Thinking about starting a podcast? Here’s 5 factors to consider first
Engaging. Affordable. Popular. Measurable. There’s a lot to like about podcasts. No wonder tickets sold out for the recent podcasting workshop we delivered for NSW members of the International Association of Business Communicators.
The question that many audience members had was: Are podcasts right for my organisation and my target audiences? So, during the session, we shared our learnings from producing podcasts for clients over several years.
Here are five of the key points we recommend all communications professionals consider, before committing to a podcast series.
1. Clearly define your subject matter
As a general rule, your podcast should cover a subject that is an area of strength for your organisation or brand. Importantly, the subject should also be an area that your target audience needs/wants to hear more about. (This may sound like common sense, but it’s not necessarily common practice.) Before starting your podcast series, be clear about the subject(s) you will (and won’t) explore – and ensure any internal stakeholders/sponsors are on board with this.
2. Podcasts require a time commitment
Like any communications channel, podcasts take time to deliver properly. Depending on the format of your series, you may need to allow time for selecting topics, research, arranging interviewees, recording, editing, writing run sheets and show notes, stakeholder sign off, etc. You can manage that all in house, or outsource all/some of those things to people like us , but – either way – be prepared to invest time in getting this right.
3. Podcasts are affordable – but not “cheap”
Podcasts offer some obvious financial advantages over other media channels. You can distribute a podcast via Apple or Spotify for a fraction of the cost of mailing print magazines via Australia Post. You can record quality audio without incurring the extra costs associated with video, such as lighting, set, makeup, etc. However, podcasts do require financial investment. Depending on your format and production values, you may need to pay for the services of a presenter, producer, sound engineer, etc. Audio equipment and software is relatively inexpensive, but should be budgeted for (unless you have an external supplier who already owns the equipment). And then there’s marketing…
4. Podcasts require marketing support
You can produce the best podcast series in the world but it’s useless if nobody knows about it. Word of mouth will not do the job alone. To get off the ground, podcasts require a marketing campaign at launch (you only get one shot at securing a spot on Apple’s New and Noteworthy page). They also require ongoing marketing too. That should include paid-for advertising as well as promotion via every existing touchpoint you have with your target audience (e.g. your website, social media channels, existing e-newsletters, etc). There are other inexpensive marketing tips we can share too. Contact us[4] to discuss these.
5. Podcasts build long-term loyalty
In marketing parlance, podcasts are a ‘soft sell’. They are a great way to develop a relationship with your target audience and to build a sense of community. But listeners will be turned off by podcasts that are dominated by product pushing. People will not choose to spend their discretionary spare time listening to organisations talking in detail about the features and benefits of their products. It’s important to consider this before introducing podcasts into your marketing mix. Podcasts are not a quick path to sales conversion, they require patience to gradually grow a loyal subscriber base.
A recording of the session has been circulated to attendees if you are interested in the full recording please reach out to VP Kieran McCann over LinkedIn or via edenderry00@yahoo.co.uk
Find out more
Of course, there’s a lot more to successful podcasting than the above factors. We offer a flexible range of podcasting services, from concept to strategy to production to publishing. If you’d like to discuss how podcasting might work for your organisation, get in touch with us.
Ben McAlary | Phone: 0417 351 724 | Email: ben@mcalarymedia.com | LinkedIn
Andy McLean | Phone: 0420 897774 | Email: andy@andymclean.net | LinkedIn
Next workshop: Climate of Change – Corporate Responsibility, the new strategic imperative
Once considered discretionary and nice-to-do, corporate responsibility has emerged as a strategic imperative for forward-looking businesses.
For our fourth and final workshop of 2019 Jacquie Fegent-McGeachie will explore:
Mega-trends driving business to redefine their responsibilities
Initiatives that savvy businesses are pursuing in response
How organisations are building trust by taking into account wider stakeholder expectations
Wed., 16 October 2019, 12:40pm – 2:00pm
Please access via the password IABCNSWMEMBER
Please note as an exclusive workshop approach this is for current IABC NSW members only and as part of our commitment of providing exceptional value will be $25 including a light lunch. Attendees will be asked to provide evidence of their current IABC membership.