Many people and companies produce podcasts on a regular basis, and they have subscribers who are notified every time there's a newly uploaded podcast.

Users can download podcasts to listen to on their computer while offline or on portable music players. Despite its name, podcasts are not made only for iPods but for any device capable of playing MP3 and other audio types.

Many tech people and those in the internet industry have adopted podcasting as an important way of distributing content and marketing material.

Podcasts allow you to create content that is different from articles and other written forms. They allow your listeners to hear you and even interact with you if the podcast includes a teleconference or phone recording. This will help build trust and boost your credibility, as long as your podcasts are full of valuable information.

Know what is the best part about podcasting? The best thing is that anyone can produce a podcast; you don't have to be a professional audio producer or a techie to be successful with this technique.

Podcasts can be subscribed to via RSS feeds. RSS lets users know when a new podcast is ready and attaches the file to the feed.

If your reader supports podcasting, you can even listen to it in the reader, or automatically download it and listen to it at their convenience. It only takes a bit of imagination to discover what podcasts can be used for - information content, interviews, music clips, news, radio shows, commentaries, webcasts, story telling, instructional and many more uses. The opportunities are endless.

Technology such as VoIP is increasingly being used for podcasts. This adds a whole new level of functionality to podcasting and one that savvy users are taking advantage of.

If you want to make a name for yourself in the internet marketing or affiliate marketing world (or any other industry), then running a weekly podcasting session and encouraging people to join in are effective ways to do that.

People will look forward to your next recording and you can, of course, subtly promote your products and services in the podcasts. As long as you're providing great value, podcasts make an excellent way to build trust with your customers and prospects, and increase your bottom line.

What are the top benefits of podcasting? They include:

Podcasting allows you to build a brand for your business. This is particularly true if your podcasts follow a similar format each week and have a catchy musical introduction.

People do not have to tune in at a specific time as with old-fashioned webcasts. They can listen to your podcast anytime, anywhere.

Even the most technologically challenged users are able to use podcasts - they just download the MP3 and play it on their computer or portable device. This makes it highly accessible to anyone.

By broadcasting yourself for your audience to hear, you instantly strike up credibility. Once your visitors know that you are a real person because they can hear your voice, the barriers come down and they subconsciously start to trust and like you more.

This is a great way to strengthen the relationship between you and your website visitors and listeners.

Now that you know what podcasting's main benefits are, you can start using it today to grow and promote your business to a new level.