Podcast: If You Have Talent They Will Come
By Constance Weygandt

According to Information Week, the number of podcast users, in the United States is expected to increase 15 fold over the next five years, reaching 60 million by the year 2010. A podcast is an audio file which is loaded via an RSS feed to a computer, MP3 player or Ipod. Here are three compelling reasons to consider a podcast as part of your marketing strategy.

• You are able to reach a mass market. Recently, Arbitron did a study on the effectiveness of advertising on Internet broadcasts. According to this study, the monthly Internet audio and video audience represents over 51 million consumers. In Arbitron's own words: "Internet broadcast consumers spend more, are more eager to try new products and services and are a compelling advertising target."

• It has the personal touch. With a podcast you can tailor a message to a specific customer group. Topics in any area of expertise, ranging from technology to bird watching, can be posted on the Web. With this tool, you can connect with your audience in an entertaining and informative manner. If you do this effectively, you can establish a personal relationship with your customer who would then be more likely to spend their dollars on your product or service.

• It has an advantage of a lower cost and simplicity over some other marketing methods. For most people, unless you are a writer, audio is easier to produce than text. For a podcast, you need a computer, an audio program, a host and a microphone. Some companies are making this even easier by offering a package where they put together all of the needed tools, except the computer of course, for a reasonable cost. At this time, you do not need the permission of the government and there is no censorship.

There are several other factors to take into account if you are considering a podcast as a marketing tool. Be aware that you can not play copyrighted music without permission. Make sure that your sound quality is good. If the quality of your audio is sketchy, your listeners will tune out. Following that line of thought, you may want to consider a program for recording, mixing and editing your audio.

All in all, a podcast can be an effective tool used to boost sales. You can easily get your message out without concern for spam or filters associated with e-mail. Keep in mind, however, that with a podcast as all marketing tools, your market is only as good as your marketing. If you have talent, you can put together a show which fills your customer needs with your own personal touch and they will come.