new podcast via your host it will automatically appear in the iTunes store. Subscribers to your podcast channel will see your new episodes automatically downloading onto their iTunes podcast libraries.
For more on the subject, listen to our podcast with Alex Bellinger, founder of small business website SmallBizPod.
Further reading:
http://www.b2bm.biz/Features/SOCIAL-MEDIA-The-power-of-the-podcast/
http://www.smallbizpod.co.uk/blog/2007/04/27/how-to-podcast-for-small-businesses/
http://hivelogic.com/articles/podcasting-equipment-guide-2009/
