Podcasts without an MP3 player
It is too easy to get caught up in the latest technology and forget what we were ultimately trying to accomplish. I go nuts when I start playing with some new device or software - and never get back to what I was trying to do in the first place. There are some easy ways to start listening to and learning from downloadable audio - without having to learn a lot of new technology (or buy anything).
If you’re someone who downloads files to your MP3 player, which never leave your side during daylight, then you’re well beyond the point of today’s blog. For the rest of us, I wanted to explore the FREE and easy professional development opportunities available from podcasts. Podcasts are not all that different than any other radio broadcast except that you can automatically have them downloaded to your PC or other device as a feed. Many audio downloads - news, music, speeches, and events - are generically referred to as podcasts, even even when they are not accessed using a feed.
My three ideas on podcasting are… (1) There are simple ways to listen to your favorite business news shows - or any other downloadable audio - without buying any new gadgets. (2) With the popularity of audio feeds, you can listen to your favorite shows when you want. (3) It’s worth starting to play with and use podcasts in order to keep current with what will be a heavily used marketing and communications media over the coming years.
Simple and FREE
If you don’t have an MP3 player yet, you don’t need to buy one in order to listen to all this great content available for download. Around the office or your home, you can move your laptop (which can easily run one to two hours on battery) around to where you are and listen to a business podcast. You can even put your laptop on the seat of your car and listen to downloaded audio as you drive. Sure - it’s not high tech. However, you can have podcasts automatically downloaded to your laptop and it will be ready to go when you are. A second, nearly free option is to download the shows and then write the shows onto an audio CD to play in your car or CD player. These ways aren’t high tech - but they are easy and FREE or close to it.
Audio on Demand
My personal, professional development routine is to listen to Marketplace each day. I usually end up listening to it several hours after the broadcast. No biggie - that’s the name of the game now. There is also the capability to obtain the show via a feed - see feed info. (I also squeeze in an occasional NPR podcast, too.) For the most part, the easiest way to jump into the world of business feeds - or podcasts, in general - is to download the FREE Apple iTunes. Apple boasts over 65,000 FREE audio feeds already. The iTunes software is a genuinely user friendly way to get started.
Marketer’s Delight
From a small business or marketing perspective, it’s a good thing to become familiar with the basics of creating and distributing content via podcasts. Many companies are already using podcasts. Podcasting gives your customers and stakeholders another way to obtain information from you. It makes your message more flexible. By finding and listening to an occasional podcast, you can stay up to speed on what can be accomplished with podcasts.
I’ll probably write some more on podcasting down the road. Want to know what’s going on with podcasts, particularly in the business world?
1) Internet Strategy Blog talks about the growth of podcasts.
2) Small Business Trends Radio reviews iBiz Radio, the first directory of business podcasts.
3) Small Business Trends (similar name, yet unrelated to the previous item, I think) looks at podcasts trends for small business.
Give podcasts a try. You’ll find yourself listening to more of what you want when you want it.
All is well.
