Podcasting offers you a powerful way to share your voice, your creativity, your thoughts, your music or whatever else you can create. Do you have a hobby? Are you in a band? Do you have a business? Maybe you just have an opinion that needs to be heard. The possibilities are limitless.

You can create your own talk show. You can promote your product or service. You can be recognized as an expert in your field on your hobby. Build your own list of customers or your own fan base. You no longer have to be a radio personality or a major label musician to get your content to the masses. Not only that, podcasting is fun. But the advantages don’t stop there. Below Jason Van Orden shares seven reasons why you should create your own podcast.

1. With Equipment You Probably Already Own and For Very Little Cost, Your Podcast Could be Online in Just Hours

All you need to start your podcast is a computer, a microphone (even the little “Fisher Price”-looking one that came with your computer) and a broadband internet connection. Later, you can buy nicer gear if you want. For now you can get started with very little cost. All you need is something to say and a desire to say it. If you were to try and do the same thing on the radio, you would have to face all kinds of FCC regulations to learn and follow. Plus you would have the expense of broadcasting. Podcasting removes all of that cost and trouble.

2. Quickly Gain a Very Focused Audience

With the right content, you can get listeners fast. Not only that, but your audience is potentially worldwide. If you have a business, you can use a podcast to grow your customer base. You can offer quality content to keep in touch with your customers and keep your product or service in the front of their mind.

With so many media surrounding us today, you want to be sure to cut through the clutter and reach an audience that wants to hear what you have to say. This is not like the radio where your listener is waiting for something that interests him. He has chosen to listen to your podcast because it interests him. This makes podcasts very effective for promotion, marketing and quickly growing a focused audience.

3. You’re in Control of What you Podcast, When You Podcast and For How Long

You can publish your podcast as often as you want (i.e. once a week, every day, once a month). It can be 5 minutes, an hour, or however long you can talk. You’re not limited to the formats that control the radio. You can do whatever makes sense for you and your audience. From the comfort of your own home, you can create your podcast and post it online. You pick the theme. You determine the content. You’re only limited by your imagination.

4. It’s a Convenient, Automatic and Inexpensive Way to Reach Your Audience or Customers

One reason that podcasting has become so popular is that it’s automated. Listeners subscribe to your feed. This means they don’t have to remember to return your site to check for new content. They don’t have to download it and then transfer it to their MP3 player. When you post new content, it’s automatically downloaded and transferred to your listener’s MP3 player.

Because listeners subscribe to podcasts, they have chosen to receive your content. They have already shown interest in your message by subscribing. In addition, a podcast does not get lost in SPAM like with e-mail. You can be sure your message is reaching a focused audience. This also means your content automatically reaches your audience without any barriers increasing the efficiency and ease of delivering your message. Because your podcast is delivered over the internet, it’s a very inexpensive means of communication.

5. The Human Voice Adds a Personal Connection to Your Content

The human voice connects with people in a way that the written word cannot. When you listen to a podcast, you can feel the speaker’s emotion. You get a better sense for his personality. You feel like you get to know him. Podcast listeners will develop a connection with you through your podcast. This kind of relationship is important for building a loyal audience or customer base. They will become loyal fans.

This makes podcasting a powerful way for your audience to receive your message. If you have a business, they will become dedicated customers that keep returning. Your listeners will return often for your opinion and expertise. Even if you already have a blog or an ezine, you will gain a stronger connection with your audience or your business customers by adding a podcast to your site.

6. Become a Recognized Expert or Celebrity in Your Chosen Niche

What are you passionate about? How would you like to be recognized as an expert about your hobby or business? Podcasts are popping up all over the internet on every imaginable subject. But things are just getting started. This technology is still in its infancy. Chances are you can still be one of the first to start a podcast on Vietnamese pigs or whatever other subject you can think up. You will instantly be recognized as an expert in your field. This is an incredibly powerful way to build a following or strong customer base. Think about when you hear someone interviewed on the radio or see someone appear on TV. They have instant credibility. Your podcast will help you gain the same credibility.

7. Make Money by Offering Valuable Information or Promoting Your Business to a Focused Market

People will pay money for valuable information. If your podcast offers specific information with a return on investment to your listener, they will pay to get your content. This is the power of information marketing. If you can make improve the life of your listener with the information you offer, they will open their wallet and pay you. Podcasting is a powerful and inexpensive way to put this kind of information in the hands of a loyal and focused audience.

With podcasting you will become a recognized expert and build a relationship with your audience. They will value your opinion. You can use this to recommend valuable products or services and make money as an affiliate. If you have an audience that is interested in a specific niche, there will always be others who want to reach that audience, too. This is how you can find sponsors and advertisers to cover your costs or even to make a profit.

By Jason Van Orden
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