Reach your audiences with live radio shows—online

BlogTalkRadio lets anyone host a radio talk show; the potential for corporate communicators is vast

Just as blogs have given the average writer the tools (if not the talent) to help him become the Dave Barry of the online world, so, too, are companies like BlogTalkRadio democratizing the talk-show business.

Want to compete with Rush Limbaugh or Howard Stern? All you need is a telephone and a computer. It helps, of course, if you have something to say that people actually want to hear, but it’s not necessary—because it’s free. There are no program managers to please, no advertisers to lure (although if you do happen to hook an advertiser, you get to keep half the money—more on that later).

Here’s how it works: A completely Web-based platform, BlogTalkRadio does not require any downloads or extra equipment. Aspiring broadcasters just fill out an online host form and in return get two dedicated telephone numbers—one for the host to use to broadcast his or her show and the other for callers to use to participate in the program. The platform doesn’t require you to broadcast to the masses. Corporations like IBM use the platform to communicate internally.