Note To Future Me

Here as some tips for you to implement to get your podcast listened to by more people.

Invest in the best quality audio

You’ve heard this one before but it bears repeating. Don’t underestimate the importance of quality audio production. Services like Circle270Media Podcast Consultants can support you with making sure you have the best sounding podcast your budget can afford. If it’s difficult for your audience to listen to your podcast... they’ll stop listening to your podcast.

Release consistently

Pick a day and time and stick with it. Research shows early week is great for business or personal growth podcasts, for example. And the latter part of the week for more light, entertainment, and lifestyle podcasts. But that doesn’t mean you have to release at that time based on your podcast content. Be sure to release your episodes on the day and time your audience expects to download it. And a schedule that fits YOUR schedule. Become a part of your listeners' routine.

Purchase the url for your podcast

You may not use it right away. But when you’re ready it will be yours. Currently, Apple Podcasts has no restrictions regarding two or more shows having the same name. So owning the url is critically important.

Upload your podcast to your website or create a specific website for your podcast

If your existing website is different from the name of your show, be sure to buy the domain for your podcast. Then redirect it to your website. Use the podcast url when asking people to visit the website on your podcast. For example, If the url of your business website is allthingspopcorn.com but the name of your podcast is Movies And Snacks. Ask your listeners to go to moviesandsnacks.com and have that url redirected to allthingspopcorn.com.

Transcribe each podcast episode

Services such as Sonix, Headliner, and Descript are affordable and make transcribing your podcast episodes quick and easy. Use these transcripts to write your show notes, and social media posts. As well as find content for your audiograms. Then write detailed show summary notes and upload them to your hosting platform, your website and YouTube.

Detailed show notes can be created from a transcription of your episode and should include a number of things. The description of your episode, a few key takeaways, some time-stamped highlights, your guest bio and headshot, and resource hyperlinks of items mentioned or promoted on the episode. It’s all about the SEO for your content.

Promote with Audiograms and use the caption feature

Companies like Headliner and Wavve make creating audio clips simple. Use the cover art of the episode along with up to 59-second audio clip to post to your social media. The 59-second mark is important if you want your audiogram to play in its entirety when people scroll their feeds.

Upload your podcast and your audiograms to YouTube

Take advantage of expanded discovery possibilities using the second largest search engine in the world. Be sure to upload your show notes. And don’t forget a link to the episode so people can link directly to your episode to share with others.

Do not underestimate the importance of #hashtags

Use them in all your posts promoting the podcast. This is a step you may be tempted to skip to save time. Don’t skip it. It can make all the difference in getting your podcast episode discovered by new listeners, and the press and media.

Send out an announcement email to your guests with podcast assets

When working with guests, make sure you ask them what they could use from you to promote the episode. As well as who to send podcast assets to. These podcast assets will probably include, for starters, links to the episode on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. By using these, users can link directly to your episode. Speaking of links, don’t forget to give them a link to your podcast website, and a specific link to that episode on the site. Be sure to include one or two pre-written social media posts in the email so your guest can cut-and-paste them. Send them a graphic image that has their image in it and an audiogram with their voice in it. The more simple you make it for them to share it, the more motivated they are to promote it. Create a template of the outreach email to be more efficient.

Repurpose your content

One of the biggest advantages of podcasting we emphasize with our clients is the repurposing of the content that is created.

For example, you can record your episode one time, transcribe it and then use the content to create social media posts, show notes, blog posts and articles you can post on platforms like Medium. When you do this, you become more recognized as a thought leader in your nich...

What’s an internal company podcast?

It’s a podcast that is often, but not always, privately distributed, and it’s produced by a company for its employees.

Why An Internal Company Podcast?

Employer of choice/retention — Showing your staff that you care, that you are communicating effectively, and giving them information that they need to succeed is a fantastic retention strategy.

Onboarding — give all new employees, or people in new roles, the information and advice they need to start their new roles successfully.

Learning and development — help people in different roles and at different stages of their careers build new skills, learn new strategies, and discover new ideas

Internal communications — make sure all your employees know what’s going on inside your company

Culture building — share your values, tell stories to your team in your own voice, celebrate the wins that define and build your culture.

American Airlines created their podcast Tell Me Why because they surveyed their 122,000 employees who said they wanted more information about the company they work for.

The power of audio

Why choose to make an internal podcast compared to other mediums?

• ...friendly and less formal way to have these types of conversations
• ...audio is not a screen-based medium, so people can listen on their commutes, working out, etc
• ...ability to have deeper explorations of a topic because of the longer episode length
• ...audio holds people’s attention for longer periods of time
• ...it’s not email or video. A lot of employees are burned out on email, especially internal messaging

Who should produce an internal podcast?

