The Podcasting podcast: How to get started with podcasting in your organisation

Welcome to another edition of the Podcasting Podcast: How to get started with podcasting in your organisation. Today, I’m introducing you to Neville Hobson. I first met Neville back in March 2005, when I was pointed to the podcast he and colleague Shel Holtz ran (and still run!). They were the first podcasters in our Business Communication industry, an industry which included PR practitioners, marketers, public speakers, trainers, and the almost unheard-of job title of business communicator. After submitting a few spoken sound files to them, complete with sound effects that possibly conjured up mental images of Australia and its fauna, Neville and Shel kindly appointed me their first Foreign Correspondent. A happy union was achieved, and I kept submitting ‘reports’ until my business life got in the way and my social media consulting work meant that client work had to come before playtime with the brilliant audio editing software Audacity and my role as a correspondent. All three of us have kept a watchful, interested eye over each other’s work—blogging, micro-blogging, podcasting and vidcasting. Neville always has something interesting to say, some new bit of social media technology to have a look at, some new insights into what has and continues to shape the social media world, both for businesses and consumers. He is especially gifted in peering into his crystal ball and determining what is ahead and what is going to reshape the business and consumer world. Neville is the ‘real deal’, and it is the foolish person with a stake in this social media world who doesn’t pay attention to him. Very foolish, indeed. What follows is a blogpost that appeared on one of his blogging websites. It’s such a great post about podcasting that Neville let me read it out in full. And here we go…

 look at an IBM initiative with vidcasting (aka video podcasting), plus my view on the best social media platforms for businesses in 2024. 

ALTHOUGH THE TOPIC of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is not really part of the remit of this podcast on podcasting, what follows is an interview between Kate Toon and Logan Bryant on an episode of Kate Toon’s superb podcast, ‘The recipe for SEO success show’. The reason I’ve chosen this episode of this particular podcast is simple: Kate and Logan are recognised experts in their field, they interact well with each other, and each has many interesting and insightful things to say. They are an excellent example of how having more than one person in a podcast episode lifts the episode and podcast to new heights.

I listened to this podcast interview intently yesterday, and was blown away. ChatGPT—and AI in general—is way more advanced than I have given it credit for. There seems a HUGE amount of dog work that AI can take off the overworked and underappreciated communicator, allowing said communicator to focus on higher, more strategic and longer-term work, including being able to reposition themselves as a resource of advice for senior management, not just that ‘person who does that communication stuff, whatever that is’. I’ve been using ‘Jasper’ for nearly a year and until yesterday didn’t realise how criminally underused they were at my hands. Already, I have upped my game to create better headlines and subheads, write more interesting chapter titles, and so on. The interview between Shel and Ms ChatGPT is riveting, and I strongly advise you to listen to the hour long interview and marvel at how much more you could ask your AI engine of choice to do. Brilliant episode and interview. Kudos, Shel.

