Podcasting - The 10 Minute Traffic Generator And Credibility Builder
Although podcasting has been around for a number of years, it didn't really become popular until about three years ago, when Apple Corporation created its iPod music player.. Podcasting is just an audio recording of text - frequently a blog - that can be played on an mp3 device or on a computer. The term "podcasting" is a mixture of the terms "iPod" and "broadcasting".
Making a podcast doesn't need to be difficult or overwhelming. If you want to just improvise, as happens quite often, all you need is a decent microphone and recording device you can also edit audio on. It's also useful to have a way to convert the recorded audio into mp3 format to make it widely available for listeners. Recording doesn't take long, particularly if there isn't a need for precision.
Nevertheless, if you want to record some organized text, a teleprompter is extremely useful in presentng notes in such a way as to make the reading procedure easier. Professional broadcasters use this type of device while their newscasts are on the air. Seeing the page in front of you and automatically scrolling as you read and verbalize makes the complete task easier.
Since podcasting handles sound, be sure to check that your volume level is consistent all the way through and the final result is audible and you can hear it OK. Eliminate of extra sounds before you start, if you can. If you cannot, do not panic as these can be edited out of the final recording, if necessary. You can also include background, such as music, but ensure you are not using a track that requires a royalty payment or similar charge. There are probably hundreds of web sites specifically designed to make royalty-free tracks available to podcasters.
Creating a podcast as an add-on to a web site is now common practice. Marketing surveys have shown that guests to web sites feel more of a connection if there is also a voice along with the text on the page. It generates a superior connection with your guests. It's also a good idea to keep your podcast updated and fresh.
Your podcast could reside on your web site or at a remote location with a link to it. There are lots of web sites that allow free posting and will provide hosting space for your podcast. The major advantage to hosting somewhere else is it will cut down on the necessary bandwidth which podcasts, by their very nature, use a lot of.
You will locate podcasts on almost any topic you can think of. Ensuring your podcast is available in both transcript and audio means it is more probable interested listeners will find you. That then gives the reader the choice of using whichever format is most suitable to them. When learning a difficult topic, or one that calls for hearing the spoken sounds, such as an unfamiliar dialect, people often find that having both - reading and listening simultaneously - provides the easiest method of mastering the subject. A lot of people discover they remember better by seeing and listening together.
And as with other products, the podcast is only as good as the presenter. If the material isn't sufficiently researched or has inaccurate information, if the subject isn't covered in a systematic way that's easy to understand, then the podcast has no worth. Just as podcasting tests the producer to be interesting and knowledgeable, it should compel the listener to listen closely. This is a great way to get an idea out there, and it appears the status of podcasting will only multiply in the foreseeable future.
If you are new to podcasting and would like to know more about it, why not take a look at our free podcasting resource center where you can learn how to podcast for fun and profit and other valuable information, including finding podcast downloads and much more.
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