• ...if you have big, nuanced issues that need to be discussed with all employees and that are too sensitive to be made public, a private podcast where you can explore those issues in depth makes a lot of sense
• ...if you are a rapidly growing company and have lots of new employees joining on an ongoing basis
• ...companies with LOTS of employees are a great fit. It's an easy way to communicate effectively.

Measuring Success

• ...getting your employees to listen is a key metric
• ...completion rates of episodes is another great metric
• ...surveys or research with your staff about whether the podcast is helping to achieve those goals



Tools and apps in the wild for internal podcasts include - any podcast hosting platform, for the most part.

With me is Podovox Professional Podcast Services owner Marty Daniels.

Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients.

Subscribe to my free daily Open The Mic Newsletter at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants.

Email us at [email protected] to set up time to talk more about your new or established business podcast.

A full transcription of this podcast is available on both -

www.circle270media.com

www.notetofutureme.com

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Twitter - circle270media

Podcasting has numerous benefits, however, producing an ongoing podcast is a hard nut to crack. It takes more effort than simply clicking ‘Record’ on your smartphone and then uploading it online.

Podcasting involves a tremendous amount of research, planning, managing social media networks and engaging your target audience.

For companies, podcasting can be a compelling opportunity to interact with your clientele, become noticeable among your competitors, and help you and your business turn into an industry frontrunner and professional.

This is just one illustration of a business taking advantage of podcasting, and it inspired several other companies to start producing their own podcasts.

Here’s why you should consider podcasting as a content marketing channel in 2021.

1. Practicing the art of subtle branding

Over-branding can actually kill your brand.

Storytelling is a vital instrument for consumer engagement. Through appropriate, enlightening, and valuable stories conveyed by evocative means, companies can connect with customers and develop a devoted audience. Podcasts can help you master the art of subtle branding!

One way to interact with your audience is a corporate blog. However, maintaining an attention-grabbing blog involves several SEO challenges.

Podcasts can help you implement a more subtle approach. This way, you can become an intrinsic element of the content itself. For example; eBay joined hands with Gimlet Creative to come up with its own podcast series titled ‘Open for Business’ that uses storytelling for advertising purposes.

2. Podcasts are convenient to consume and mobile-friendly

Unlike blogs and videos, the beauty of podcasts lies in the fact that audio content can be more conveniently accessed on the go. It doesn't force listeners to abandon whatever they are doing just to concentrate on your content.

3. Podcasts can create great production value in a short turnaround time

One of the reasons you should give podcasting a try is the quick turnaround time.

So, how do we work with our clients to come up with a quick podcast process?

We put the planning in front of the recording. Once our clients are in the recording studio, they know exactly what needs to be recorded because the planning for that episode took place weeks prior.

4. Creating a reflection of your business’ true brand personality

Along with offering value for customers, podcasts reflect a company’s individuality and fundamental values. Rather than using written content for conveying what a brand stands for, it’s more compelling to do so by through expressing it vocally.

For instance, Trader Joe’s, a popular neighborhood grocery store with, as they like to state, “amazing food and drink,” has a podcast series called, ‘Inside Trader Joe’s’” that depicts a true picture of the company. This amusing, buoyant and always foodie content engages its main audience. Episode after episode it helps further strengthen the connection with its customers.

5. Reaching a wider audience

Once a podcast is published on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or similar platforms, your company exposes its content to a broader audience at no cost, outside of your website.

These platforms act as search engines that are used by your potential listeners and customers to look for podcasts.

Podcasts will help your company in developing customer loyalty because your listeners will take the action to subscribe to the podcast.

What can happen next? Listeners may endorse your podcasts to their circle of influence, thereby, growing your reach significantly. It can ultimately increase website traffic.

6. Creating more in-depth relationships with your customers

The primary reason why individuals listen to podcasts is that they feel something mutual between the host or hosts of the podcast, and the company.

As we already know, we are more likely to do business with someone we know and trust than a stranger.

Just as any other method of content marketing, the success of corporate podcasts depends on the content’s genuineness, value, and significance for customers.

Circle270Media Podcast Consultants are working with new companies every month who are progressively implementing podcasting into their overall marketing strategy. Our focus is to make sure their content matches their company branding and culture.

Let’s talk about what podcasting can do for your business in 2021. Whether you're B2C or B2B, we can create a content marketing strategy that will work for you.

Connect with me if you would like to talk more about this. My calendar is available on my