Welcome to another episode of ‘The Podcasting Podcast: How to get started with podcasting in your organisation’. Today, we’re going to look at why podcasting is so popular, what sort of business items you can podcast, and how you can great content for your podcast.   3, 2, 1… here we go   ----------------   Podcasting has become increasingly popular in recent years, and for good reason. It offers a unique and convenient way to consume content that appeals to a wide range of interests. Here are some reasons why podcasting has captured the attention of millions: •           Convenience: With busy schedules and on-the-go lifestyles, many people find it difficult to make time for reading or watching video content. Podcasting allows listeners to consume content while multitasking, whether it's during their commute, workout, or daily chores. •           Diverse topics: From education and news to entertainment and self-improvement, there is a podcast for every interest. With so many different genres and niche subjects available, listeners can find something that caters specifically to their interests. •           Authenticity: Podcasts often feature real people having authentic conversations, making the content more relatable and engaging for listeners. This human touch sets podcasts apart from other forms of media that may feel more scripted or polished. •           On-demand access: Unlike traditional radio or television shows, podcasts offer on-demand access to their episodes. Listeners can choose when and where they want to listen, rather than being tied to a specific broadcast schedule. •           Diverse voices and perspectives: Podcasting has given a platform to diverse voices and perspectives that may not have been represented in mainstream media. This allows for a more inclusive and well-rounded exchange of ideas and information. •           Low barrier to entry: Starting a podcast does not require expensive equipment or a large production team. With basic recording equipment and some editing software, anyone can create their own podcast and share their content with the world. •           Engaging storytelling: Many podcasts use creative storytelling techniques to captivate listeners and keep them coming back for more. This can include sound effects, music, and expertly crafted narratives that draw listeners in and hold their attention. •           Community building: Podcasts often have a dedicated and loyal fan base, creating a sense of community amongst listeners. This can foster discussions and connections among like-minded individuals who share a passion for the same podcast topics. Overall, the unique combination of convenience, diverse content, authenticity, and community building has made podcasting a popular form of media that shows no signs of slowing down. With new podcasts constantly emerging on a variety of topics, the future of podcasting looks bright.  So, it's no surprise that more and more people are turning to this medium for their entertainment and information needs.  So if you haven't already jumped on the podcast bandwagon, now is the perfect time to start exploring all that this popular form of media has to offer. Who knows, you may just find your new favourite podcast!  Happy listening! So, what are you waiting for? Grab your headphones and start exploring the world of podcasting today. With so many options to choose from, there's something for everyone. Whether you're looking for educational content, entertainment, or just a good laugh, podcasts have got you covered. And with the convenience of on-demand access, you can listen whenever and wherever it's convenient for you. So don't miss out on this popular and ever-growing medium—start discovering new podcasts now!  Keep listening and stay curious. The possibilities with podcasting are endless. What sort of business things can you podcast? Here are just a few examples: •        Meetings •        Executive speeches •        Business updates •        Investor road shows (so employees can have some insight into what outside audiences are hearing) •        Customer trade show presentations (ditto above) •        Presentations by sales executives (so employees can hear how the company’s products and services are sold to the outside world) I even see different business units offering their own podcasts, allowing employees to subscribe to those that would be useful and ignore those that aren’t. The IT department can hard-code those podcasts deemed important to everyone into their smartphone, just as they can make the intranet homepage the browser’s default homepage. Access to external podcasts could easily be restricted, protecting the company’s precious and costly bandwidth. As many commentators are now saying, considering the low-to-no-cost entry into podcasting, its acceptance into the internal communication mix should happen sooner rather than later.   Save your busy executive from the tedium of countless non-productive hours. Here’s how... Let’s consider the average manager or executive. They receive 60-70 e-mails a day, links to spreadsheets and pages on the company intranet, links to other websites. Then they take a trip to another city. Hop on a plane... but now what? If they’re in “cattle class” (economy class), there’s not enough room to swing a cat, let alone open their laptop. They could probably read some of the material their colleagues sent them, but there’s no printer available so unless they printed off the equivalent of War and Peace before they left, they’re stuck with the airline magazine. But if they brought their smartphone preloaded with some  episodes of their favourite podcasts they can listen to them. And also on their smartphone they could listen to: •        A recent presentation the CEO gave to the investment community. •        An update on sales figures from an affiliate organisation. •        A synopsis of performance by the executive’s own division. •        News and commentary from leading online broadcasters relevant to the executive’s own industry. •        A few really banging tunes to help the executive take their mind off their troubles and stress!     How can I get great content for my podcast? Another question I’m often asked is “how can I get great content without having to hire a professional radio announcer (or pretend to be one)?” Here are a few simple examples: •        Ask the sound guy at the CEO’s presentation to save the speech as a digital file. •        Adam in Finance can read the sales figures into a cheap microphone attached to his computer. A few clicks of his mouse and he’s saved the file as an MP3. Suddenly Adam is a regular contributor and expert, with his own segment. •        Rob in Admin can read the performance stats into a cheap microphone attached to his computer with a few clicks of his mouse. Suddenly Rob is a regular contributor and expert, with his own segment. Once you've decided to start a podcast, it's important to have great content to keep your listeners engaged and coming back for more. Here are some tips on how to get great content for your podcast: 1          Know your audience: The first step in creating great content is knowing who you're creating it for. Think about your target audience—what topics would interest them? What questions do they have? Understanding your audience will help you create content that resonates with them. 2          Research and plan: Take some time to research topics related to your podcast's theme. Look for trends, current events and interesting stories that you can talk about on your show. Make a plan for each episode, including an outline of the main points you want to cover and any guests you want to invite. 3          Be authentic: The best podcasts are those that feel genuine and authentic. Don't try to be someone you're not—let your personality shine through in your content. This will help you connect with your audience and keep them engaged. 4          Invite guests: Inviting guests on your podcast can bring fresh perspectives and add variety to your content. Look for experts in your podcast's niche or people with interesting stories to share. Not only will this provide great content, but it can also help you reach a new audience. 5          Get feedback: Don't be afraid to ask for feedback from your listeners. This can help you understand what resonates with them and what they want more of on your podcast. You can also use this feedback to improve your content and keep your audience interested. 6          Stay consistent: Consistency is key when it comes to creating great content for your podcast. Stick to a regular schedule so that your listeners know when to expect new episodes. This will help you build a loyal audience who will keep coming back for more.   In addition, here are some general ideas to consider when creating content for your podcast: •           Use storytelling techniques to engage your audience and make your content more interesting. •           Incorporate different formats, such as interviews, solo episodes, or panel discussions, to add variety to your show. •           Utilise social media platforms to gather topic suggestions from your listeners and involve them in the conversation. •           Collaborate with other podcasters to exchange ideas and potentially collaborate on episodes. •           Keep up with current events and trends in your niche, as these can provide great inspiration for content. Remember, the most important thing is to be passionate about what you're talking about. This will come through in your content and keep your listeners interested. With these tips in mind, you'll be well on your way to creating great content for your podcast. Also, don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try new ideas and topics. Your listeners will appreciate the effort and engagement you bring to your podcast. Keep pushing yourself to create unique, informative, and entertaining content that will keep your audience coming back for more. And most importantly, have fun with it! After all, that's why you started a podcast in the first place. Keep experimenting, learning, and growing as a podcaster, and your content will continue to evolve and improve.  Happy creating!  And don't forget to promote your podcast! Utilise social media, collaborate with other podcasters, and reach out to potential guests or sponsors. The more exposure you get, the more opportunities for great content will come your way. Keep engaging with your audience and incorporating their feedback into your content—after all, they are the reason you're creating this podcast in the first place. With dedication, hard work, and a passion for your topic, you'll continue to produce great content that will keep your listeners hooked and coming back for more.  

