Is it difficult for me to find the time to get information on personal interests like politics or music? (You guessed it, you can with podcasts.)
The following article will help you in two ways: 1. get rid of all your timesucks that slow down your information collection and 2. how to use podcasts to get your information to your target audiences.
But first things first: what is a podcast?
To put it simply, according to the Internet encyclopedia Wikipedia: A podcast is a multimedia file distributed over the Internet using syndication feeds, for playback on mobile devices and personal computers. Easy enough, except for that part about "syndication feeds". Sounds like a computer nerd term, right? Well, here's what it means in English: a syndication feed automatically brings you information that you've decided to subscribe to; you click "subscribe" and the syndication feed then makes sure you have the information when new shows are published.
Think of it this way: when the Wall Street Journal finishes their morning podcast where they talk through their news, your subscription will have it wating for you on your iPod so you can listen to it on your way to work. You can have any number of podcasts ready and waiting for you whenever you want to listen to them - which might be during your morning commute, but could be anytime of the day; during exercise, while walking to and from meetings or in the background while you're working. Really, it's up to you.
How do you get a podcast?
When discussing how to get a podcast, we're again talking about the syndication feed. You are going to be using a program to handle your syndication feeds. There are a number of these programs out there, and they all fall into a category called "Podcast Aggregators". Question: Do you need to know that? The simple answer is, 'No', you don't - but what you do need to know is that programs like Apple's iTunes is one of them, and if you Google search on "podcast aggregator" you'll come up with a number of other programs that might be easier for you to use if iTunes isn't your speed. But! Don't google that yet - keep reading!
How to use podcasts
OK, now you've got your iPod, you've downloaded iTunes and you're up and running. What now? Do a search in the iTunes music store, or in the various directories that come with your aggregator software, and you'll start to find that there are tons of podcasts out there. Keep refining your search (rather than, 'news' try 'local news chicago' or rather than politics, try 'liberal political podcasts'). You're going to find something you're interested in sooner or later. When you find them, subscribe to them and they automatically will work with iTunes to update your iPod. You can tell iTunes when to get updates so you can schedule everything so it's available to you before you head off to work, to the gym, or whereever. At that point, take your iPod and hit the road!
"Yes yes yes, we know about what they are, we want to know how to use them to reach out to customers and donors and other folks we want to talk with. How do we reach out to those people?"
Spearfishing, not casting a net.
Producing podcasts for an audience is an amazing communications endeavor. Think of it this way: you can get an article printed about your company in the Washington Post, but if you're not on the front page, people who want to read about you might never find you, while a lot of people you don't need to find you will. Think of radio and television in the same way. All three (print, radio and television) cast huge nets (a Good Morning America hit can reach eight million viewers), but who are the folks watching, listening or reading? Fact is: you don't know who they are, but you can be sure that not all of them want/care for/need what you're selling. When you produce a podcast, you absolutely know that the folks who are subscribing are people who absolutely want the information. It's a 100 percent specific audience. If you produce podcasts about Aboriginal blanket weavers, you can be sure the only folks listening are people who really want that information. Likewise on your foundation news, your financial news, your marketing news, etc.
Podcasting Vs. Advertising
Knowing that podcasting targets incredibly specific markets makes you more powerful than the competition who spends money on direct mail or on producing radio advertising, or even the far more expensive television commercials. Why waste tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands, for 30 seconds of ad copy and "cleverness" when you can spend tens of dollars (yes, tens) and get out there via podcast? You wouldn't, because you're smart. You're reading this. You're learning how to save piles of money while still getting your message out to your constituents.
Podcasting; relationship to money.
There are different reasons organizations podcast, but they generally fall into two categories: directly making money or indirectly making money. Now, this doesn't always mean profit and hard cash; money in this sense might be donations for charities, or votes for politicians. But in most cases, it's either a way to make advertising dollars because you have a large listenership, or the organization is reaching out in a new way to hang their sign and attract new customers/donors.
Why do people want to listen to you?
The largest hurdle for most people is to find interesting content about themselves - that isn't just interesting to the organization, but interesting to the outside world at the same time. "But wait a second, my products are something everybody needs, and they're interesting in their own right!" Yes, while that's absolutely true, and you absolutely believe that, there's still a missing component: the story.
People want information, they want drama even in the cold numbers driven world of the financial industry. Would you rather invest in a boring blue chip company or would you rather invest in the very stable upstart that has some success behind it and has innovative talent and hardworking employees, who toiled to find a new solution to an age-old problem? Certainly, the latter represents a more lucrative deal, and a far more interesting one. This is you. Be the far more interesting one.
Once you find your story, give the people what they want. What do they like?
How do they respond favorably to things? Do they like celebrities?
Do they like results driven data? Do they want to be filled with hope
of better days ahead, or feel powerful, charitable, or something else?
Find out, and give it to them. This is the golden rule: give them
what they want, not what you want to give. Make it interesting, make
it inviting and new, and the people you want to hear it will love
it. And don't forget, even if you are a large boring company, you
can still find exciting information and stories within your organization.
Producing Podcasts: Step One, and only one.
This is a great time for me to say, "Hey, call Buzz Media!" but, having already said that, let me tell you a little secret. You can do it on your own. There are tons of people out there who produce out of their homes with the little stick microphones that come with your personal computer. You can do this at work too. The major drawback to that is the quality of the recording - while both Mac and PC have the ability, it's personal computer level ability, not professional. Buzz Media uses a number of things (replace “a number of things” with “specialized equipment”)to bring quality recording to our podcasts, such as high-end microphones, professional audio software, an experienced sound engineer to run that software, the ability to record on-location and the ability to record via telephone. Our studio allows us to edit in sound effects, intros, outros and also to clean up any sounds that you don't want people to have to hear (coughs, sneezes, breaths, etc.). We can work with sponsors to add in their own commercials or jingles in the beginning or end of your podcast. We can largely do whatever you're looking for. It's all up to you, your budget, the level of quality you'd like to have and how interesting you want to make your podcast for your listeners, donors, investors, customers or constituents.
For any questions regarding this paper, or podcasts in general, please
contact Buzz Media at info@buzzmediapr.com. If you're interested in
starting podcasting, please e-mail Duane Homan at duane@buzzmediapr.com.
