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February 24, 2006
Podcasts -- iPod optional
As we developed our Quick Questions podcast series we found that a lot of people assume podcasts are intended just for iPods and other handhelds. Actually, just about anyone with a computer can tune in to your podcasts. Typically they're audio or video files which can be played by RealPlayer or Windows Media Player, etc. So, if you have something to say, sing, or show, don't delay just because your audience isn't toting iPods.
Think of podcasts as on-demand (the "od" part of pod) audio or video. "P" stands for personal and can mean personal computer, as well as personal audio player. On a simple level, anyone can just click and play on their computer.
However, it gets more exciting when you tap the potential of the feed. A podcast uses RSS feed technology (like a news feed), the same technology used for blogs, but with an added "enclosure" of a video, audio or other type of file. This allows you to create your very own channel for others to subscribe to a steady dose of your casts via their podcast reader, including iTunes or Juice. There's no need to be as slick or "produced" as radio/TV broadcasts. Because that is soooo last century. It's better to be timely and fun/informative.
So, in a peapod, podcasts are pretty simple technology. The hard part, of course, is strategy and content. There's a lot of drivel out there. Your job is to make your content magnetic . . . the subject of another post.
Posted by Bob Brin at February 24, 2006 3:33 PM