How To Create Effective PodcastsTo Engage Your Audiences

Neville Hobson, ABC

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“How-To” in The Next 75 Minutes

1. Start your own podcast and make it a success

2. Build a community of listeners or viewers and promote your podcast

3. Use podcasts to support your business strategy

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What is a Podcast?

S2 / Podcasting / Neville Hobson, ABC

What is a Podcast?

• Digital audio file, typically MP3

• “Radio show” format– Time-shifted: listen when you want

• Delivered via RSS

Optional:• Auto-sync with

portable digital player– Detach and go: listen where you want

• Complemented by show notes

S2 / Podcasting / Neville Hobson, ABC

Podcasting Growth Drivers

1. It’s easy

2. It’s inexpensive

3. It’s portable

4. It’s available

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Who Listens to Podcasts?

• Majority of top-rated podcasts come from recognizable media entities that are using podcasts to expand their existing radio, TV, cable or satellite audiences

• The US podcast audience is ballooning– By 2013, there will be 37.6

million people who download podcasts monthly, more than double the 2008 figure of 17.4 million

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Who Listens to Podcasts?

“The demographic patterns of the podcast audience, like those of the online video audience, are highly dependent on the nature of the content.”

Podcasting: Into the Mainstream

eMarketer, March 2009www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1006937

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It’s All About The Content

• The barriers to entry are incredibly low– All you need is a computer, a microphone, some

free software and imagination

• Your audience can number in the single digits– Unlike radio, you don’t need big numbers to be

successful

• Whatever you do, it’s all about the content and your passion– Actually, it’s all about your listeners

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Podcasting’s Advantages

• Audience can listen while they do something else• Deliver specialized content to a niche audience they

can’t get anywhere else• Convey information that’s best conveyed through

audio• Build a loyal community of listeners• Use the podcast as a means of soliciting feedback• Use a podcast as an alternate channel to reinforce

communication via other channels

S2 / Podcasting / Neville Hobson, ABC

Why Not to Podcast

• Your message does not lend itself to audio (or video)

• Your audience is not inclined to listen• Your message requires focus• Your boss/client says “Hey, let’s do a

podcast!”– there must be a measurable (strategic)

business reason

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Why Podcast?

• Easy and complementary extension of your existing PR and marketing activities

• Connect with customers, employees and other groups in new and interesting ways

• Reach niche audiences otherwise (financially) unreachable

• Be perceived to be at the leading edge• Be seen as a thought leader• …

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Elements of Successful Podcasting

• Relevance• Keep to the point• Avoid fluff• Info-tain• Build and engage

community

• Don’t sell• Be authentic• Respect listeners’

time• Integrate into

blogosphere

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Who’s Podcasting for Business?

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Strategizing a Business Podcast

• Communication is strategic when:– It is planned as a means of addressing core

business issues– Its impact on the business can be measured

A simple 4-step plan...

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Step 1: Goal

• Our example goal:– Stem the defection of long-time customers to

a competitive brand

(“Produce a podcast” is not a goal)

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Step 2: Strategy

• Strategy = Plan of action to achieve a goal• Our strategy:

– Influence customer perceptions favourably to our brand

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Step 3: Objectives

• Objectives = Measurable activities as elements of strategy (Step 2)

• Our objectives:– Help customers feel like they are privileged insiders

by providing a unique window into the brand– Create a bond between customers and the people

behind the brand– Give customers more of a say in the development of

future brand extensions and marketing programmes

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Step 4: Tactics

• Tactics = Communication channels and tools• Based on objectives (Step 3), we might consider a

variety of tactics, eg:– Customer advisory panel– Brand-focused blog– Podcast

• The tactics we decide on will be what we conclude to be the most effective for the job and where the results can be measured

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Building Community

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Building Community

• Members of a community share a common bond that increases a sense of loyalty to a show

• Building community increases listener loyalty, is a catalyst for content and helps spread the word to increase your audience

• Tap into the social networking potential presented by a podcast

• Host your podcast on a blog

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The Hobson and Holtz Report• First episode on January 3, 2005• Co-hosts: Neville Hobson, ABC (UK) and Shel

Holtz, ABC (USA)• 60 mins, twice weekly, Monday and Thursday,

recorded via Skype• Average per-podcast downloads: 1,3001

• Global audience2 Primary: USA, UK, Canada, Australia, continental Europe

• Building community: 2 on-the-ground regular correspondents; 2 occasional contributors; listener comments; Friendfeed Room

• Two sponsors: Lawrence Ragan Communications and CustomScoop

1. Libsyn aggregate metrics averaged for all FIR podcast downloads, retrieved May 4, 2009.

2. FIR Listener Survey, April 2009.

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Building Community

• Involve listeners• Encourage listeners• Address their needs• Engage

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Measuring ROI

• What are you actually measuring?– Much depends on your goal

• Put the question in the context of other communication tools– How do you measure the ROI of an employee

newsletter?

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Measuring ROI

Not so difficult: How many listeners?

First time, repeats? How many subscribers to the

RSS feed? How many citations by others? How many comments to

episodes? And does the podcaster

comment on other podcasts? Anecdotal commentary on

what people think …

Not so easy: Financial return The value of a

relationship And how are we

defining ‘relationship’?

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Desired Outcomes

• Reinforce brand loyalty• Deliver targeted messages• Heighten awareness of brand• Create user-driven community• Educate to build brand affinity• …

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Producing Your Own Podcast

• Basic gear:– USB microphone/headset– Free recording/editing software

• Audacity for Windows/Mac/Linux

• Intermediate gear:– Cardioid or condenser microphone– Headphones– Mixer– Portable audio recorder– Higher-end software

• eg, Adobe Audition (Windows), GarageBand (Macintosh)

• High-end gear:– + digital mixers, compressors, pre-amps…

Less than$100

$1,000 to$5,000

$6,000and up

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Producing Your Own Podcast

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Producing Your Own Podcast

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Promoting Your Podcast

• #1: Get listed in iTunes• Get listed in key directories

– Eg: Podcast Alley, Blubrry Network

• Get some influencer recommendations• Network in the podcasting community• Create podcast badges• Record podcast promos• Pimp for votes

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Reference

• Some of this material is based on content in this book

• Available from good booksellers and online (eg, Amazon)

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Other Reference

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Who’s Podcasting? 5 of The Best

FIR listeners recommend:

• Inside PR with Terry Fallis and David Jones (Canada)

• Marketing Over Coffee with John Wall and Christopher S. Penn (USA)

• Six Pixels of Separation with Mitch Joel (Canada)

• Managing the Gray with C.C. Chapman (USA)

• Donna Papacosta’s Trafcom News (Canada)

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www.nevillehobson.comwww.forimmediaterelease.biz

June 7, 2009