How to Podcast
We need something here
| This is a 250x250 box. Great for An AdSense ad or an Image. (Border can be removed) |
In a nutshell – “How to Podcast” is really quite simple:
- Choose your subject
- Create your audio file
- Post your podcast
- Publish your podcast
- Tell people about your podcast
Choosing the subject of your podcast is simple. What do you want to tell others about? Choose an area that you have knowledge in or opinions about that you think would interest others and start talking about it. Politics, fashion, hobbies, movies, sports, anything you want to talk about can be the subject of a podcast, and there is an audience for almost any subject.
Once you have your subject (or subjects for that matter) chosen, the next step in learning how to podcast is to create your audio file. A simple microphone, a set of headphones, and your computer are all you really need to get started. Find a quiet place, bring up the recording software of your choice, and start talking. We’ll get into the equipment, formats, and other options later.
OK, now you’ve chosen your subject and made your audio file – what now? You have your file and now you are ready to move on with your How to Podcast adventure.
The next step is to post your podcast somewhere on line. This can be on your own web site or on space supplied by one of the many hosting services available on the web. The deciding factor here is how much traffic do you anticipate, and how large your files are. If you anticipate a small volume of traffic showing up to get your latest podcast, and you keep the files at a reasonable size, your website may be more than adequate. If you anticipate a lot of interest, you should consider a hosting service of some kind. The latter choice being much more scalable in the event that learning How to Podcast makes you an overnight superstar.
Publishing your podcast is done by creating a “feed”. A feed is a special piece of code that allows people and programs to “subscribe” to your podcast and receive notification of new content or even automatically receive your podcast whenever you publish new content. Atom, RSS, and XML are the main feed types, and each has its advantages and disadvantages. Feeds can also be used for blogs, online magazines, photo sites, and video.
Once you have your podcast ready, published, and your feed set up, you just need to tell the world about it. You should use SEO techniques for your site and get it to rank well in the search engines. You can take advantage of social networks such as twitter, facebook, myspace, and others. You want to use everything at your disposal to generate interest and traffic for your podcast.
That’s it – you know how to podcast – now go do it!