How to Create a Podcast
Podcasting is more popular than ever. Technology has made it so simple to access podcast content that you can listen from anywhere at any time. The Public Speaker has tips on using podcasting as a tool to market your brand.
Just this past week two different people I met asked me about podcasting. Although one was a psychologist and the other a sales professional, both were interested in creating a podcast for the same reasons. They thought podcasting would be a good way to help them keep in touch with their existing network and also that it would help them to expand their network. Each of them had a few questions about getting started with podcasting and I promised them I’d write this episode. So Joe and Jen, this two-part series is for you and for everyone else who is thinking about creating a podcast to advance their career.
Meet Jen and Joe
If you have a passion for something or are an expert in your field, you probably want to share your knowledge with others. Maybe you’re already an active blogger who is highly engaged in social media. You might be thinking about podcasting as another avenue for sharing your expertise and building your platform. You may be looking for an opportunity share in a different way or perhaps more deeply than you currently do. Podcasting is certainly one way to achieve those goals.
In Jen’s case, she’s a psychologist who co-wrote a book with a very well-known author. Her book coach suggested she start a podcast to establish her own following (separate from her co-author) and to showcase her unique abilities. A podcast would allow more people to hear her in action.
Joe’s situation is different. He works for a large, well-known telecommunications company as an enterprise account manager. As a sales professional who specializes in private fiber networks, he’s looking at podcasting as a way of maintaining and growing his professional network — of course with the end goal of increasing sales.
Should I Podcast?
Everyone has their own reasons for thinking about podcasting. When I first started podcasting, my goal was to expand my network into different markets so I could reach more people with my messages. When deciding if you should podcast, the first step is to be clear about your goals. Next, you’ll want to be sure that whatever you create will effectively target the audience you are trying to attract (and that that audience demographic actually listens to podcasts)!
What Type of Podcast Should You Create?
Next, you’ll want to think about the type of content you’ll offer. Some podcasters interview experts. Others create original content. Some podcasts are for pure entertainment, some are for infotainment, some are for education, and some are for inspiration. You’ll need to think about what you want to offer your audience. It should be something that’s different from what you already provide and different from what’s already available. You’ll also need to decide if you want to focus on your own ideas or instead, curate ideas from your industry. Ultimately, you’ll need to think about what will make your content different and compelling and at the same time; how much time and money are you willing to invest in this effort?
When a Podcast Is a Good Idea
In Jen’s case, it makes sense that she would create original content for her podcasts. However, my advice to her would be to consider recycling whenever possible. That is, to simply repackage something she is already doing and use that as a podcast. For example, if she offers group coaching sessions, then she could simply record those sessions (with permission from participants, of course) and offer those as podcasts. Another recycling option for her would be to record her speaking engagements and have an audio professional divide her talks into several short segments and offer those as podcasts. Of course, she could always create completely new content each week, specifically for the podcast.
In Joe’s case, he could try recycling too, breaking up his public presentations into short podcast segments. However, in Joe’s case, he doesn’t make that many public presentations and creating original accurate technical content on a consistent basis might be difficult considering his full-time job is sales.
When a Postcast Is Not the Best Approach
For Joe, a podcast may not be the best way to achieve his goals. He is a sales professional and sales professionals generally need contact information. Keep in mind, typically anyone can download and listen to a podcast without providing any contact information to the creator of the podcast. Of course, it’s possible to request that listeners sign-up for a newsletter or other special offers in an effort to collect contact info, but generally speaking, it’s a small percentage of listeners. However, some might say that could also be seen as an advantage because you know you’ve got a reasonably strong relationship with those who do decide to give you their contact information.
For Joe, I would recommend instead that he focus on being a curator of high-quality content. This way, it positions him as an up-to-date objective resource of related technical information that both helps buyers make better decisions and customers make better use of the technology. If I were him, I would not limit myself to podcasts and instead, provide a variety of formats of content from a variety of sources, and primarily make the content available via a newsletter and social media links.
More Web Marketing Options
I would encourage Joe to explore the content his company already creates and to look to what others in the industry provide. This will not only help keep him up-to-date, but again, it positions him as the go-to person for objective information in his area of expertise. Since Joe is interested in professional contacts, I would strongly encourage him to grow his LinkedIn connections by posting the high-quality content he finds to appropriate groups and also sharing that same information on Quora. After someone reads his posts and decides to join his professional network, he can then invite them to join his newsletter for regular updates. What’s good about this plan is that even if they choose not to subscribe to his newsletter, he still has a way of directly contacting people in his network.
If you are considering creating a podcast, the first and most important step is to determine if a podcast will be the best way to reach your goals. However, once you’ve decided a podcast is the way to go, there are many more things you’ll need to consider and plan for. We’ll talk about those in part two and part three of this mini-series.
This is Lisa B. Marshall, The Public Speaker. Helping you lead, influence, and inspire through better communication. Your success is my business. I’d love to share my best information with you. Join my newsletter to get weekly updates, a free bonus, and exclusive content.
Do you struggle with difficult conversations? Do you procrastinate when it comes to delivering feedback? Do you know how to effectively persuade and influence others? Learn this and more in my book Smart Talk, radio personality, Maureen Anderson called it “the owner’s manual for your mouth!” Visit www.smarttalksuccess.com to get your personally signed copy.
Podcast image from Shutterstock
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About the Author
Lisa B. Marshall Lisa holds masters with duel degrees in interpersonal/intercultural communication and organizational communication. She’s the author of Smart Talk: The Public Speaker’s Guide to Success in Every Situation, as well as Ace Your Interview, Powerful Presenter, and Expert Presenter. Her work has been featured in CBS Money Watch, Ragan.com, Woman’s Day, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and many others. Her institutional clients include Johns Hopkins Medicine, Harvard University, NY Academy of Science, University of Pennsylvania, Genentech, and Roche.
