My workmate and I are planning to start a podcast so I took this opportunity to sit on on this Association for Talent Development presentation focusing on podcasting. Doug Bushée from Xerox and Mike Lenz from Mike Lenz Voice, Inc. emphasis was on internal podcasting for an organization whereas our podcast will be for external audiences.
I was late to this session because the keynote went over time. When I joined in, the presenters were pointing out that a podcast is a great way to engage with the workforce by keeping them updated on important information. You can liken this to an audio newsletter that when they subscribe can help reduce email.
One of the things that’s important when you launch a podcast is to educate individuals on how to subscribe to the podcast, what tools to use, and how to engage with the podcast.
Internal Podcast Checklist
Some of the hardware that you’re going to need in order to launch podcast is a microphone, a computer, and acoustic space, and recording or editing software.
They recommend that you do not use the built-in microphone for recording your podcast, instead use an external microphone. Some of the microphones they recommended are the Blue Yeti or Logitech H390.
Production Process
When they talk about production process they focused on four major elements:
Creative
Creative focuses on the
- Title of the podcast
- The format of the podcast whether it’s just a lone individual, interviews, or co-host
- The script and music that you’re going to want to use to introduce the podcast
Pre-Production
Pre-production is where you’re going to create your intro and outro, create the artwork that’s associated with your podcast, and set up your storage spaces.
Production
Production is where you’re going to record your initial episodes. Note: you’re going to want to create multiple episodes before you even launch your podcast. During the production phase, you’re also going to edit and post your podcast as well as set the schedule for release.
Go Live!
In this phase, you’re going to launch your initial episodes and establish your ongoing recording schedule. This is where you’re going to focus on marketing and getting the word out about your podcast. You’re also going to ensure that you engaged with individuals who comment on your podcast.
Tips for Success
Ensure that you launch your podcast with at least 2 to 6 episodes.
Some of the tools they recommended were Libsyn for hosting your podcast externally, but they noted that you can also set up a secure account for internal audiences. Libsyn can I automatically post to sites like Stitcher, iTunes, and others.
Ipdtl for recording remote guests. When recording remote guests, they recommend each individual records their own audio. Later, you merge them together. You can do this with tools like Audacity.
If you’re going to use guests for your podcast, ensure you have a regular stream of guests. You’re going to want to always look out for new guests in order to maintain consistency. When you schedule a guest, make sure that you get them set up with the right equipment and provide them with questions ahead of time.
One of the things they emphasized was branding. They said it was interesting to note that major television organizations such as ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, etc. we’re all generating podcasts for different hosts that have also their own television shows.
Some of the examples that they shared include:
If you need help getting your podcast online, check out podcastsnap.com.