Welcome to another episode of ‘The Podcasting Podcast: How to get started with podcasting in your organisation’. In this episode we are going to have a look at another example of vidcasting and podcasting, this time in a university.   One of the world’s leading research faculties in digital media, the Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) school within the UK’s University of Southampton, is one step ahead of the pack in its application of social media tools for communication. The school counts among its faculty over the years the inventor of the World Wide Web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Professor David Payne, the inventor of the optical amplifier, and Professor Tony Hey, corporate vice-president of Microsoft UK. Since 2005, the school’s lectures and seminars have been podcasted and vidcasted, allowing students to run them again for revision, or for the first time if they’ve missed them. A dedicated portion of the ECS website was resourced to host the podcasts.   The ECS communication team began experimenting with turning the technology to its external faculty news. “It seemed a great way to present our research to journalists in a visual and audio format,” explains ECS’s marketing and communications manager, Joyce Lewis. “It provided an easy and compelling format for them to digest, and a terrific way to provide a cognitive link for them between our research and its potential coverage as a TV or radio news item.”   The result: “ECS TV” provides a vital link between the university’s research work and the outside world. The benefits, says Lewis, are numerous—especially in a department of only one (Lewis herself), plus one web designer: “When we first started it, we were able to do it just by using the video-conferencing technology we already had—fixed cameras, operated remotely, and radio mikes,” she says. Editing the programs using the now-defunct iMovie application that came with her computer, the whole production line was cost-free. “That was the principal attraction of it in the first place—you can do this with a very small number of people and very few tools. It’s high impact at no cost.” The ability to turn around content quickly is an incredible advantage over previous forms of communication media, she says, and brings it closer to rivalling print. “We were able to cover a conference and podcast about it each morning for the entire four-day duration. Because the production is simple, it’s really a case of a quick edit and you can get it out there.” With a designer who has a background in TV production and an IT staffer, “We knew we already had the skillset to do a pretty good job,” says Lewis.   Podcasts and vidcasts are, very often, dependent on the quality and media-friendliness of their subjects. In a population of non-media trained people, however, this can prove difficult. Joyce has advice to share from producing hundreds of broadcasts. The trick, she says, is patience and positive reinforcement. If the interviewee is fine “off camera,” she says, one must recognise that their stilted persona in front of the lens must only be a product of nerves and uncertainty, and can therefore be overcome with good, supportive coaching. Here are her tips for getting the best out of interviewees: “If someone is drying up in front of other participants, I’ve found it effective just to ask everyone else to leave for a while—the camera person and other interviewees—so that I can sit and talk to the person and walk them through the process in private. That takes away the intensity and the pressure. Some people are shy and introverted and you need to help them relax. Taking away the sense of ‘people are watching me’ can help enormously.”   In such a situation, Lewis will then often walk the participant through the questions and topics, and engage them in a conversation about the leading topics before filming begins. “If they’ve had the chance to articulate their thoughts on it out loud to me alone before we start filming, even just once, it helps them feel that at least they know roughly where their sentences are going when we do start filming.   A vital element of any communication is feedback, and this is doubly important for those who have been nervous about performing in front of camera. “You can do a lot with editing, so you can make them look as good as they possibly can. But I’ll then also go through the video with them afterwards—because then they see that they’re never as ‘bad’ as they think they were going to be, or think they were.” So, it provides a vital opportunity to allay their fears, but also the chance to offer them encouragement. “Simply showing them the footage and saying, ‘I think you were really good here,’ ‘I like the way you said that,’ and so on will put them at ease. They’ll feel much happier about the process and then they’re much more likely to agree to do it again next time.”     And that’s this episode of the Podcasting podcast wrapped up. If you’d like to subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss anything, head to Apple Podcasts or Spotify and search for the podcast by name, that is ‘The Podcasting Podcast: How to get started with podcasting in your organisation.’ And if something makes you sit up and want to talk about if further, you can always email me at lee at leehopkins.com. Please put ‘Podcasting podcast’ as the subject of your email, because I receive around 60 emails a day and I’d hate to miss yours in the pile. And you can even record your comment, if you like—that would be fabulous. Next episode, we’ll look at why podcasting is so popular, what sort of business items you can podcast, and how you can find great content for your podcast. Until next week, ciao.  

