Maybe a running buddy talked it up. Or a competitor started one and you don’t want to be left behind. Whatever the reason, you’ve decided your business need a podcast. And although you know what they are, you’re not sure how to start.

Not to worry. Podcasts have become such popular marketing tools for sole proprietors and small businesses, a small army of professional producers is out there waiting to help. According to the experts, here are 10 essential steps a company needs to get started:

Do some homework. The best way to learn about podcasting is to listen to podcasts, says Peter Brusso, an Anaheim, Calif., podcasting producer and technology marketing consultant. Visit directories such as SwitchPod ^[1] and look for podcasts with a similar style or subject to you want to create, Brusso says.

Decide on a topic. Podcasts could focus on a company’s products or services, an industry or on management or professional issues. Whatever the topic, make sure it’s related to a company’s business in some way, says Sallie Goetsch, proprietor of The Podcast Asylum ^[2], a northern California podcast producer and consultant.

Gather your tools. Producing a podcast requires:

• A microphone, digital audio recorder or USB headset to record podcast episodes
• Computer with sound card and high-speed Internet connection
• Audio recording and editing software, either licensed software or free open-source programs such as Audacity

Build a backlog. Before going live, build up a catalog of a dozen or more episodes. Coming up with ideas is easy, Brusso says. They can spring from talking to customers, going to conventions, reading trade magazines, or following current events.

Be natural. When it’s time to record a podcast, organize talking points, but don’t use a script. “People don’t like being sold. The more from the heart the better,” Brusso says.

Be consistent. Length, professional quality, and subject matter of a company’s podcast are important but not as much as on-air consistency. Whether it’s once a day, once a week or once a month, pick a schedule and stick to it. Podcasts are like radio or TV shows: audiences expect a schedule. Disappoint them and they might not come around again, Brusso says.

Not a D-I-Y type? Hire a pro. Professional producers can handle the technical aspects of starting or creating a podcast. Goetsch and partners Priscilla Rice and Michele Molitor, for example, offer a small-business podcast starter package for $1,100 that covers scripting and recording three to four podcasts plus lots of extras, including finding a hosting service, setting up a podcast blog and submitting broadcasts to podcast directories. Brusso, who works with lawyers and other sole proprietors, charges $1,000 for an hour-long podcast with similar extras. But it doesn’t have to be expensive. According to Goetsch, a small businessperson could do everything themselves with an existing computer, $20 headset, free software for audio editing and creating a podcast, and host it on their existing website.

Find your podcast a home. Companies can physically host a podcast anywhere, including with the service they use for their website. What really matters is getting the word out that it’s there. For maximum exposure, list podcasts on directories such as PodcastAlley.com ^[3], Podcast411 ^[4], Podanza ^[5] or TalkShoe ^[6].

Forget about making money, at least not directly. Some podcasts collect revenue from advertising that podcast directories put on their sites. But that shouldn’t be why a company does it. Podcasts should be part of a company’s overall marketing strategy, Brusso says. “To get yourself known, you have to blog, optimize your Website for search engines and podcast,” he says. “If you do all three the results are phenomenal.”

Keep up with trends. Use the following resources to find out more:

• PodcastFAQ ^[7]
• Everything With Podcasting ^[8] — A website companion to the book How to do Everything with Podcasting (McGraw Hill-Osborne Media, 2007).
• Podcasting consultant Sallie Goetsch’s humorous take on how not to podcast, from her Podcast Asylum Website ^[9].