The key to any great podcast is preparation. So what sort of preparation does a podcast require? Well, if you're interested in creating your own podcast then a great place to start is first finding and listening to a variety of podcasts to get a better idea of the variety of formats and styles that exist within the medium.

It's also important to brainstorm and come up with several possible topics to cover in your podcasts. A good source of material could be any kind of new developments or interesting news about your company. You might want to go over any press releases that you've recently issued for ideas. Also are there any innovative products or service features that distinguish you from your competition? This should be the springboard for your outline. Do some research and try to see if you can tie it into something newsworthy.

Keep in mind who your target audience is so that the message is relevant and as well as engaging to them. Try to keep in mind that you'll want to share just enough information to pique your visitors' curiosity in order to get them to tune to the upcoming installments of podcast series. You want to make your podcasting engaging without going into to too much or too little detail. You want to maximize listener retention, and as you can imagine, getting new listeners is a challenge so you surely don't want to loose them once you have them.

How do you Structure your pod cast? To make sure you cover everything you want without being redundant you should develop an outline of just what you'd like to include in each podcast, as well as a basic outline of the series. 1) You need an outline of your potential pod cast ideas 2) Create an order for the shows starting with a basic introductory show that explains who you are and what your show is about and then schedule your regular shows from there3) You'll need to create an outline for each individual pod cast This should include an: a) intro b) 2 or 3 important points c) Summary with contact info Remember that the content of your podcast is critical, and the outline it will enable you to be sure you don't lose your audience.

How long your podcast will be is directly related to how much news you have to share and the extent to which you can keep that news fresh and exciting. Frequency of updates is also an important issue to address. This will likely depend on your industry, and the number of new developments, or newsworthy happenings. Keep in mind though that most people are probably listening while in their car. You have a finite amount of time. If you produce a 45 minute podcast it had better be well edited and put together. It probably easier to be brief, and divide a much longer show into shorter more regular 15-30 minute broadcasts.

Whether creating your own podcast or outsourcing it elsewhere it's important to keep in mind that preparation is the first step in creating a successful podcast.