Never heard of a "podcast"? Well it is time you got this little media firestorm on the radar screen. It will impact the way funeral directors do business, particularly in urban areas. Don't miss the opportunity to stand out.
In Short, podcasts are audio programs formatted in the same way as online digital music (MP3s files in other words). College students and other cutting edge media types have used this form to create audio diaries and other forms of entertainment which friends and peers download over the web and then listen to on their MP3 players.
Thing is, I just saw that the New York Police Department has started to use podcasts as an alternate means to get out public service announcements and other important information! Podcasts have already gotten into the mainstream.
You can read the article by following this link: NYPD Does Podcasts
It will take some experimentation to come up with the right combination in your service area. Nevertheless, here are some possible uses.
- Post a recording of the funeral service as a podcast on your website.
- Post obituary and funeral information in the same way that funeral homes will have obituaries read at a local radio station.
- Record a greeting or thank you from a family you have served.
- Record a message from the deceased, something they do as part of their prearrangement, and post this online for others to share.
- In a more elaborate form, create a recording station in the funeral home where friends and family can share their thoughts. You would need someone with some audio editing skills. Still that batch of expressions could get edited into a podcast remembrance as part of the funeral.
That's just a few off the top of my head. No doubt others will come up with many additional alternatives.
If you want to get a little more information about the process, here are some links you might find helpful.
A definition of podcasting with helpful links on CNET: CNET Link
Podcasting tools from CNET: Podcasting Tools
A step-by-step description: Podcasting Step-By-Step
Here's info from the Apple Computer website: Podcast Info on Apple.com
Have fun and let me know what you come up with.
BT
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