Should Your Business Start a Video Podcast?

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Originally published at Internet.com

Creating a video podcast might seem like a simple way to use video to spread your company's message, but creating one is more demanding than it looks. Read on to discover the benefits of podcasting and easy tips for doing it successfully.

Albert Maruggi of Provident Partners.

To learn how to do podcasting right, we spoke with Albert Maruggi, president of Provident Partners, a multimedia marketing firm based in St. Paul, Minnesota. He also creates the Marketing Edge podcast, which can be found on iTunes.

Why Create a Video Podcast?
Why is video podcasting more effective than using video in other ways? Maruggi offers these ideas: * Exposure: Having a regular podcast brings exposure to a wider audience than you'd get with occasional videos simply posted to your sites. Your show can be listed in podcast directories and build up a regular viewers. * Personality: Podcasting is an excellent medium for conveying your company's personality. Find someone in-house who has a natural rapport with the camera and make him or her the host. * Traffic: With skillful promotion, you can use podcasting to drive traffic to your site. Offer links to related content. * Timeliness: A regular video podcast lets you respond to items in the news that effect your industry, positioning you as a thought leader. Also, because your podcasts will be picked up by search engines and RSS feed lists, they'll come up when people search on the hot-button topics you've discussed. * Mobility: When people subscribe to your video podcast, they can automatically transfer your work on their iPods or other portable players. This lets them view your content when they're mobile, not just when they're sitting in front of a computer.

Tips for Better Video Podcasting
Okay, you're sold, right? So how to you make your video podcast stand out from the rest, while creating something your customers truly want to see? Maruggi offers these suggestions: * Shake It Up: Don't rely solely on video of talking heads to get your message across. Intersperse other clips showing the subject matter. To use the full power of video, show, don't tell. * Soft Sell: Don't simply present a sales pitch and expect anyone to watch it. Your viewers want to be entertained. Discuss issues that effect your business and your customers, and tone down the sales spiel. * Look Outside: If you don't have someone capable of shooting professional video in-house, hire a professional team. You're not shooting your kid's Little League game here, Maruggi says. You need results that look good. Viewers will form an immediate reaction about your company based on what the video looks like, even before they've heard your message.

For more on Provident Partners, visit the company's Web site.