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Podcasting
by Sophie L. Gibson

Unless you have been away from planet earth for a while you have probable heard much talk about podcasts or podcasting. Just in case you have been away… podcasting is now the latest way to listen to media.  The portable music revolution was led by Apples iPod and now has as many as 20 million portable audio devices worldwide. Podcasting is showing signs of becoming a powerful new channel for businesses to communicate with their customers. If content can now be consumed online via iPods and other MP3 players, why wouldn’t marketers want to incorporate this channel into their marketing mix.

Podcasting is another form of downloading audio media files to any portable device including your home PC.  A Podcast consists of high resolution MP3 or other audio files wrapped in a RSS feed, RSS or really simple scripting is widely used on the web as a means to create news feeds or product updates. This RSS feed is exactly the same XML code as the one you can get CNN news through.

Is this the future?

Podcast and blogging, usually go hand in hand providing a very cost effective way for marketers to target and reach consumers, drive usage and build brand awareness. By adding a blog to your podcast you will have created a two-way street of communication between your brand and your customer giving you immediate interaction and credibility.
Many companies are actively working on producing and packaging podcasting for resale. Podcasting uses RSS feeds to syndicate content so it's easy to find and obtain online. Do keep in mind however as you create podcasts that copyright laws are in full effect even in this new environment, especially if you use commercial music.  To make things easier always seek out using royalty free music first.

Before joining this growing army of podcasters please consider these points:

• An Audio File. Once downloaded, a podcast is an audio file. The subscriber can only listen. They can’t click, fill out a form, or navigate anywhere else.
• Ad Spending.  Podcast ad spending is projected to grow at an astounding compound annual rate of 150 percent over the next few years.
• Podcast listeners are young. Podcast downloads are more popular among the 25-34 group, followed by users in the 18-24 and 35-44 age groups.