If you don't think of podcasting as a mobile medium, think again! Any users with MP3 players (including smartphones) can load podcasts onto their devices and listen to them anywhere—while sitting on the subway, jogging, walking the dog, you name it. Podcasts are inexpensive to produce, and once you've loaded one onto your server, you can spread it via a website, iTunes and your feed-reader of choice. It's time to get your message out to earbuds across the land!

A podcast can range anywhere from a minute—say, John Hodgman's "Today in the Past"—to an hour: NPR's "This American Life," Bob Knorpp's "The BeanCast," or Bill Green's and Angela Natividad's "AdVerve" (the last two being ad/marketing related, and the NPR show being a series of human-interest stories).

So, how can you take advantage of this new phenom? Consider the product or service you're trying to offer, and the market you want to reach. Then fit a 'cast to them! Every industry has a series of quirky or charming stories to share, whether historical anecdotes or tales about how people have used a product in unexpected ways.

For added traction, invite testimonials or experiences from your listeners, then read them aloud. Add color to your 'cast by incorporating music from independent music labels or little-known local artists, bringing an element of discovery to the listening experience.

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