This new audio delivery method was discussed at the turn of the century and began to develop rapidly by 2004. The premise of a podcast rests in its ability to by syndicated through an RSS feed. In essence you can sign up for a podcast and the information is downloaded to a stand alone or portable listening device whenever a new podcast is available. Apple's iPod is the predominate portable player for podcasts.

A podcast can be entertaining, informative, challenging or sales oriented. The use of podcasts can be used to help brand your company name and image through the use of a targeted format and presentation structure.

Some online marketers have had their podcasts professionally produced while others are content to learn the skills needed to develop the material that may assist them in developing leads and ultimately sales for the company.

A podcast can be a few minutes in length or an hour. Much of it depends on the amount of information you wish to present and how creative you are in presenting the information.

Podcasts can supply listeners with actual testimonials from satisfied customers. They can also provide listeners with interviews with experts in their field that lend personalized credibility to the podcast.

Forward thinking broadcasters were quick to pick up on the potential for podcasting and everyday a large number of podcasts are delivered to audio consumers interested either in the personality of the broadcaster or the topics addressed.

This same process can be readily adaptable to a business application. The advent of the online home video site Youtube.com has gone a long way in proving the acceptability of homegrown presentations. This phenomenon finds low budget videos being downloaded by millions of people who seem to gravitate toward the process simply because of the grassroots development of something interesting, entertaining or informative.

Interestingly there are several radio programs that have moved exclusively to podcasting simply because the listener can be in charge of when and how they listen. The producer and listener understand there is a positive link to listener determination.

From the standpoint of an online business you can deliver information through a podcast that can be digested at the convenience of your potential customer ? no strong-arm tactics required.