Not familiar with podcasts or the multiple ways in which they can be used within your business? Allow us to elaborate.
Podcasts are basically extended discussions in an audio format, which can be downloaded and subscribed to by listeners and are usually free. Podcasts can be downloaded from any website, but the most popular ones are found by listeners via iTunes. These can be found across a range of topics and some are more conversational, whereas others might be formal interviews. Popular podcasts may be additional snippets of audio from a radio show. Often the aim is to address a particular topic, for example: science, history, crime or perhaps philosophy. Essentially the topic of a podcast is only limited by your ideas and individual needs. Podcasts have been around for years now, but it’s only more recently that they’ve become an increasingly popular media tool.
So how can podcasts be useful to your business? Regardless of what services you provide, there is the ability to craft potential podcast content for your business. I mentioned earlier that podcast are usually provided free of charge. Yes you may feel apprehensive about giving out your knowledge for free, but the ultimate goal is to use podcasts as a tool to show you as a thought leader. At the end of the day, if you are good at what you do, this will come through. It will encourage potential clients to get in touch or lead to positive networking and potential business opportunities.
The aim of podcasting is often to find a niche within your industry and go from there. You should also aim to be the voice of authority within your chosen field, giving advice and initiating discussion in your podcast. You may choose to have a series of episodes across one topic. You may even have the occasional guest speaker to enhance your discussion and knowledge base for your listeners.
Podcasts can vary greatly in their recording time, some run short at around 5 – 10 minutes, whereas others run up towards the 2-hour mark, depending on the topic. For business needs I wouldn’t want to go much over the 20-minute mark, with 30 minutes being an absolute maximum. Again this will depend greatly on your podcast structure and the topic at hand. Unless you’re having an informal conversation with a guest speaker, you should keep the episode short and to the point, ensuring that your knowledge of the topic comes across.
Podcasts are a fantastic format where you can establish yourself as an expert in your field. There are also great benefits of having a regular podcast series to supplement many areas of your work, from social media to networking. This is definitely something to consider as another avenue of content, if you think it will enhance your business. In a later post we’ll be discussing how you can set up and create your own podcast, so keep an eye out for that!
