As podcasts become the medium of choice for customers and prospects searching for information fast, 65 percent of business and IT professionals say they listen to podcasts for both personal and business reasons. This hot new trend in the business-to-business world is the subject of a new white paper from Godfrey, a nationally ranked B2B marketing communications agency.

"Podcasts Deliver Fresh, Authentic Audio Content to Target Audiences” details the importance of podcasts to B2B marketers. Besides enabling them to communicate directly with their target audiences, podcasts also “…allow marketers to deliver fresh, authentic content, to humanize their companies, to position their companies as thought leaders and to encourage creative thinking."

The recently published white paper provides guidelines that will serve as best practices for getting a podcasting program up and running. “Podcasts should focus on content that’s relevant to your target audiences.” The educational and entertaining content should last no longer than 10 minutes and be delivered by experts “…who completely understand the topic or issue at hand and can help listeners solve their business challenges.” The Godfrey paper recommends that these experts use talking points to deliver their message in an easy, conversational style. “Podcasts are best left unscripted, because scripted podcasts come across as too slick, too stilted and too boring.”

In addition to content recommendations, the white paper also provides production guidelines and advises podcasters to post their episode on their company’s Web site, making sure the site has RSS capability. “This will ensure that listeners can subscribe to updates in your podcasting series.”

Promoting a podcast and measuring its effectiveness are also important parts of a successful podcasting program. The white paper offers tips to accomplish both, including use of all the new Web 2.0 technologies and tactics.

The white paper “Podcasts Deliver Fresh, Authentic Audio Content to Target Audiences” (58 KB PDF) is free and easily downloadable.

Godfrey provides full-service, integrated business-to-business branding and marketing communications services. The agency offers research, brand management, advertising, convergent public relations, digital marketing, search (SEO and SEM), media, direct marketing and analytics services.