One misleading part of podcasting is its name. Podcasts don't have to be played on iPods or Apple specific devices or hardware. People can listen in on their Windows computers, third-party MP3 players, phones and just about any other device capable of playing audio files! You also don't have to be listed on iTunes to have a podcast, though it does help to attract new listeners and gain feedback about your podcast's content or quality.
Secondly, and this is probably the most-important element you need to bring to the table, you need commitment. It's just like blogging - the more often you write (or in podcasting's case, record) the more effective it is). Having a topic in mind that you WANT to talk about goes a long way in getting there, but it's also helpful to setup a schedule as to what time you record. Block some time off every week and be sure to show up on-time. Admittedly, the protocol 80 over coffee podcast has hit some bumps in this road, but as I stated we're new to this too!
There are a lot of free programs available for both Mac and PC that make recording and editing your podcast very easy. On the Mac I'd recommend starting out with GarageBand, a free audio program that comes installed on all apple computers dating back to 2004. On the Windows side of things I'd recommend starting out with a free program called Audacity. Both are very easy to use and made with the beginner in mind. Simply record your audio and then select bits you want to cut out or add your theme music and you're done.
Like I said above, we're new to podcasting too, but from listening to other podcasts and working on our own I've come up with some helpful hints that might make the process a bit easier.
I cannot stress how important this is. Try to block off an hour every week to sit down and record your podcast. If you stick to the schedule it'll become second-nature before you know it!
If you have listened to more than one episode of our podcast you'll know that we follow the same format every episode. First we discuss the news posts each of us posted to the blog for that week, then we have a quick break for promotion (more on that shortly) and then finally we wrap things up with some rapid-fire news headlines that caught our respective eyes from that week. The reason we went that way is that we can do a little bit of self-promotion, like telling folks where they can follow us throughout the week and in-between podcasts, but give the listener a reason to stick around after that promotion. This is also known as a "tease."
Another good idea is to think about how long you'd like each episode to be. Will your podcast be relatively short, say 15 to 20 minutes, or will it be closer to an hour? When you think about your format or content for a specific episode keep that length in mind - you don't always have to hit it on the dot but it's a good idea to give the listener a consistent experience. You don't necessarily have to follow the same format we use but it's good to have one cohesive guideline by which mosts of your episodes adhere.
As I mentioned above, it's always a good idea to expose the listener to some opportunities from which they can follow up and learn more about your company, product or service. You don't have to be long-winded about it, but make sure you tell them the name of your business and say the address to your website, blog or social networking services if at all possible. It's also a great idea to ask listeners to use these means of communication to provide feedback on the show, such as what they'd like to hear you speak about in future episodes!
Remember - this isn't a conference or sales call! People are tuning in not just to learn a bit about your subject but also to be entertained to a certain degree. Try a casual approach to recording, whether that means joking around or discuss simple topics like the weather and your interests outside of your primary topic. This helps the listener get to know a little more about you and create a connection that will bring them back for follow-up listens. Most importantly, it helps you to have fun while you're recording, and hopefully you'll look forward to your designated podcasting time everytime you sit down to record an episode.
So those are my quick tips for starting your very own podcast. It's very cheap (if not completely free) to get started and yet another great way to connect with current and prospect customers. If you're considering starting a podcast or if you have one already please let us know all about it in the comments below!
