The Podcast Why

COVID-19 has taken its toll on many things. And podcasting is one of them.

Many podcasts, due to economics or time, have podfaded, while hundreds of thousands of new podcasts have launched.

Carol Ventresca joins me on this episode.

She and I co-hosted an award-winning podcast that benefitted a small non-profit in Central Ohio. Because of COVID-19, the non-profit decided that the podcast would have to be put on pause indefinitely.

She was the executive director of the non-profit, while I was on the board of directors. We saw an opportunity to continue to deliver quality information and entertainment to those listeners (adults 50+).

After a few months of negotiating with the non-profit to move ownership of the podcast feed, followed by brainstorming and planning the content of the new podcast, Looking Forward Our Way was launched in August 2020.

This episode covers our journey from transition to future plans for the podcast, the launch of a podcast in podfade.

We cover...

1) The beginnings that involved the podfaded podcast…

-how and why we began the podcast for a non-profit

-the goals of that podcast for the non-profit

2) Setting up the transition into the launch of the new podcast.

-why non-profit let the podcast podfade

-why we saw this as an opportunity to continue to work together and launch a new podcast

3) Planning details for the launch of the retired podcast

-our agreement as co-hosts for the launch of the new podcast

-process of deciding a new name

-division of work and shared responsibilities

-opportunity to launch numerous additional marketing options to support the new podcast that were not available with the podfaded podcast

• New hosting platform - CaptivateFM
• Website
• Wordpress based
• Newsletter
• Social media
• Expanded topics
• How we are tracking our topics 
• Guest interviews
• New recording facilities
• Outsourcing our work and co-hosting talents

And finally we offer some advice for launching a new podcast from a podfade situation.

Let’s talk about what podcasting can do for your business in the next 12-months. 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 Circle270Media Podcast Consultants business website at circle270media.com

Subscribe to my free daily Open The Mic Newsletter. It’s chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast.

Recorded in conjunction with Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.

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.

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

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

High-quality podcast archive episodes will pay download rewards long after their initial release

The real question is which podcast archive episodes should you choose to feature?

Given your show’s back catalog, you need to identify the episodes most deserving of the spotlight. That is, the episodes that are more likely to give you the best bang for your promotional efforts.

First, start with insights from your podcast hosting platform dashboard. Pay special attention to an episode’s first 60 days.

The great thing about your podcast archive episodes is that you already have real-world audience data about each episode's strength and effectiveness. A quick look at your podcast hosting platform analytics dashboard gives you detail from most, if not all, distribution channels. 

Plus, you can dig even deeper by analyzing Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher numbers by logging into your account.

Next, answer these questions...

• Are these episodes are still fresh and relevant?
• Which episodes did the best job of holding listeners’ attention with the longer listening duration percentages? 
• Do these episodes have a strong relevant topical hook since you initially released the episode?
• Which of these episodes are a good representation of your show’s current format?
• Do any of these make a strong first episode for new listeners? Or would a first time listener become lost in needed back-story or setup episodes?

Don't Delete Anything

You may feel the knee-jerk reaction of wanting to delete episodes from your podcast archive as you go through this process. Especially ones that didn't do well in downloads, shares, or may not fit your podcast tone or format. My suggestion to my clients, don't do it. 

People Who Surf The Web Are Always In "Research" Mode

When potential new listeners are discovering your podcast episodes that might be outdated, you have to consider listener research habits.

When a listener is looking for specific information and find your podcast because it contains that information that would be useful to their search, it's very possible they are going to dive deeper. That deep dive can result in them listening to another podcast episode if you're including the right calls-to-action.

So you have your list of top high-quality podcast archive episodes. What next?

Update Podcast Archive Descriptions 

After answering the previous five questions, all you may have to do is update the podcast description.

Revisit your keyword-optimization for each individual episode. Optimize the titles, keywords, and descriptions of each episode for their topics of relevance. Over time, keywords can change. Changing or modifying your keywords and keyword phrasing can make it easier to be found by potential listeners.

And how can you find better keywords and keyword phrasing to update your podcast archive selections? Google.

Let's use this example, and say your podcast is about fishing. If I Google the phrase "how do I learn to fly fish," these are the phrases that populate the screen.

What Google is displaying are phrases that also have been used recently around the phrase "how do I learn to fly fish." These are example phrases and terms you can use to help in revising your podcast description.

Another free tool is Keyword Surfer 

Keyword Surfer is a 100% free Chrome extension that allows you to see search volumes directly in Google search results. Once you type your target phrase and press enter, you'll uncover search volumes, keywords suggestions, related terms, visibility metrics, and on-page data.

Here are the top 15 results from Keyword Surfer, showing you Similarity and Volume of recent searches.

Bottom line - don’t forget about your podcast archive episodes. Let them keep working for your podcast well after they've been published.

Let’s talk about what podcasting can do for your business in the next 12-months. 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 Circle270Media Podcast Consultants business website at circle270media.com

Subscribe to my free daily Open The Mic Newsletter. It’s chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast.

Recorded in conjunction with Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.

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.

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

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Podcasts are a great way for a business to spread its message in an engaging way.

