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Understanding Podcasting and
How it Can Impact Your Business
By Jack Spirko
President
Franklin-Spirko Media
So what is a Podcast?
Before we discuss how podcasting can
impact your business we should first
explain exactly what a podcast
really is. The best way to
understand a podcast is to think of
it as an online radio show, in most
instances more like an online talk
radio show. Many people think you
need an iPod or another type of MP3
Player to listen to podcasts but
that is not the case at all. Anyone
with a computer that has speakers
and internet access can listen to a
podcast just by visiting the page
where the show is stored.
The big differences between
conventional talk radio and
podcasting are as follows…
1. Podcasting is done online and you
don’t have to deal with airwaves,
the FCC, the huge cost of entry or
any of those things. So unlike radio
anyone with a little money and solid
technical knowledge can produce a
podcast.
2. Thanks to a lack of regulation
and a low cost of entry podcasting
enjoys a massive array of topics on
just about any subject you can
imagine.
3. Unlike a radio show that is
broadcast once a podcast is
typically archived and available for
years after it is first published.
This gives podcasters and sponsors a
much longer life cycle for each
episode.
4. Podcasts are “on demand” sources
of education and entertainment so
you get listeners that are very
targeted to your message with out
time barriers. Listeners can tune it
at work, at home or download
podcasts to a portable player and
listen to what they want when they
want.
5. Podcasts are global! Your local
exposure on a radio station is nice
but podcasting reaches across the
state, the nation and in fact the
globe.
In short podcasting is a way to use
audio to reach more people then can
be reached by radio and to make that
content available on demand for as
long as you choose to. With a low
cost of entry and countless topics
there are opportunities for any
business to utilize podcasting.
Opportunities for Every
Business
Many people tend to believe that
podcasting is only for really
technical businesses but this is not
the case. Just like millions of
people listen to talk radio every
day that don’t know the first thing
about how a radio works or a radio
show is produced there are millions
of people that listen to podcasts
every day that know nothing more
technical then how to point and
click a computer mouse.
Additionally one does not need to
produce or even run a podcast to
benefit from the new technology.
There are opportunities in
podcasting that range simply from
listening to podcasts about subjects
you find interesting, being a guest
speaker on a podcast or simply
sponsoring podcasts that are
listened to by the type of people
that your business serves. Here is a
break down of the different options
that podcasting offers.
Just Listening
There are more and more podcasts
available every day and odds are
there is a podcast that you will
find interesting. From politics, to
fine wine, to internet marketing, to
sports and more there are podcasts
about everything.
Finding podcasts is easy, here are a
few sources to find podcasts about
subjects that interest you,
Yahoo Podcast Search -
http://audio.search.yahoo.com/audio
(run your search and then select
“podcasts” in the submenu)
Podcast Search Service -
http://www.podcastsearchservice.com/
( a good source to find podcasts)
The Podcast Directory -
http://www.podcast.net/ (a good
listing of many podcasts)
Digital Podcast -
http://www.digitalpodcast.com/
(another Podcast engine that will
find many lesser known podcasts.
The big thing to realize is that you
have more choices then ever about
where to get your information and
audio entertainment today. Give
listening to podcasting a try and of
course we always have great business
content at
The Dallas Broadcast.
Hosting Your Own Podcast
If you find there isn’t a podcast
that meets the niche you have an
interest in one option is to create
your own. The technical requirements
can be learned with just a bit of
effort and the cost of all the
equipment you need is well under a
thousand dollars. The low cost of
entry makes podcasting very
attractive to those with the time
and resources to produce them.
There are several challenges that
would be podcasters should consider
before making the decision to
produce their own show.
• There is a lot of time that is
invested in producing a daily or
even weekly show. In addition to
having to set up a site to host your
podcast on you have to schedule and
plan shows, edit the audio files,
arrange guests and more. None of
this is really difficult just time
consuming.
• Consistency is a challenge and
very important to building a
successful long term podcast. It is
important to produce your podcasts
at regular intervals or you will
find it difficult to build a real
base of listeners.
• For many companies it can be a
challenge to constantly come up with
new subjects and topics of
discussion. While almost any
business can come up with several
topics of discussion for many coming
up with 50 a year for a weekly show
is quite difficult.
