Podcasting has started to get some traction with the mainstream media starting to look at it as something that brands should consider. Take Mat Zucker’s column in Advertising Age last month. He cites companies like Johnson & Johnson, CIT Group and Whirlpool as those that currently offer podcasts.

One thing that he did mention that I felt needs clarification is the cost. He says “Audio podcast production can be as low as $5,000 to 30,000 per episode and video podcasts $50,000 to 150,000 per episode.” Yikes!! Where do these numbers come from?

Yes, you can spend your annual salary on podcasting, but it also can be done as cheaply as $50. I’ve installed podcast studios for clients for under $5000 and then the client is able to produce their podcast utilizing internal resources.

My point here is that if a company or organization is considering podcasting, you don’t need an advertising agency to do it for you and definitely don’t need to spend $5000 per episode to do it. What you do need is to have a plan that is heavy on objectives and light on budget to start. Once it gets rolling, then you might consider investing in a better recording studio and better production values.

If you don’t know why you are doing a podcast, you probably should wait before you start one.