Creating a podcast is open to anyone. However, the podcast launch and consistently producing content is not necessarily easy. You need to create a show that’s not only interesting and informative, but also attracts a loyal audience that will keep coming back.

Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on what you read), there’s a lot of advice out there for podcasting newbies looking to for a successful podcast launch. From planning out your content to marketing your brand, here are eight tips we start with as we on-board our podcast clients to Circle270Media.

1. For A Successful Podcast Launch, Do Your Research

Currently, there are more than 1.5 million podcasts, with over 5000 added per day (this according to mypodcastreviews.com). They are all vying for listener attention. Our advice - don’t leave marketing to chance. Create a marketing strategy. People can’t listen if they can’t find you. 

2. Determine A Structure For Your Show

Organize your podcast into a show with parts and predictability. Why? So that your guests and audience know what to expect. Listeners will come to expect a certain rhythm and flow to your show over time.  

3. Create A Content Calendar

Prior to your podcast launch, plan your content and decide how many episodes you want to publish in a month. Establish a content calendar. Have a clear idea of what you need to accomplish. Follow an outline so you won’t get off topic.

You might have to have a rough script initially, until you get more comfortable with your podcast style and rhythm. Or minimally, script your intro and outro so you feel comfortable beginning and ending each episode.

Remember, the plan should to build on the brand you are creating or have created. Everything you do is aligned with that in mind. 

4. Make Your Show About Your Listeners

Know your goal and purpose for doing a podcast. It will be a lot of work, and that's why so many podcasters turn to podcast consultants or podcast managers like Circle270Media Podcast Consultants.

Your podcast is a marketing and sales tool that can softly lead prospects to work with you and your company.

Find ways to make the show about the listener.  Provide your listeners with a value that keeps them engaged and wanting to know more about you. 

5. Prepare Your Show Guests 

I usually send my guests a list of the questions that will be asked, but I always provide an outline for the show's flow. This gives them an idea of how to prepare without being too prepared.

6. Ask For Listener Reviews

One of the techniques that I have seen work very well with growing your podcast is asking your listeners for reviews. This should start to happen from the first episode of your podcast launch.

And I'm not talking about reviews on social media. 

Drive your listeners to review your podcast and podcast episodes on your podcast website. The podcasting market is saturated with a lot of different choices. In order to stand out and differentiate your podcast from the market noise, ask your viewers to leave reviews, no matter how small your audience. 

This gives you the opportunity to learn what your listeners like or dislike about your podcast. As well as creating an opportunity for listener engagement.

7. Get Objective Feedback On Your Speaking Abilities

Join a speakers club like Toastmasters. This will give you the opportunity to get insightful and empowering feedback. Filler words can be distracting. Like “so,” “you know” and “um.” 

These can be irritating to your listeners.

They are to you, right? 

Writing and speaking are different. You may have to start practicing and focusing on how you speak, so you know how that's going to sound good. 

8. Start

It’s easy for our first-time podcaster clients to get analysis paralysis by trying to get everything perfect the first time. We say time and time again to our clients, your 20th podcast will be different from your first one. Simple nuances of confidence in your technique will start to show. Your relationship with your co-host will begin to evolve. You’ll refine and define your style and fine tune your theme. See it as a 12-month journey, and enjoy the ride. 

Let’s talk about what podcasting can do for your business in the next 12-months. 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 Circle270Media Podcast Consultants business website.

Recorded in conjunction with Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.

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. It’s chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast.

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

https://vurbl.com/station/74V3B7SHlRG/

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

This idea has been rattling in my head for the past 24 hours or so. It's from a comment that I heard. It hit a nerve.

I wanted to figure out why it was bothering me. So that's where I came up with the idea for this episode entitled Be a Better Connector and Grow Your Podcast.

And what I mean by that is one of the techniques to grow your podcast is to network.

If your podcast is guest oriented, focusing on having guests within your industry, or that you just love to interview people, whatever the case might be, you are in essence networking.

And you can take that guest podcast situation to the next level, to the next level, to the next level.

And when you get to the point where your guests become your network, your network becomes your connectors and you become a connector within that network.

This is what I mean. You can introduce one guest to another guest. You have no skin in the game other than you see the benefit of those two people connecting. You want to make sure that those two know each other because they can do business, they can be on each other's podcast, they can help each other in some way.

You're a connector without gaining any benefit from it.

That is about the highest level of networking you can achieve. And you will be remembered for it. That's a fantastic goal to reach when you have that level of networking skill. You know so many great people. And you're driven to connect with them because you want to see them grow. They're going to do the same for you down the road.

Now, as a connector, though, comes great responsibility.

And this is where the comment that I heard started to bother me.

It came from a big name in the podcasting space. She recently made an observation, very well grounded, that most, if not all, female podcasters do not receive free podcast gear, software, hardware, whatever it might be, to test and review.

Those items typically goes to male podcasters. And she's right for the most part. I don't see reviews done by female podcasters.

They never receive the hardware. It's a point well taken. She makes this comment in her business podcast. But where she goes with it, she drops the ball completely in my eyes.

