Today, users increasingly expect a multi-media experience that includes print, audio and video. Not only do they want to read your expert information, they also want to hear your voice and see your face as you deliver the information they crave.



By multiplying your methods of delivery, you're able to reach a wider range of people within your niche. Take, for instance, a typical fast food restaurant.

They offer two ways of delivering the same food to their customers: over the counter or through the drive-thru. This expands their customer base because some people prefer to order, sit and eat while others prefer to pick up their food and go without even getting out of their car.

The good news is that creating a "drive-thru window" for your customers is easy to do with podcasting. With a podcast, you're essentially giving information "to go" so subscribers can listen to you as they walk, run, drive, garden or participate in any other activity.

The term podcast comes from combining the words "iPod" and "broadcast." But instead of broadcasting on the radio, you broadcast your message through iPods. Or any type of portable media device that supports mp3 files.

Basically, a podcast is an audio or video recording that can be played on a computer or an mp3 device. Podcasting is the act of distributing that audio or video via RSS 2.0. What makes podcasting unique is that people can subscribe to your RSS feed using programs like iTunes, CastPodder and Juice. These programs also automatically download your podcast for the subscriber every time you publish new content.

The growing popularity of iPods combined with the desire of the owners to download a steady stream of fresh content is creating a demand for quality podcasts in every niche. If you want to stay ahead of your competition, you must create a podcast to capture the eyes and ears of your target audience.

The best way to begin podcasting is to first start a blog. A blog is your Internet traffic hub. Not only is it the easiest type of site to drive traffic to because of RSS feeds and the interconnected blogging world, but it's a great way to build relationships with your target market. By writing great posts and posting often, you have the ability to generate a consistent flow of traffic through your blog to your money sites.

The difference between blogging and podcasting is that blogging is a written post while a podcast is an audio or video. In other words, it has to do with the way you submit your information--through writing or through speaking. If you hate to write or are simply better at speaking, this is a traffic tactic you need to implement immediately.

Whereas a blog is like operating your own magazine, a podcast is like having your own radio show and/or television program. After you record your message, simply convert the audio file into an mp3 file and post it on your blog. Or post your video directly to your blog. Both become a podcast when it's distributed via RSS.

In this way, podcasting eliminates any barriers of entry into the world of radio and television. It also creates an alternate source of distribution for your programs and allows you to reach your subscribers when they aren't even connected to the Internet.

With this combination of audio, video and blogging, anyone can have a voice. As long as you have information that is relevant and compelling to your target audience, you can begin building relationships with people all over the world.

Building relationships is important because people do business with those they know, like and trust. It is possible to build relationships with words alone, but audio and video have the power to double and triple responses.