• Podcasts are basically a website
with audio, they are not magic so
just like any web site you have to
promote and market them. So
podcasting at least initially
requires additional marketing
resources, capital and expertise.
Fortunately for those who don’t want
to or don’t have the time and
resources to produce their own show
there are additional options.
Podcast Sponsorship
Sponsorship of a podcast amounts to
simply purchasing advertising either
on a podcasters website and or in
the actual audio of their show.
There are many advantages to this
type of sponsorship over
conventional radio advertising.
• Podcasts tend to address specific
niches and that makes their
listeners very specific in
demographics. So while a podcast may
reach few people then a large radio
station the listeners are generally
very highly targeted and much more
responsive.
• Podcasts are long term investments
for advertisers vs. short term busts
like they are on conventional radio.
The podcast you sponsor today may
very well continue to market your
business for you for 2, 3 or even
more years. There is very little
incentive for a podcaster to take
down an old show so you get very
long term exposure for your
business.
• The cost of sponsoring even
several to a dozen episodes of a
podcast is generally a fraction of
even 60 seconds of one time radio
exposure.
• Podcasters build massive loyalty
in their listener bases and are far
more approachable then typical radio
talent. Want a personal endorsement
from our Podcast host rather then
stock voice over work, odd are all
you have to do is ask.
The beauty of podcast sponsorship is
that you can do it for a very low
investment and it requires little
more then contacting hosts and
asking for their options. Pay a
simple fee and make sure you are
happy with your advertising and you
have a long term marketing channel
that can pay for itself many times
over.
Appearing as a Guest Speaker
For many business people this is an
excellent option and it has a lot
going for it. There are a lot of
attractive things about appearing as
a guest on one or multiple podcasts.
• All you need to focus on is
telling your story and answering the
questions your host asks. You don’t
need to worry about any technical
issues or hosting, editing,
scheduling or promoting of the
podcast. You will of course want to
notify your customers, prospects and
contacts of your appearance.
• Being a guest speaker establishes
you and your company as an expert on
a give subject. There is a certain
“clout” that comes with being a
guest speaker on a show or a series
of shows. In effect you get trickle
down goodwill and authority from
your host.
• The owner of the show is working
hard to market and build an audience
for their podcast so you are able to
benefit from their marketing
efforts.
• Just like podcasts live on for
sponsors they do the same for
guests. You can make the most of
your podcast by linking to it from
your website and pointing it our to
your clients, contacts and site
visitors at every opportunity.
• By appearing as a guest you are
able to take advantage of the
experience in show creation that
your hosts have. With a good host
guiding you, you tell a more
interesting, more entertaining and
more concise story.
Guest speaking is a powerful form of
marketing as savvy business owners
have known for a very long time.
Speaking at Chamber of Commerce
Functions, Toastmasters, Charity
Events and Seminars has been helping
businesses grow for decades.
Podcasting takes this form of
marketing to a new level.
Telling Your Story
Often many companies struggle with
why anyone would really want to
listen to what they have to say.
While some thought must go into the
production of a show or being a
guest on one in general just about
any business can produce several
entertaining and informative
podcasts. The keys to producing and
telling a good story are.
• Understand that a podcast can’t be
a 20 minute audio infomercial. To be
successful a show must provide real
value to the listener and discuss
content they want to know about.
• Every person and every business
has a unique area of expertise. The
key is to use your unique expertise
to identify and address an poorly
understood or highly interesting
topic and angle it in a way that
makes it interesting to your target
audience.
• Talk to your customers and find
out their interests and needs beyond
your immediate service offering and
attempt to address that desire for
information. This is good practice
for all marketing efforts, it is
amazing how many businesses fail to
ask their customers what is
important to them.
• Listen to podcasts often. By doing
so you will begin to get ideas by
seeing what works and often by
realizing what makes you just “tune
out”. Often the best ideas come when
you listen to several podcasts and
find that there is some piece of
missing information that you know
how to address.
An Invitation from the
Dallas Business Broadcast
If you would like to consider being
a guest on a podcast and or
sponsorship opportunities we invite
you to consider the Dallas Business
Broadcast to get your message out.
Just visit www.dallasbroadcast.com
to learn how to submit a request to
appear on our show. Our staff will
work with you to create great
content and help you make the most
of your appearance on our show.
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