Welcome to this edition of 'The Podcasting Podcast: How to get started with podcasting in your organisation'.  In this episode, we are going to have a look at a Canadian pharmaceutical sales team and how they used podcasting to beat Canada’s vast remote physical distances. ---- How do you connect with a geographically dispersed audience? iStudio, a Canadian interactive agency, introduced podcasts for a pharmaceutical client to communicate with field employees in a personal and portable way. Ron Clark assumed the role of Vice President, Sales of ALTANA Pharma Inc. The organisation needed a cost-efficient way to introduce the new VP, build rapport between management and their sales team, and provide insights on key business initiatives. The sales team at ALTANA is predominantly a remote workforce, spread across Canada. In pharmaceutical sales, representatives are primarily on the road for most of the work day. Accessing e-mail or the company intranet is often a challenge due to the constraints of travelling. iStudio investigated new online techniques that would be helpful in reaching a remote workforce and suggested a corporate blog and podcast as the solution. They created “Ron’s Blog,” which allows employees to have an open online dialogue with Ron. Ron’s monthly podcast is available via the blog. The podcast is a 10-15 minute podcast which has a radio show feel. In each episode, Ron provides sales updates, shares insight, anecdotes and interviews special guests.  The response to the podcasts suggests this medium has been a success: 76% of sales staff accessed the first episode and 88% accessed the second episode. The feedback was also positive, with comments like: “It feels a little more personal than an e-mail, and has much more emotion attached to it than even a voicemail,” and “I like it because it’s user-friendly… plus I think it brings you closer to the sales force.” Clearly, employees find the podcasts much more personal than a voicemail or e-mail. In addition, employees like the opportunity to provide input into the content of future podcasts via Ron’s Blog. Even though the podcasts are primarily intended for sales staff, over 80% of all employees access each episode. To support the process of planning podcasts, iStudio produced a customisable template that lets you plan podcast content down to the very minute. I'll pop the link to the template further down these show notes.    ----- And now I’d like to introduce Rick Beato. Rick is a legend in the online music world: performer, producer, teacher, entrepreneur, and interviewer of some of the giants of the music world, Rick produces a YouTube video channel that is always worth watching, even if you aren’t a musician yourself. What Rick has to say about vidcasting to the music base applies equally to the rest of the world, including us in the business communication world. I’ll put a link to his YouTube channel in the show notes for this episode [https://youtu.be/B9PboTYmuQQ?si=06_ctM8e2XyQeShr] . Without further ado, here’s a selection of relevant statements by Rick:   -----   Mary Spender is a musician from Britain, and has achieved notoriety because of her constant showcasing of her own excellent music, combined with great product reviews and top production values.  This is a summation of a recent video, outlining how much money she has made from her YouTube channel. Again, her words are totally applicable to we business communicators, no matter what medium we choose to operate in. Mary came to fame with a music video with YouTube legend Leo Moracchioli, playing a cover of Dire Straits’ ‘Sultans of Swing’   --- Links: Rick Beato video about YouTube and his publishing schedule: https://youtu.be/B9PboTYmuQQ?si=Nz8UFq8UZqKFExIr  Mary Spender with her views on YouTubing and the secret to successful social media: https://youtu.be/-mjk4QUkwSU?si=OhnWCcUfQ5IogslY Sultans of Swing (metal cover by Leo Moracchioli feat. Mary Spender)  https://youtu.be/x0RV0kgdqJU?si=ugIBe8A1GmNvl5Gs  Mary’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MarySpender Ren, 'Hi Ren' -  https://youtu.be/s_nc1IVoMxc?si=foXYc3niVFg3Q6w- Podcast template from iStudio: https://bit.ly/3HspNvW     

