To make cycle work for you, you have to constantly "feed" your subscribers content in print, audio and video formats. The more varied your content formats, the quicker your subscription list will grow.
For example, if you run a fitness blog, you can post a "fit tip of the day" in print format, a weekly workout in video format and a monthly expert interview in audio format. Then every time you post a podcast, your RSS subscribers automatically receive and download the latest post.
Another thing an RSS feed does for you is provide credibility. It implies you offer valuable information worth hearing and watching, and that the information is valuable enough to constantly check back for more. Plus it provides an additional way for you to establish yourself as an expert.
Keep in mind that although you don't need a blog to use an RSS feed for your podcast, you will need to have some programming experience or hire a programmer to set it up for you. However, RSS feeds are a standard feature of most blog hosting companies such as Wordpress.
By using a blog, you should also be able to track how many people are subscribed to your RSS feed. And if you want enhanced tracking features, you can subscribe to Feedburner, a service large publications like CNN use for their RSS feeds.
One more thing you need to know about RSS feeds is that they allow you to add your podcast to the iTunes store for free. The iTunes store is a high-traffic site that sells downloads to digital music, television shows, iPod games, music videos, movies and audio books. The store also offers free subscriptions to any podcast in their vast Podcast Directory.
The only restriction is that users need the iTunes program on their computer in order to subscribe to any of the free podcasts. Still, it's not much of a restriction because Apple offers iTunes, a digital media player that plays audio and video files, as a free download on their website.
The program comes with built-in support for podcasting, thus permitting users to subscribe to podcasts in the iTunes store or by entering the RSS feed URL. Then every time they open their iTunes program, they can listen to or watch the latest podcasts that have been downloaded to their iTunes library for them.
