Podcasts may not provide the instant gratification that a short video or blog does, but there’s something to be said for the humanizing element that sets podcasts apart from what consumers have become accustomed to with more mainstream forms of social media. That’s not to say that consumers aren’t taking to podcasts – in fact, favorites like WTF with Marc Maron and The Nerdist are stealing the hearts of comedy fans and anyone who enjoys listening to earnest and enlightening interviews with the likes of celebrity heroes from Tom Hanks, to Mel Brooks to Dave Grohl. Not to mention the widely popular Radiolab, This American Life and Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me. Last year, Apple even gave podcasts their own mobile app. So if you’re wondering: Does anyone really listen to podcasts? The answer is, they do – more and more every day.
Podcasting champion Marc Maron recording with Dmitri Von Klein in his apartment with a desktop and two external mics (Photo courtesy of wtfpod.com)
We’re partial to podcasts around here at FSC Interactive as co-producers of GoNOLA Radio, the podcast component of GoNOLA.com, the official “What’s Going on in New Orleans” blog of New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation (NOTMC). What makes podcasts appealing and why would audiences choose them over something else? Podcasts have the power of storytelling that isn’t as fully developed in the constructs of a Tweet, a blog post or a video. While we value those forms of social media just as much, a podcast is an entirely different animal that reaches a particular audience. It’s a niche, and that is something promising all its own.
So what if you want to try out blogging’s auditory cousin for your own brand or business? We’ve got some basic pointers to help you get your podcast off the ground and levitate right up there with your blogs, videos and social media channels.
Getting Started
Let’s start with the basics. What will you need to make a podcast? If it’s not in your budget to have your podcast professionally recorded at your local recording studio, there are plenty of mobile devices that will get the job done. The most basic being the smart phone. It’s as easy as sitting down and pressing the record button and then using an editing tool like Garage Band or the free editing app Audacity, which performs the same function. The quality will probably be better if you use a computer and a USB microphone which is cheap and easily found at Radio Shack or Best Buy. If your show consists of more than just yourself, you can record with other people using the Call Recorder app on Skype – it’s easy, affordable and works well. If you want to get a little fancier, there is portable recording equipment complete with microphones that will save the recording to a drive. That’s a more expensive route but will likely produce the best quality.
Create
GoNOLA Radio hosts George Ingmire and Mikko recording with Sunpie Barnes and Bryan Batt!
As with any well executed social media platform, content is king. Make sure your podcast serves a purpose, informs and entertains the listener and achieves your overall goals. If you’re making a podcast for a restaurant, for example, maybe it’s the chef explaining the specials of the week or the ingredients that he or she is excited about using this season. If it’s tourism, like GoNOLA Radio, have representatives from your location who are involved in the festivals and events, music scene, culinary scene, or anyone who is doing something exciting that would entice a potential visitor. Save the most captivating material for your recording and try not to go off topic. Think about the listener and what they will find interesting. The pros like Marc Maron, Chris Hardwick and Ira Glass have the luxury of hour and a half long podcasts, but for the purposes of your brand, the sweet spot may only be 10-15 minutes to extract the best juice from your message.
Distribute
Now that you’ve recorded and edited your podcast, it’s ready to be presented to the masses. Submit your podcast to iTunes so people can subscribe and download each episode. For mobile listeners, add your podcast to Stitcher to be downloaded for listeners on the go. The best way to further the reach of your podcast is to use the engine of social media as your vehicle. Start by posting the mp3 file to your website. WordPress has free podcast plugins like Power Press from Blubrry, or you can use SoundCloud to upload your media file and copy and paste the embed code to stream directly on your website. If you have a Tumblr blog, you can upload the media file or post the link to the podcast page and it will stream directly on your Tumblr post. Post the link to as many social channels that you actively use, like Facebook, Twitter, Reddit and anything else. If you use SoundCloud to host your podcasts, make sure to engage with other users by following, joining groups, liking, reposting and commenting to grow your community there. Finally, add your podcasts to an RSS feed syndication like Feedburner so people can subscribe there.
Analyze
SoundCloud has great built in analytics that will show you how many followers you’ve gained and how many times users have played or downloaded your podcast in a selected time frame. If you use a WordPress plugin like Power Press from Blubrry to post your podcast episodes, most of them come with analytics capabilities. To track each podcast, it’s as simple as adding a short piece to the beginning of the mp3 URL. Feedburner also provides how many people subscribe to your podcast feed and their listening behavior, including downloads. In addition, Stitcher offers robust analytics for mobile listeners, like average listening time and completion rate, plays, downloads and subscribers.
So there you have it: podcasting 101. There are a lot of ways to record and promote your podcast. All you have to do is record useful, fun and engaging material and send it off into the world. Plus, it’s really fun, so if nothing else, there’s that.
Check out the video below on how to record a podcast on Skype using a Mac by Chris Brogan!