Guest Blogger – Mike Kytoski Discusses Tips for Podcasts!

Hello and allow me to introduce myself. My name is Mike Kytoski and I am an Account Executive at HJMT. Hilary was kind enough to offer me the opportunity for a guest spot and I jumped at the opportunity.

Although, I have a number of roles at the firm one of the most prominent and important (at least I think so) is that I handle all the editing for the firms audio podcasts.

For those who aren’t familiar, podcasts are audio or video files that can be downloaded automatically to your computer, using RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds.

While you may think that podcasting is for hobbyists and kids under the age of 18. You might be surprised to know that some of the worlds biggest companies such as IBM, Disney, and General Motors are using their podcasts to reach millions.

All you need is a basic recorder and some simple editing software. You can use a variety of editing programs such as audacity, which is free or garage band, which is usually standard on most Mac computers.

There are a number of small things you can do to ensure that your podcast is being heard by more than just your close friends and co-workers.

• When you record your podcast try to make sure that you keep a consistent distance between yourself and the microphone so the volume level don’t vary during recording.

• Adding music to the background of your podcast can definitely bring it a step above the others. But, be sure steer clear of any “recorded albums” to avoid any copyright issues. There are a ton of sites where you can find royalty free music and sound clips.

• Oddly enough, search engines don’t index mp3 files. So, when posting your podcast be sure to include any relevant text along with it in order to draw in more traffic.

• Always make sure your prepared. Most of the best podcasts sound free flowing and are fun to listen to. But I’ll bet they all had a plan going in.

• And, be critical but don’t go crazy. Do what you can to edit out those umm’s, oh’s and awkward pauses. You want it to sound natural but don’t go overboard to interrupt the flow.

Podcasting has made tremendous strides since it began in late 2004. There’s no doubt that it will soon be part of every businesses marketing campaign.

Thanks to Hil for letting me have this guest spot and be sure to head over to www.hjmt.com to check out the podcasts that are posted.