The Wall Street Journal is certainly one of the most widely respected publications in the world of business. They’ve recently adopted podcasting as a method for distributing information.

I was recently discussing businesses using podcasts with the owner of a travel related concern. Within a few minutes the person on the other side of the table definitely got the message as far as the capabilities and benefits of podcasting. Sometimes making the point on the power of podcasting is not so easy, which is why the adoption by major media players like The Journal and even the New York Times goes a long way in selling the idea.

The fact is that if you have information that people can use than you can get the word out quickly and at a low cost via a podcast. Major newspapers just happen to be in the business of distributing information so this is a natural fit.

Your business might not make direct revenues from the distribution of information but I’d be willing to bet that you could provide information that would compel people to patronize your business or simply get more out of the services that you are providing. This is one of the things that podcasting does well.

I like to use The Journal as an example because they’ve been successful for years at distributing information via the internet and making a profit while they’re doing it. WSJ.com provides a decent amount of free content while most of the key content is available for a yearly subscription fee. And some of the free podcasts have short advertisements to support the cost of production and distribution.

My point here is that podcasts can provide a return on investement in one of two ways. They can educate people and entice them to purchase your premium products or services. And they can also generate advertising revenue if you solicit relevant advertisements from complimentary service providers.

The costs are small to begin with so recouping your investment is certainly not hard to do. And as your business gets more comfortable with the medium you can increase production values with an eye on making your podcasting initiative into a profit center for your business.

Just remember that you’re probably in the information business even if information is not your primary business.

[tags]Social Media, Podcasting, Business Ideas[/tags]