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Ask yourself: what can an iPod do for you, or more importantly what can you do for an iPod?
The term iPod has slipped to the English language as the name we use to describe an MP3/MP4 player. These days most players like the Apple iPod can perform a number of functions, playing a variety of content, typically music and videos. In this article we want to take a deeper look at first what can you use these devices for, but more importantly, what can you get from creating your own content for these devices?
Take Music as the first area. Of course these devices enable you to listen to your favourite tunes as many times as you wish, and then there are numerous websites that will allow you to buy and download more music to play. Most of us are familiar with that concept, and maybe some of you have ventured into using an iPod to watch the occasional movie or an episode of your favourite TV series or program.
Now, if you are feeling a bit more adventurous, you may have listened to a few Podcasts. Did you know that the “Podcast” was not created by Apple, it is a term coined by the Internet for something that is played on your iPod, hence the term Pod, and something that had been broadcasted on the Internet, thus cast; giving us Podcast. Podcasts can have numerous purposes, they can be used to provide you with information, catch up with your favourite radio DJ (as a number of radio stations provide show highlights) or use them to learn new things. There are a number of educational and informative Podcasts available.
For example, the BBC provides a news update that you can download and listen to each day, together with a number of program highlights and shows, all of which are free. There are many Podcasts to choose from; the traditional or spoken Podcast, which may show graphics or company logos on the screen. There are also enhanced Podcasts, which have extra information provided in the form of photos; show notes and links to websites, that update whilst the Podcast is playing. The broadcaster may refer to a particular website as the Podcast is playing, and as they do, the URL may be presented on the iPod screen or in the program you are playing the Podcast in. The final type of Podcast is the video Podcast, and as you might have already guessed, is a video version of the spoken Podcast.
We will give a couple of examples of enhanced and video Podcasts. Adam Hart-Davis publishes a video Podcast on the history of London, which provides a map and useful information about famous landmarks that helps you get around to explore and learn about the City. Another example is a great use of the video Podcast is from a wine taster, based in the US that samples wines whilst explaining all about the costs and where you can get it from etc.
We think by now some of you can see where we are going with all this, and hopefully the little grey cells have started to wake up.
What can you do for the iPod?
As you read earlier, Podcasts are a great way to promote your talent or service and get your message out there. Think about what you do as a business and how you could use a Podcast to promote your business further. Have a go, record those articles you have on your website. Most computers these days have all the capability to play a Podcast. Creating and publishing a Podcast can push your business along in terms of marketing.
At Limephusion, we have been producing Podcasts for some time and have found the feedback to be very positive. Podcasts are not really a big commitment in time, typically a 30 minute podcast takes about 2 hours to record and produce, especially for something that you will learn from and be informative to your customers. Another example for Podcasts is for those of you that have a sales team; is to record all your company literature and service offerings.
You now have an internal company training tool, an induction program if you wish, or even a refresher, just before you make that all important sales call. If part of your business is about advising, training, education or consulting, consider this approach. An article or Whitepaper you may have written, could be turned into an on-screen production or mini-video that you might want to provide for free. You could even add eCommerce to your website to sell your Podcast material on-line, and you now have a revenue stream for your intellectual property that you have created.
Come on, join the technology revolution. The possibilities of what you can do with Podcasts are endless; you are only limited by time, your imagination and your knowledge.