Podcasting In Internet Marketing

Advances in alternatives and the decrease of associated costs have taken search engine marketing techniques far beyond the optimization of written content, blogs and articles. One of the most visible and well-known of these advances is YouTube, the video sharing site purchased by Google for $1.65 billion in 2006. A second advance, though not as ubiquitous as YouTube, is the podcast. A podcast is a digital media file which can be distributed over the internet using syndicated feeds for playback on portable media players, laptops and personal computers. Despite their name, podcastare not the exclusive domain of the IPod, a popular misconception.

Podcasts are also not the exclusive domain of the major media players such as CNN, The Wall Street Journal, and other large distributors of news and media who make their content available in podcast format. Open access, the ease of broadcasting, and the affordability of necessary equipment have made it possible for podcasts to be created and distributed by any individual or small company. With a miniature video camera like the Flip Camcorder and USB condenser microphone, anyone can join the ranks of podcasters for a total tab of approximately $300. These media files can then be uploaded to video broadcasting sites like YouTube or Vimeo.

Audio only podcasts can even be done be done using a mobile phone with sites like Blog Talk Radio (www.BlogTalkRadio.com). This is the simplest of podcast formats, allowing for a podcast to be uploaded to the site simply by logging in and speaking into the phone. Done in this manner, the quality of the audio can vary so upgrading to higher quality broadcasting gear is recommended.

The importance of podcasting for businesses is that it not only provides another medium to deliver content, it delivers that content to a demographic which is highly educated and highly paid. According to a study by Arbitron and Edison Research on podcast consumers, 63% had attended college and 21% had earned advanced degrees. In the same study, almost two- thirds of podcast consumers who stated income levels earned over $ 50,000 per year. Podcast consumers in an older study also cited their interest level in content as a reason for preferring podcasts over written material. A KnowledgeStorm survey of 3900 IT and business professionals found that 60% of B2B buyers preferred their research in podcast format over white papers and analyst reports because podcasts made the material more interesting.

In summary, podcasts are a relatively simple and cost effective venue to reach out to targeted and valuable demographic groups. Additionally, these groups have shown a desire for communications to be delivered in a podcast format. For a free evaluation on how podcasting should be integrated into your business marketing strategy, call GMR Web Team at (714) 731 9000.

For more details on creating and uploading podcasts read this old blog post. It is relevant even today.