To fully enjoy what podcasting is all about, you will need to download special software to "tune in" to these podcasts. Called an RSS newsfeed aggregator, this allows people to search for podcasts on net and automatically download them.

As I reported in my feature “Adding streaming audio to your web site or intranet” (click here to read feature), audio is fast, friendly, breaks down barriers and is very compelling - you just have to click on that button!

If you can produce audio programmes using techniques outlined in that article it is very easy to make them downloadable as MP3 files suitable for an iPod or MP3 player. To see what I mean, just right click and save this link to listen to a six-minute podcast about CiB, recorded with Ken Runicles, CiB chairman at last year’s conference and awards, (1MByte, MP3 file). If you haven’t got MP3 support in your browser you can listen to programme via net by clicking here.

For another example right click and save this audio example about MG Rover (4Mbyte, MP3).

But how could you use podcasting in your company? The only thing stopping us is our lack of ideas.

Further reading:

Find out about podcasting at: http://www.podcastingnews.com/articles/What_is_Podcasting.html

Find a podcast for you at http://www.podcast.net/

Find out more about streaming audio by reading Steve Nichols’ feature at http://www.infotechcomms.co.uk/info10.htm

So core periods of between about 10am until noon and 2pm -3pm seem favourite.

But my own experience shows that mornings are usually busiest as workers attend to mail, e-mail and generally clear decks. This is not a great time for checking intranet news feeds, unless stories are short and to point.

My experience with IC e-zine tends to bear these findings out. I am able to monitor response to e-zine in minute detail and in real-time too. As soon as it is published I can see how many people are reading it and what they are clicking on. The difference in readership between editions that have been published during mid morning and mid afternoon have been dramatic.

The consensus seems to be that about 2.45pm on a Wednesday afternoon is sweet spot. Even so, I can guarantee that I will receive "out of office" responses from around 5% of recipients, proving that you will never catch everyone all time.

Either way, "when" you publish must be as important as "what" you publish if you expect people to read it.