Podcasting – A Multifaceted Internet Tool

Internet marketing is a technology-based business and you need to stay ahead of your completion to excel in this business. Everyday new Internet marketing tools and business models are being experimented used for enhancing the profits from E-business. Podcasting is one such tool that is changing the way people are making money on the net. You too can use this tool to stay ahead of your competition and rake in huge profits from your E-business.

Overview of Podcasting

Podcasting is a relatively new term that gained prominence in the year 2004. Podcasting was made possible with the advent of RSS syndication technologies used for distributing audio content for listening on PCs and mobile devices.  A podcast is available in the form of an audio or video file that is placed on the Internet. You can download the files from the website. The New Oxford American Dictionary has accepted the word podcasting, which became popular in 2005. The dictionary defines podcasting as, “a digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar program, made available on the Internet for downloading to a personal audio player.”

Contrary to popular belief, podcasting or listening to podcasts does not require an iPod or any portable player. For that matter, no broadcasting is required. IPod came onto the scene as a brand, which was associated with podcasting.  It soon became the world's best-selling portable digital audio player. Podcasting as a medium was initially linked to audio data. As RSS started to be used for videos in 2005, podcasting of video data was termed "video blogging", "video podcasting", "vlogging", and “vodcasting”.

Brief Podcasting History

The use of syndication feed enclosures makes podcasting different from other digital audio and video delivery. Tristan Louis proposed the concept in a draft in October 2000 that was implemented after some changes by Dave Winer, a software developer and an author of the RSS format. Winer had discussed the concept with a user of his software. He included the new functionality in RSS 0.92, and defined a new element "enclosure", which would direct the address of a media file to the RSS aggregator.

How is Podcasting Different from Broadcasting and Streaming

You could subscribe to podcasts and collect programs from a number of sources for listening or viewing offline at a time and place that is convenient you. A normal traditional broadcast does not allow you this luxury, as the program is broadcasted from a single source at a particular time specified by the broadcaster.

Streaming files is a step ahead than traditional broadcasting in a way that specified-time restriction can be done away with, but it originates from a single source. You may still have to be connected to the Internet to listen to the streaming files. Podcasting, on the other hand, has the ability to combine programs from different sources that can be played at the time and place of the subscriber’s choice. This is one feature that makes podcasting very popular, and in demand. Streaming is used to broadcast live events over the Internet at the time of occurrence, which podcasting cannot. Streamed programs can be recorded, whereas podcasts already come in recorded form.

Utility of Podcasting

Podcasting is an economic way of having your own radio broadcasts. However, the technology is being used for various other reasons. 

• Podcasting allows the podcasters to avoid regulatory authorities that have applied certain restrictions to broadcasting via traditional broadcasting media.

• It allows various news organizations to distribute audio in addition to text news products, which they are already doing.

• It is also being used to podcast various educational programs. The Education Podcast Network has a number of podcast format teaching aids. The Podcast directory of educators has listed podcasts produced by schools for schools.

• The political scenario in the  US too could not remain unaffected by podcasting. Both the major political parties have a number of podcasts. Individual politicians too have their own podcasts.

• Religion too is preached through podcast. Known as Godcasting, many churches have produced sermons and talks.

• The writer and executive producer of Battlestar Galactica, Ronald D. Moore produces his own commentary podcast based on his television commentary. Many television shows are now entering into podcasting.

• Newspapers too are using podcasts to broadcast audio content from interviews. It is believed to attract many enthusiasts to their websites.  The San Franciso Chronicle is said to be the first major daily newspaper to use podcasting technology in February 2005.

• Podcasting can be used to bring views and opinions to the masses or niche groups.

Podcasting as an Internet Marketing Tool

You have seen how you can use Podcasting to add value and enhance profits of your online as well offline business. You can use this powerful tool to enhance your brand image or attract a loyal stream of visitors to your business and enhance your sales and profits. Another way of generating revenue through Podcasts is to get advertisements for your Podcasts and website. Alternatively, you can create a paid membership Podcasting service. In this model, you can charge membership fee from the subscribers who would like to get information for various business niches. The possibilities for making money from Podcasts are immense and limited only by your imagination.

Go ahead and try out this technological breakthrough for a financial windfall from your E-business. Keep reading for more such innovative business tools to help you stay ahead of your competition in the cutthroat business of Internet marketing.