In this Q&A episode of the Hustleburg podcast, Brett answers listener questions about how to use a podcast to help you build a community around your business.
A Little Podcast History
Podcasting has been around for a while, serving as a way to democratize the audio medium for each of us. They reach back to the 1980s, but it was Apple’s introduction of them to iTunes in 2005 that helped to kickstart the beginning of their popularity. NPR is one of the most popular podcast publishers of all time with the smash podcast hits This American Life, publishing weekly since 2006, and the top downloaded podcast of all time, Serial.
The biggest hurdle for most people is answering “how do I listen?” Phone makers have made it REALLY easy of late to just jump right into listening with either Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts. With hopes of being a disruptor, Spotify has jumped into the podcast world with quite a splash, launching podcasts within its streaming app and gobbling up exclusive content. There are plenty of other podcast players out there to match just about any tastes for layout, features, etc.
How Can Creating and Publishing a Podcast Help My Business?
First, you have the ability to share your knowledge and expertise by shedding a light on your business and give insight into your industry. A podcast can also help your brand or business by creating connections to others within your industry. You’re also reaching people already interested in your industry and business with your show, acting as a reminder of who you are and what you do. Finally, for a brand or business that’s creating content around themselves, a podcast gives you long-form content that you can use as a pillar for a lot of other content you create.
Why Are Podcasts a Great Way to Create Content for Your Business?
By having something like a podcast serve as long-form pillar content for your brand, you achieve two big things. First, a library of searchable content that stands out for people to find you. Next, a podcast serves to be a terrific way to re-use and re-purpose content for other media by using the podcast to be sliced and diced without having to create more content. You can create articles, videos, quotes, and micro-blogs from the larger pillar content created for the podcast to be used across all the platforms.
Should Podcasts be Audio-Only? Or Should They Have Video?
Remember that you are creating content for your community, so consider their preferences first. Will you add value by creating a video podcast?
What Equipment Should I Use? What Programs Should I Use to Edit?
To start, go as cheaply as possible. You aren’t in the business of podcasting. You’re starting a podcast to complement your brand or business. First, you’ll need a way to record audio, and that often means getting a microphone. You could also try starting out with just your smartphone. If you choose to edit your audio on a computer, you can find free audio editing software online, Audacity being the most prominent solution. Finally, you’ll need a host for your podcast. Spotify-owned Anchor is pretty robust for a free hosting solution. We use Podbean. The most important thing to remember is that you should be focusing more on the content you’re creating for your community than anything you do to dress it up.
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