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Cooking has become one of the most popular hobbies around the world today, thanks in part to celebrity chefs and their cooking shows. Whatever your take on this trend is, it is rather hard to deny the allure of cooking and enjoying the results of your labor.

For someone who spends time in the kitchen – even if only sporadically – it is essential to have some tools which you can rely on. There are kitchen tools and gadgets, of course, and then there are sources of inspiration for your next dish. More →

We’re all different, and all like things differently done. Here’s how I like my podcasts.
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I’m thinking of making a new podcast myself, and while I have the theme of it pretty much figured out, it made me think of other ideas for podcasts as well.
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It is the rare individual who takes to podcasting immediately. Sometimes the best way to ease into a new skill is to ask for a little company. Add some alcohol into the mix and what you have is cool and fun way of podcasting that will surely be entertaining and spontaneous.

Beercasts are gaining a lot of fans in the podcasting community because it is a lot of fun and a relatively easy way of making a podcast. the setup for a beercast is quite simple. All one needs is a few microphones, a Behringer mixer and an MP3 recorder.

A beercast is actually  round table discussion. A topic is presented to the participants and the discussions begin. It’s an easy setup and when it gets going, it is so much fun. A discussion like this will be energetic, free-flowing and, if the participants are witty and eloquent, quite a great show of verbal repartee. Of course, introducing some alcohol into the mix could result in even more free spirited discussions.

Beercasting is a great way to get your feet wet in the world of podcasting simply because conversations come naturally, unlike a monologue. A podcaster is more likely to feel more comfortable when he’s talking with other people rather than just talking on his own while on the microphone. Conversations will allow you to actually think about what you will say next when the other participants in the beercast are talking. Beercasts and multiple host types of podcast are so popular and more engaging to audiences that you will notice that in any ranking of podcasts, there’s more multiple-host formats in the list.

If you’re interested in trying out a podcast, try to read the excellent resource Podcasting Hacks.

One thing that podcasters usually forget is that podcasting is an medium of sound. It is in audio that you relay your information or tell your story. The reason I mention this is because most podcasters still do their podcasts without taking this important fact into consideration. What I mean is that they do not paint a picture.

When you do a podcast you talk to your audience. But since it is not a visual medium, they will have to use their imagination to “see” what you are talking about. But to do this, you will have to paint the picture for them. This means that you have to give details and describe nuances. Let’s say that your podcast is about a visit to a historic landmark. If you just say that you went to this place and found it interesting, your audience won’t “see” what you experienced. But if you paint a picture for them — describing the trip, pointing out the people that was also there to visit, describing the color and smell of the place along with other unique details  — then you have started painting that picture. You effectively transport your audience to that place.

But painting a picture is not limited to just descriptions of places. You can use it in all types of podcasts, even interviews! You can describe how your interviewee took various questions. Was he comfortable? Did he fidget? Does he have any mannerisms that you found interesting? Look out for the details, remember them and then describe them. It makes for a more “visual” and memorable podcast.

The interview is a bit more complicated than your normal, personal, off the mill podcast especially if you will be conferencing over the internet or live even, face to face. First, study the set up and get down to planning a few setup’s trying to figure out what works best. For teleconferencing, you can record the questions and answers separately, editing them together with your editing software later. Background noise is a killer so search and silence all noisy stuff, equipment (if you love to use your computer, you’re sure to have more fans that the store bought PC casing so use something else and shut it off, the hum of the fans are louder that you think) More →

I’ve mentioned before that one of the biggest hurdles of having a podcast is finding an audience that will support your podcast and be there to listen to it every time you have a new episode.

The best way to ensure that you gain an audience and ensure that it grows is by marketing your podcast. Let’s face it. Great content can only bring you so far. You will need the magic of marketing to help make your podcast a success.

The best way to make your podcast successful is by creating an image for it – and the best way to do it is by using some handy marketing tools that will give a recognizable face to your podcast.

For example, you can use the power of a slogan to bring recall to your podcasts. Using a simple but memorable slogan will help people remember your podcast. Listeners will zero in on your slogan and whenever they hear it or words associated with it, they will be reminded immediately of your podcast.

Of course, a slogan will not be effective if you are sloppy with your work. Make sure that your podcasts show a level of professionalism that will impress listeners. It can be as simple as making sure that the grammar in your podcasts are correct. Always remember that a sloppily written piece — whether it’s a podcast or an article — will always look and sound sloppy if it was poorly written.