• Podcasting: An Overview
• In the News
• Sharing a special moment...

I had a few subscribers wondering if their spam filters had chewed my email newsletter. Well, I could lie to you but I would rather tell you the truth. It has been a long time since I last wrote to you. There is no real good excuse except that I moved. I am now located in the heart of Perth on the Swan River foreshore. (see the view from my office with two Corellas visiting me).

When I spoke about 'Podcasting' at the WA Marketing and Business Networking Congress on the ‘Top 5 New Trends in Internet Marketing for 2006’, the imagination of the marketers was stirred as they could see its huge potential. In this newsletter, I will give you an overview of podcasting and refer those subscribers interested to know more to two articles I found interesting.

From now on, my e-newsletter will be delivered every 3 to 4 weeks. As they say, ‘Less is More’!

Hope you enjoy this newsletter.

What is podcasting?

The word ‘podcasting’ derives from the combination of the words ‘iPod’ and ‘broadcasting’ and refers to a subscription-based method of distributing multimedia files over the internet. You can have audio podcasting or video podcasting depending on the type of files. What makes it confusing is that Podcasting does not actually require an iPod or broadcasting.

A ‘podcast’ refers to both the content and the method of delivery. ‘You listen to a podcast’ and ‘you can podcast’. A podcast can be a talk show, a video demonstration of a product, a review,
a course, a news bulletin, an interview and the list goes on…

Podcasting requires a podcatcher, a software that manages the podcast subscriptions. There are several free podcatchers available on the Internet (list of podcatchers). Podcatchers run in the background of your computer similarly to your anti-virus software. They search for updates of podcasts to which you have subscribed when you are connected to the internet and download the audio or video files on your computer or portable device ready for you to listen or view them.

Subscribing to a podcast is similar to subscribing to my email newsletter. Instead of receiving the new issues in your inbox, podcasts are automatically downloaded to a folder on your computer.

For podcatcher, I use iTunes. With iTunes, you can subscribe to their podcasts but also upload your own. Furthermore, iTunes creates your personal library where all the audio and video podcasts you downloaded are well-organised.

Why podcasting is so appealing?

For a podcaster, an individual or organisation that produces the podcast, podcasting offers distinctive benefits:

• Receptive audience
  People are requesting your information. Because they can listen or view podcasts in their own time, they are open to your message.
   
• Exposure
  You can reach new global niche markets that would be otherwise too difficult and expensive to gain access to and present yourself as an expert.
   
• Personal connection
  You have an opportunity to enter the private space of your listener or viewer and connect on a very personal level using your voice and presence.
   
• No spam filters
  There are no spam filters to block podcasts as they are not delivered through email.

Alternatively, you may prefer to listen or view podcasts for these reasons:

• Convenience
  You can listen to podcast on-demand while doing other tasks e.g. exercising and commuting. It is an excellent way to maximise your use of time.
   
• Automatic delivery
  You automatically receive your favourite audio and video files without having to download them from a website and having to return regularly to the site for updates.
   
• Cost and Variety
  The podcatcher is free to download and you can choose free podcasts from an extensive range of topics.

Now that I have whet your appetite, you may like to read more. Here’s for your bedtime reading:

• Podcasting White Paper – What You Don’t Know About Podcasting Could Hurt Your Business: How to Leverage & Benefit from this New Media Technology by Rodney L. Rumford – PDF, 21 pages
• 50 Podcast and Videocast Ideas- PDF, 5 pages

It is a popular practice to use your competitors' keywords in your metatags in search engine optimisation. This is OK so long as the keywords are not trademarks.

WebProNews reported that Edina Realty has sued an advertiser for buying keywords 'Edina Realty' and several variations, including misspellings on Google.

Beware of trademarks made of words or phrases that are part of our everyday vocabulary.

Google, Spyware & Mouse Potato

iTnews reports that Merriam-Webster stamped its approval for the inclusion of 'google', 'spyware' and 'mouse potato' in their next dictionary update.

'Spyware' refers to software installed on your computer without your knowledge and transmits your computer activities over the Internet and 'mouse potato' refers to a person who spends too much time in front of their computer. Are you a mouse potato?