[Show Transcript]

I’m Randy Charach from RandyReport.com and THIS is the show that takes you from internet zero to business hero!

In this week’s report you’ll gain greater insight into podcasting, a tried and true method of really raising the bar when it comes to delivering value to your customers. You’ll learn how to create podcasts the fast way, without sacrificing quality or the value your audience will gain from your podcasts.

Podcasting is a great way for online business owners to raise the bar when it comes to providing great value to their audience. In a nutshell, podcasts are shows that anyone can listen to or view from just about anywhere, and not just online. The name itself points out this new level of broadcast power — your audience can listen to your show online, on their iPods or other portable music players, I’m not biased!

Your listeners can even copy your show to a CD and listen to it in the car. Imagine your audience choosing you over the radio stars like Howard Stern, my personal favorite Shock-Jock, on their daily drive to work, or to the post-office, or even that long road trip to Aunt Gertrude’s house… you get the idea.

So that brings us to the next point: with all of the great benefits of podcasting, how do we get started?

Remember that a podcast is a show, in fact this very show, Randy Report – in case you already forgot,
is also delivered as a podcast.

Your podcast can be a series, like this one, or a few one-off episodes. If you want to get the maximum benefit from podcasting, I suggest you create an actual show with multiple episodes with a strong theme. These are the types of podcasts that gain the biggest and most loyal audience in the long run.

Now, this isn’t as challenging as it sounds. A typical podcast is anywhere from 5-25 minutes long. Just enough time to introduce your topic and offer up some highlights on that very topic.

Stuck for ideas already? No problem!

There’s plenty of sources around you to get fresh ideas for your podcasts. The easiest is industry news – is there a major change that everyone’s talking about in your field? New law going into effect? That’s juicier than freshly harvested peaches. You don’t just want to spit out the exact same stuff as what the news is reporting – put your spin on it. If you agree with a new policy in your industry – explain why. If you disagree with it, explain why in simple, everyday language. Newcomers to podcasting think you have to agree with everything being said – that’s as boring as watching paint dry in the middle of summertime.

The best podcasts include disagreement and yes, even some controversy – nothing wrong with that. Audiences love a variety of opinions and thoughts, and they’ll stick to you like syrup on pancakes if you give them what they’re looking for.

The other source you need to consider for your podcast content is just good old friends, family, and colleagues. I don’t know about you, but I get a lot of material for my show from listening to my fellow entrepreneurs’ complaints, worries, and dreams. Those three things are golden because people are generally honest – they tell you exactly how they’re feeling if they know you and trust you. You can look for common problems that they’re all having and work it into your show. It’s like adding bread crumbs to burger patties – it stretches them out and makes them last longer. Try it!

Is a podcast designed to be the main offering when it comes to promoting your online business?

Not usually! A good podcast is a side item in your online promotional toolbox.

So, how do you get started?

The technical side of audio podcasting simply requires that you get a decent microphone that you plug into your computer and capture your audio, or a simple digital voice recorder so you can record anywhere you want, although I don’t recommend the shower, then upload to your computer, again not recommended while lathering!

After creating the show, you’ll need to set up syndication — the secret sauce that makes podcasting so powerful. This sounds a little techie, but it’s not difficult once you have the right software. Just like with recording software, there are lot’s of options free, inexpensive and premium, possibly for later if you want to take podcasting to a higher level. Perhaps one day, if it’s something you want to do, you’ll deliver a WebTV podcast like the one you’re watching right now. Although, you should probably call it something other than Randy Report!

Syndication is what makes podcasting different from regular audio recordings. If you could separate out each piece of the podcasting puzzle, syndication would definitely be the key to putting everything together.

Syndication is a fancy word for getting the word out, except automatically. This is promotion on steroids people!

Software drives syndication. Your audience can use software, called ‘podcatchers’ that can alert them when the next show is ready. Certain types of podcatchers can even take this one step further and download shows as they come out, ready to be viewed when it’s convenient for you. Syndication is the best way for your audience to stay in the loop about your podcast and even share news of your podcast with their inner circle.

As we get to know each other, I’ll provide a variety of podcasting software and resources for you at my blog and through my free e-zine which you’ll find at, you guessed it…RandyReport.com.

So, remember, the best way to get started with podcasting is to first create a few ideas for a show. Every industry has room for you to shine and show off your expertise, so this step isn’t as hard as it sounds.

Next, you want to record the show with the microphone or recorder you picked up and record your show.

Then, upload the file to your blog or website and begin the syndication process. Many website and blog building software have podcasting options, such as the ability to automatically syndicate your shows right along with your regular blog or site updates. All this automation really frees up your time to create more shows so you can keep your audience engaged and intrigued. Depending on what you want to accomplish with your shows, this can lead to more sales or inquiries about your product or service.

Find directories, like iTunes for example to list your podcast in — lots of people turn to special directories online to find new podcasts to listen to. Why not put your show in the mix and be seen among the best? You deserve it!

That’s my podcasting report this week. What I really wanted to share today is that podcasting isn’t just for polished experts and techies. On the contrary — you can use podcasting in your online business with great results. You’re going to enjoy exploring this amazing method of promoting your online business and hopefully this show has given you some inspiration to get you started!

Our question this week comes from Kelly J. from Cleveland, Ohio who wrote:

Randy! I see that you’re still bringing the magic, even though you’re not a professional magician anymore. Anyway, I like the podcasting thing, but I was wondering about creating the shows. Do all of the episodes have to be on the same topic? Thanks in advance!

Thanks Kelly — I guess you could say there’s always a certain “magic” when you’re passionate about a subject!

Your shows don’t have to revolve around a specific topic. There are podcasts that do quite well tackling a variety of topics that may not be much related to each other. If this suits your style better, by all means run with it and test the results.

After all, podcasting does not cost that much to get started so you have plenty of room to test different shows and see what’s most effective for your business.

Now, keep in mind there are some downsides to this approach. If you go too broad with your topics, you may appear unfocused and your audience may decide to look at other shows instead of yours.

A compromise you may want to try is creating a podcast that addresses a broad topic in your business, with each show discussing something specific that’s related to the broad topic you picked in the beginning. That’s what I do here with Randy Report…I cover various topics, but all related to the broader topic of Internet Marketing.

This technique can be compared to an umbrella: the umbrella itself represents the broad topic you’ve chosen, and all the small related topics are the —– spokes —– under the umbrella.

Using this “umbrella” technique should allow you to create plenty of shows for months, and even years to come!

Well, that wraps up this episode of Randy Report. Since company’s websites, prices and quality of service on the Internet change rapidly, for my up-to-date recommendations on resources and for free tools and training, visit me today at RandyReport.com.

Today you learned:

about the power of podcasting, an amazing method of promoting your business that is limited only by your imagination and creativity in marketing yourself.

The sky’s the limit when it comes to selecting podcasting topics.

Only time and experience in creating podcasts will lead you to better and better shows that attract a following that will naturally want to know more about you, your business, and what value you can bring to their lives.

Take extra time to create something that you’ll feel proud to put your name on, and most important of all, keep it fun and entertaining – this all truly easier than you think!

Thanks so much for watching. Remember, if you’d like more free reports, resources and training then visit RandyReport.com and join me again next week where you’ll discover

My insider secrets to Social Networking. Stop wasting your valuable time using sites like Facebook and Twitter as a distraction to your business goals. Instead, I’ll show you how you can use to build your business and I promise not to ruin your fun in using these types of sites.

I’m Randy Charach, and this is the show that takes you from internet zero to business hero!

[End of Show Transcript]