Smart Podcast Marketing

If you're really passionate about what you're discussing in your podcasts, you can find an audience. Especially if your podcast is specialized, and there are people out there who are looking for your kind of information. If you've got a hobby or an interest you're adept at, and you've found tips and tricks that others might need, you've got yourself a ready-made audience. Say, for example, you're a coin collector and you've been involved in the hobby for thirty years. You've probably learned a whole lot that newcomers could benefit from. You've got perspective, you've got experience, you've got insight about what to do, what not to do, and how to make the most of coin collecting. And the people who can benefit from your advice are specifically interested in just the kind of information you have to share. You've got great potential for a quality podcast.

Or, suppose you're a writer, and you have a new book coming out in a month or two. You can do podcasts about the book and let people know about it, talk about the characters, the plot, the background, your process. Potential readers may be very interested, indeed, to learn about your book, to hear about you and your life, and to find out more about what it's all about.

Or, say you're a performer... a stage actor, let's say. And you've got friends who are actors, as well. You can record a dramatic podcast with your compadres and put it out on the web for people to enjoy. For independent types and "guerilla" theater, podcasting offers a whole lot more possibilities than street performances. And there's no permits required. You just put it out there, make sure people can find your podcast, and you're there.

When you really think about it, podcasting opens up a whole lot more vistas... and with iTunes, you can add in video, too. If you've ever chafed under the restrictions of not having a venue or not being able to put your creative vision out there, for lack of backers, you just got a little closer to making your dream of taking your work public.

Marketing people have been talking for years about targeting to audiences... doing niche marketing... narrowing the focus of campaigns, rather than widening them. Viral marketing, niche marketing, targeted marketing... A lot of terms for just knowing who you want to reach, and who you want to establish a connection with.

Podcasting really is a great way to connect with people. Think about it -- you're getting your ideas out there, and you're doing it with your voice, which is a much more personal way than with the written word. And your listeners can take you with them, as they go about their lives, in their iPod or on their computer while they're working.You're not just putting recordings out there, like on radio. You're actually putting your recordings into the lives of others... and in a much more intimate way than radio can (or ever will) do. You're an individual speaking to another individual (or 5.000 other individuals, as the case may be), and your voice can have a personality and a relevance that commercial, widespread broadcasting just can't approach. You're not some distant authority figure passing down edicts to others (Buy this product! Like this song! Agree with these ideas!) You're one person just putting your opinions, your expertise, your insight, your ideas, out to other persons who need to hear your voice. And one person speaking to another, is a whole lot more engaging, than having mass-market tastes and opinions dictated to you by the powers that be.

Okay, so you say you're an unknown. You're an obscure writer or performer or hobbyist who doesn't have much of an audience to speak of. If you've got family and friends... if you've got an interest or talent that others might enjoy or appreciate... if you've got a point of view and you know how to convey it... podcasting can really open things up for you, and give you the voice and the audience you're looking for.

The important thing, is to have a distinct point of view. Something that distinguishes you from the rest of the crowd. Take the Podtopia podcast, for example. It focuses specifically on how to podcast for writers and other creative performers. There are countless other podcasts out there that talk about the technical aspects of podcasting, that get into the intricate esoteric details of podcast produciton, and that talk about gear and gadgets and such. That's all very well and good, but it's a crowded field. Podtopia's podcast is about podcasting for "starving artists" who just want to get their work out there in a very low-cost, low-entry-barrier kind of way. It's about doing what you need to do, to get your work out there, and take advantage of all the audio and web technologies that let you do it for absolutely free.

One of the really critical pieces of Podtopia.net's service, is the creation of a podcast web page for each Podtopia podcaster. Having your podcast page, which has "meta tags" and text about your podcast on it, is an important part of getting found. Oh, sure, it's important to submit your podcast to directories, but it's also really important to have a web page that people can find in search engines. It's all about getting found.

And the more specific you are about your podcast, when you describe it on your podcast web page or in your RSS file or in the directories you submit to, the easier it's going to be for people to find you. If you want to reach coin collectors, you'll need to describe your podcast as specifically as possible, in ways that make sense to other coin collectors. You want to use terms that others like you understand. You want to wax as eloquent as possible about the specifics of your podcast. You want to use the kind of language and talk about the kinds of things that people exactly like you know and understand. There are a whole lot of people out there who share your same interests and can benefit from your knowledge and expertise and talents.

You just don't know it yet. But when your podcast gets out there, you will.

I was talking to a co-worker of mine the other day (now that I have a full-time job again, I can do that ;), and he was talking about blogging since 2004. He said he started out blogging a couple of times a day, then he tailed off to every couple of days, and now he blogs once very week or couple of weeks. He says his listeners savor his content a lot more, and he has more to say. He can work with his content, massage it, and turn it into something higher quality.

It's true. And I think it's even more true of podcasting, simply by virtue of the fact that podcasting takes a lot more time than blogging. Especially if you're going to put together something with higher quality than a telephone call. With blogging, you just sit down and type and post. Sure, you can do edits and really get into coming up with quality posts, but the publishing process is a whole lot easier than with podcasting, which is closer akin to radio broadcasting, in terms of production, than blogging. The publishing model is equivalent to blogging, but the production model is closer to broadcasting.

I think we're going to see a lot of people tailing off in their podcast production. There's going to be a "culling of the herd", so to speak, with hobbyists who are into the novelty going off to find other things to do with their time, and the folks who are really passionate about the medium and who are willing to regularly put the time and effort into production, coming up with more inventive podcasts and new and different ways to keep things fresh. They're going to have to keep things fresh. There's an avalanche of new and innovative material out there, and to stay with the "herd", each podcaster will have to figure out what makes their podcast special and appealing to others out there. And they'll have to make it easy for other interested parties to find them.

They'll also have to make it easy for themselves to stay excited and invested in their effort. Like I said, podcasting takes effort and it takes inventiveness. And it takes renewed reserves of energy and inspiration on a regular basis. In a way, podcasting is the best of all worlds, and the worst of it, as well. Not only is it easy to do and easy to deploy, but it's easy to burn out, as well. Combine the energetic requirements of broadcast production with the freelance writer's challenge of coming up with the fresh ideas on a regular basis, and you've got a recipe for some real hurdles, on down the line. It's fine, sure, when you're starting out, and you're all excited about what you can do and say and put out there. But think six to nine months down the line... There's a good chance you'll run out of energy and ideas if you "blow your wad" right out of the gate.

Ways to "keep on keepin' on" podcasting

Keep a notebook with ideas about future podcasts
Keep it with you in your daily travels, and when you come across some really interesting ideas or information, jot them down for future reference.

Keep a portable MP3 recorder on hand
Got an idea? Find a quiet place and record your "guerilla podcast" for future production. If you need to re-record later, you can always do that, but capture the idea, when you can.

Have a regular production schedule
Set aside regular time slots to do your podcast production. Pick a quiet time, when you're not too tired.

Keep in mind that you won't be inspired indefinitely
Do some production of episodes up front to use later. Stash them for later use. Or recycle your past episodes and re-use them, on down the line.

Make it easy for yourself to succeed
Don't pile up too much for yourself to do. If you have an intro you use, use it over and over again. Learn to use your tools with skill. Podcast about things that interest and excite you. Don't overcomplicate your podcasts, belaboring them with so much production detail that it becomes a monumental effort to do production each week. Given that podcasting is still a hobby for so many, and there are lots of obligations and other activities already demanding our time and attention, you don't want your podcasts to just fall by the wayside when you get busy, or you lose inspiration.

Remember, the important thing is to make sure you've got quality programming out there for people to come back to, time and again. Remember your audience. And above all, have fun!