Entrepreneurs: Podcasts - one way to deliver business and marketing news.

[Arvo Lennart Vercamer]

What is podcasting? Basically, a podcast is an audio file that is shared with others. One can subscribe to podcasts much as one does to e-newsletters. The original message is recorded on to an audio file and placed on a server, where subscribers can then access it through their computers or MP3 players, often via an RSS feed.

From a business and marketing perspective - why use podcasts? Because podcasting is a great business and marketing tool that one can use to help raise the profile of one's products/services via the Internet. Today, one can subscribe to a myriad of podcasts topics - sports, music, politics, hobbies, just about any topic imaginable. A benefit of podcasting is that a podcast is often perceived to be more personal than an e-newsletter because subscribers can hear a persons voice - which allows them to make a more personal connection. This is one of the leading reasons that podcasting is an ideal solution for many business and marketing applications. For business and marketing applications, some of the following benefits of podcasting come to mind:

- Adding a personal touch/voice to your business.
- Achieving trusted advisor status with your clients and prospects.
- Becoming a resource for (podcast) users, who are interested in the content of your podcasts.
- Being perceived as an expert on a given topic in your field of expertise.
- Establishing a consistent branded communication channel with your target audience.
- Extending your brand identity on the Internet.
- Increasing loyalty from podcast listener/subscribers.

Publishing a regular podcast can help keep your business as a market sector leader. The more useful information a podcast can provide, the better it will be accepted by its audiences. A key point to remember is that podcasts, like e-newsletters, need to be "published" on a regular basis.

Have you considered implementing podcasts to enhance your business?