What you need.

1. Recording Hardware
2. Recording Software
3. Audio and Website Host
4. Podcast Hosting Software
5. A Valid Podcast Feed
6. Syndication Outlets

Recording Hardware:

You really don’t need much more than a microphone and a quiet room. Almost every PC or Mac already has the ability to record high quality digital audio via a Microphone Jack. If you want to record phone calls you may need additional hardware that can be a little pricey, so why not just use Skype for the time being?

Recording Software:

Download Audacity. It will do absolutely everything you need from recording to converting to compressing. It even has some nifty audio cleaning features! Oh, and the best part? It’s free!

Audio and Website Host:

Alright, so far everything has been pretty easy (and inexpensive) so I’ll try to continue with that in mind. Hosting audio is by far the most important aspect of a podcast. You need a fast, reliable, (and inexpensive) host so your visitors don’t turn around and leave because they have to wait 6 seconds for your audio to load (and they will!)

There are free solutions out there (Google Pages, Archive.org, etc.) but I would stay away from them. They have huge limitations (max number of loads, max download speeds, huge wait times!) It’s so important that when a user clicks play, that your audio actually starts playing. You cannot afford to mess this up.

I recommend Hostmonster (hey, it’s the 5th company we tried and until our listener base explodes we will stick with them!) They’re fast, you get plenty of space and they can host your software too (next section.)

Podcast Hosting Software:

Podcast hosting software used to be very difficult to use, expensive, and you were very limited in what you could use. Fortunately that is no longer the case. Here at Recognized Expert we usevBulletin and vBSEO to host our podcasts. A little overkill maybe, but I think it looks great and it functions very well!

I’m going to recommend WordPress as your podcast hosting platform though. It is very easy to setup (Fantastico!) It’s free and you can host it right on your Hostmonster account!

So, here is what you will need to download (hey and it’s all free!):

1. WordPress.org (or use Fantastico for the install!)
2. 1PixelOut Audio Plugin for WordPress
3. WordPress FeedBurner Plugin

A Valid Podcast Feed:

“But WordPress doesn’t create a valid Podcast,” you say. Nope, it doesn’t! That is where this nifty FeedBurner trick comes in to play. Go setup an account at FeedBurner.com and when you are first asked to burn your first feed be sure to click “I am a Podcaster!” (you cant miss it!) This will take the MP3 link that you post in your wordpress blog and create a valid podcast feed! It’s really that easy! You can do much more with FeedBurner, but that is the bare minimum you must complete.

Syndication Outlets:

Get the word out, get your feed out, get your podcast into the hands of as many listeners as possible!

Here is a great place to start. Tell as many of these sites that will accept your feed that you can!

One Last Note:

Remember, your audio can be displayed on other sites, so don’t expect your listeners to know what your website address is. You have to tell them over and over and over again within the actual audio! Give listeners reasons to visit your site because this is what “driving traffic to your site using podcasts” is all about!

Good luck!

When I invite a guest to be on my podcast, I follow a process that has served me well. My statistics are 145 out of 146. Yes, I did have one guest turned me down, but I think it was because he was nervous, not for any other reason. Here’s how I go about the process of asking.

Review their website or read their book

It’s insulting to call someone and ask them to be a guest on your podcast if you don’t know anything about them. Take the time and do your research. You’re going to know this information about them for your show anyway, so just do it now.

Write them an e-mail invitation

I’ve tried calling guests and I’ve tried emailing them. Email works much better and here’s why. When you call someone, they’re off guard. They don’t know who you are and they don’t know anything about your podcast other than what you tell them on the telephone. Your potential guests want an opportunity to see your website and listen to your show before they commit … you would too.

When I send an email invitation this is the guideline I follow.

• Introduce myself
• Tell them how much I enjoy their work
• Invite them to be a guest on my podcast
• Tell them how excited my audience will be to hear them on my podcast
• Tell them about my audience and why I think they would be a great guest for my podcast
• Direct them to my website where they can listen to other podcasts
• Tell them I’m looking forward to hearing from them soon
• Tell them how much I hope they will agree to be on the podcast.

Once they agree to be on the show, I give them a call and talk about the show format. I also reinforce how excited my listeners will be to know that they’ve agreed to be a guest. This is a great opportunity to build rapport and assure them that agreeing to be on your podcast was a good decision.

Send them your show prep materials

I created a website just for my guests. It shows them everything they need to know to prepare for the podcast. After sending the same email to 50 guests, I found it to be much easier and much more professional to send them to a website that answered all of their questions.

If you want to see what I send and request of my guests before a podcast, you can find it here. This was one of the best things I did to insure each my guests were prepared for the podcast. Please feel free to copy my materials word for word and use them with your guests.

What you must remember when you invite a famous person to be on your podcast is that they want the exposure your podcast offers just as badly as you want them on the show. Ask with confidence and you’ll be delighted with the results.

Bob Sommers is the host of the Recognized Expert Marketing show and an Internet Marketing expert. Learn how to drive traffic to your website by watching Bob’s free Article Marketing for Professionals video training program.

By Fabian Tan

Want to get some serious viral traffic to your blog? Everyone these days is talking about podcasting and how cool it is. The secrets of podcasting are out there, but you have to know where to look. You may have thought that this medium isn’t for your niche, but really you can do a viral podcast for anything from Gardening to Marketing!

Here are 3 secrets of podcasting that will get you on the road to more traffic and notoriety in your niche:

1. Don’t Spend Money On Expensive Software

You don’t have to drop a lot of money (or any at all) to put together a super podcast. Download Audacity, a free audio editor and recorder, and it will cover all the software you’ll need. There are plenty of web tutorials on creating podcasts with Audacity, just Google it.

2. Record Something You’re Passionate About

You may be able to fake interest in purple widgets through your writing, but it’s much harder in your voice. If you’re going to break into podcasting, start off talking about something you are really into. Then, once you get the hang of it, you can start to consider those purple widgets.

3. Advertise, Advertise, Advertise

Of the many secrets of podcasting, this one tip may be your most valuable: it’s all about letting people know your podcast exists. People love to HEAR knew things and will come to your blog just to listen to what you have to SAY. So hit those relevant forums and blogs and make sure to Stumble and Digg your podcasts.

4. Directories, Directories, Directories

Also, don’t forget to submit your podcast to the many directories out there that only contain podcast material!

There are many secrets of podcasting that would fill pages, but this should get you started and drive fresh new traffic to your site!