What's a podcast?

The word “podcast” is a portmanteau combining the word “iPod” and “broadcasting.” What you should first know is that you do not need an iPod to listen, and the technology to broadcast audio or video on the internet was not solely developed by Apple.

Podcasting is basically an audio blog. You can upload audio or video to a website (your website, blog, or sites like iTunes Music Store) and new syndication technologies, primarily RSS (Rich Site Summary), allow people to download your podcast. Recent advances can make podcasts searchable and allow users to subscribe so that they can automatically download podcasts in which they are interested.

Podcasting has exploded onto the communications scene and appears to be poised for continued growth. Google has reported over 100 million hits on the search word “podcasts” and companies like Apple and Sony have launched new products that allow downloads of video podcasts too. "Podcasting" is the 2005 New Oxford American Dictionary Word of the Year.

Similar to blogs, podcasts are an unfiltered medium where your message can be transmitted directly to your target audience. The challenge is connecting them to you and developing a loyal following.

Podcasts are communications tools like press releases, marketing collateral, 800 numbers, advertising, and websites, and should be developed with the same seriousness as all of your other communications.