Podcasting for online business is essential for success and allows you to develop a more personable relationship with your customer. Though traditional advertising owns a very respectable place in the media world, podcasting permits your customer to get an idea about the face, voice and life of your product or service. Additionally, when the podcast is of decent quality, it gives your company a competitive edge of professionalism. The customer becomes acquainted with you personally and it establishes a greater level of trust and value in your product or service.  So here are a few do's and don'ts of podcasting so that you can maximize your efforts and distinguish yourself from the competition.

The Do's:

Make it Professional: Whether you're podcasting from the basement or in a recording studio, there is no reason that your podcast should not have a professional sound. There is nothing worse than having a dog barking or a baby crying in the background. It is very distracting and the listener will more than likely turn off your podcast in midstream. There is software that can be used to filter noise from the background and will increase its clarity, so there is no justification for poor quality audio podcasts.

Add it to iTunes: Pretty much anyone has either an iPod, an iPhone, or some other device that allows them to listen to podcasts on the run. By adding your podcast to the iTunes media gallery, you will ensure great exposure for your product or service.

Content Counts: Even though your audio quality is important, you must offer quality in your content as well. By offering content that is detailed, informative and/or engaging, your audience will appreciate the extra effort it took to create the podcast.

The Don'ts

Stay on Topic: Don't stray off your topic of discussion. If your podcast is focused on pet grooming it wouldn't been appropriate to rant about your political point-of-view. While some of your listeners may agree with your political opinion, the fact is the listener is expecting to learn about pet grooming. You may simply lose listeners if you do not stay focused and on topic.

Silence Your Ramblings: Don't stay unnecessarily on a single point. You don't want to bore your listeners by rambling on and on as they will not tolerate redundancy. Additionally unfilled silences or unsure "umms" and "errs", will make your listeners move on to the next podcast. You have to keep the recording active and always use audio editing software to remove dead air or repeats. It will give your podcast a professional feel.

Ignore your Audience: Don't ever ignore your audience. They are your next customer. Provide them with a way to contact you and allow them to give you feedback. This can be on a blog, a personal email, a forum, or a social networking site. By using good podcasting methods, you will definitely be successful.

I would like to announce the upcoming launch of "League of Extraordinary Talent." This dynamic group features entrepreneurs of creative services come together from all over the world to share ideas.  This includes, but not limited to, voice talents, business coaches, writers, musicians, graphic artists, SEO experts, etc. Stay tuned for more information.