A busy entrepreneur can talk up a storm, but freezes up when it comes to blogging. Another small business owner finds that his writing style is stilted and unfriendly, but people compliment him on his friendly personality. Both of these people have one big thing in common. They are the perfect online radio show candidates. While the thought of creating a podcast may seem a bit overwhelming at first, there are many services that make creating radio shows downright simple.
Use Internet Radio Services to Create Podcasts
For people who aren't very technologically adept, one of the many online Internet radio services can make creating a weekly or even daily podcast a breeze. These services enable ordinary people to become radio show producers, complete with guest callers and online chat options. Some of these services charge a fee, but many actually pay the radio show hosts for the content they produce through a revenue share model.
Two of the most popular Internet radio services are Blog Talk Radio and Talk Shoe. Both of these services allow the user to schedule radio show episodes ahead of time or to create an episode series. Both also make importing the podcast to a blog fairly simple.
Learn to Create Podcasts From Scratch
Do it yourself podcasts can be a bit more challenging than the easy to use Internet radio options, but they can provide more flexibility. To make a DIY podcast, a small business owner will need to think about finding the right editing software so that he or she can add intro music, closing music, ads, etc. to the podcasts. He or she will also need to check into options that make it simple to put each episode of the finished radio show on the webpage or blog.
Tips for Setting Up a Radio Show
Regardless of how he or she decides to produce an online radio show, there are a few things that every small business owner needs before he or she begins to make the first episode.
- A good headset that has silencing capability so that he or she can drown out background noises.
- A script. Although reading word for word can create a very awkward broadcast, dead air, a technical term for silence, is not a good thing on a radio show. Having a rough script, or at least an outline, allows the radio show host to quickly jog his or her memory and to move on to the next section of the show.
- Callers. While callers are not strictly necessary, they do help keep the show moving and take some of the pressure off the radio show host. Inviting callers to appear on the show is also a great way to network.
- Copyright free music for opening and closing show segments. Copyright free music for online radio shows is available through several different websites, including Garageband.com and Freemusicarchive.org.
Once a small business owner knows how to make a podcast, he or she can use radio show episodes to keep a website or blog updated, to drive more traffic to the business site and to increase brand awareness.
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