subject: Podcast Marketing, Episodes, and Cliff-Hangers [print this page] Podcast Marketing, Episodes, and Cliff-Hangers
A Podcast is typically an audio file or files containing episodes on a particular topic. You can think about your favorite How-To TV show. One of my favorites is Myth Busters. Myth Busters is the name of the series and would be the Podcast name if it were a podcast. Each week there is a new episode of the series where they cover a different topic under the general topic of myth busting.
The concept of a Podcast and episodes differs greatly from a typical TV series because you must sit down at the designated time each week to watch a TV series. If you miss an episode you have to wait for reruns during the off-season or use Hulu or your DVR to watch it later. A Podcast is perfect for the on-demand society. They are essentially radio shows on demand, time-shifted to fit your listeners schedule. Your listeners can hear a Podcast where and when they want; in the gym, out running, driving a car, or sitting on an airplane.
Since each episode is stored on a local computer, smartphone, or iPod, it is available when they want to listen to it. You might be saying "I have a TiVo or DVR that does the same thing for me with my TV shows!" This is the very concept of a Podcast. Capture a previous series or capture each episode as it becomes available. Then listen to it at your convenience.
Similar to the creation of a TV series, you can create each episode just prior to publishing it or you can create multiple episodes and schedule their release. A Podcast accommodates both your schedule and your listeners schedule.
Your listeners will appreciate the convenience and will anticipate the next episode. One word of advicealthough cliff hangers work great for a TV series, they may not be as effective in business. Podcast marketing is a very powerful tool every business should take advantage of.