In this episode we ask the very important question, what about the bandwidth? Does anyone have any concerns about how much data we might be using to produce and publish our podcast? This is a standard concern for IT departments, and luckily the answer is a wonderful service called Libsyn (www.libsyn.com) where, for a small fee each month, you can host your podcast on their servers, set up the podcast ready to distribute via RSS and even retrieve download statistics on each edition. A hosting package on Libsyn also comes complete with spaces and prompts for all of the essential information that you will want to make sure is present on your podcast’s web page. Podcasting offers all the key advantages associated with social media such as low barriers to entry and established popularity among the general population—in Melcrum’s 2007 survey on social media and corporate communication, 58% of respondents said they were already using, or planning to use podcasts in their organisation. HOW CAN I GET STARTED WITH PODCASTS? Here are three quick stages to work through: 1. Why podcast? First of all, consider what it is you want to use podcasting for. For example: 1.  CEO podcasts 2.  Daily/weekly team updates, divisional or organisational updates 3.  Speeches or presentations 4.  Training and administration purposes 5.  Specialty podcasts 6.  Something entirely different Remember that podcasting is a technology that can greatly enhance collaboration. You could take this one step further and encourage participation and contribution by giving employees opportunities to participate in and develop their own ideas for podcasts.   2. What to podcast? Next up, consider your content and format: 1.  Will it be a program format? 2.  Will it be news items, interviews, or magazine-style?   more...  

In this episode, we’re going to look at the 2024 podcast landscape for business communicators and PR professionals. As much as it’s essential to know where we’ve come from, naturally we must also keep an eye on what is happening right now. In the boundless world of marketing and PR, certain industry leaders stand out for their innovative approaches and unique insights, many of which they share on their respective podcasts. These podcasts serve as invaluable resources for professionals and enthusiasts alike.

Welcome to another edition of The Podcasting Podcast: How to get started with podcasting in your organisation. In this edition, we’ll have a look at just some of the thousands and thousands of organisations who are successfully podcasting. We’ll also discover other great reasons to create a podcast for an in-house audience.