She talks about how she has access to all these female podcasters who would do a great job of reviewing. In fact, has access to over 16,000 female podcasters in her podcast Facebook group. Then she makes a comment about how she wants podcast consultants, podcast producers, and tech companies that make hardware and software for podcasting to contact her to ask for the contacts.

That's not what a connector does.

She is at that level that she can make connections and do it without any benefit to herself. She's obligated, to a certain degree, to do that. She's been in the podcast space long enough.

She's been an advocate for female podcasters for so long, she doesn't have the right to basically just sit back and say, "contact me and I'll give you the list that I have."

She, as a connector, has an obligation to contact these people and manufacturers, and do justice for her group that she represents.

An obligation to contact those manufacturers and say, "Hey, I have a list of people that would love to have the next iteration of your microphone, of your mix board of your software. I'm here. Give me a call. I can send those emails to you right now, if you're still looking to send out free product to have reviewed this market. When are you available?"

My message to you. Make the effort outside of your podcast and do the right thing as a connector.

That, I think, is what was bothering me the most. That I see this pinnacle. Podcasters can be such great networkers and get to that point of being a connector.

Grow your podcast with it. Your reputation as a connector, as that networker, will make your podcast even stronger.

People will want to listen to you, what you're doing. And know that you are the ultimate as a networker. Because you have the right guests and you will connect those guests down the road. Your podcast will attract people that will want to be on your podcast because you are a connector.

Not just because you're interviewing them and giving them exposure on your podcast. Because they are "in your Rolodex," to connect, to be connected, with people that you know.

So strive for the ultimate as a networker. Do the best you can with what you're doing with your podcast that's focused on interviewing guests. Be the networker who rises to that connector level.

And do it because it's the right thing to do. You will benefit from it.

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 Circle270Media Podcast Consultants business website.

Recorded in conjunction with Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.

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. It's chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast.

If your business is using podcasting as a marketing or branding tool, I would love to showcase your podcast. Go to www.notetofutureme.com and scroll down to my booking calendar.

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

www.circle270media.com

www.notetofutureme.com

Me - Brett Johnson

LinkedIn - bretthjohnson

FB - circle270media

Twitter - circle270media

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

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. 

Did you know, MailChimp became a popular brand name overnight by simply running a 20-second ad at the start of every episode of the famous podcast, Serial?

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.

"I heard it on a podcast." - Everyone

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 Circle270Media Podcast Consultants business website.

Recorded in conjunction with Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.

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. It's chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast.

If your business is using podcasting as a marketing or branding tool, I would love to showcase your podcast. Go to www.notetofutureme.com and scroll down to my booking calendar.

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

www.circle270media.com

www.notetofutureme.com

Me - Brett Johnson

LinkedIn - bretthjohnson

FB - circle270media

Twitter - circle270media

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Podcasts are what your customers have been gravitating towards and asking for over the past few years.

Yet ironically, podcast marketing is still one of the most underutilized forms of marketing.

Podcasts are a great medium to be authentic and to connect with your audience.

Think about this: Wouldn’t you be more loyal to a brand if it could show you that it has experts who care about you? And you feel are relatable to your own life?

You can count on podcasts to continue to gain traction in the marketing community, as been shown in research done by Edison Research, The Infinite Dial, year after year.

As a podcast consultant, I cover numerous things that come into play while creating a successful podcast with my clients. But the key is to deliver quality content to your targeted listeners.

As I work with my clients over time, one this is for sure, an engaging, consistent podcast has the potential to capture a massive loyal following.

If you and your business have not explored podcasts as a tactic for marketing, today has never been a better time to do so. Podcasts continue to grow in popularity. 

And while they are still relatively new (compared to blogging and vlogging), it will be easy for your voice to be heard. 

Why? Let's look at the numbers.

To date, roughly, there are more than 500 million blogs out of 1.7 billion websites in the world. Their authors account for over 2 million blog posts daily. This according to hostingtribunal dot com. To date, roughly, in Apple Podcasts, the count is now over 1 million active podcasts.  

Podcasting is quickly becoming the go-to, reliable method to relate to your audience in a meaningful way. 

Want to find out more about how this can work in sync with your current marketing plan, contact me today. We'll set up a time to discuss your current marketing strategy, and what you want to accomplish with your new podcast.

Recorded in conjunction with Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.

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. It's chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast.

If your business is using podcasting as a marketing or branding tool, I would love to showcase your podcast. Go to www.notetofutureme.com and scroll down to my booking calendar.

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

www.circle270media.com

www.notetofutureme.com

Me - Brett Johnson

LinkedIn - bretthjohnson

FB - circle270media

Twitter - circle270media

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Landing high-quality guests is key to expanding your audience.

If you're a podcaster who hopes to land high-quality guests, keep these five things in mind to help you from looking like an amateur (and potentially turning potential guests away).

Asking your guest to share the episode.

Thought leaders don't want to keep sharing the same old interview questions and answers. 

Instead of telling people they have to share your content, create content they'll want to share. Create something that is easily sharable and offer your guest's audience the podcast takeaway material from a different angle. 

For example, if your guests makes a comment about a question or two that you asked that they have never been asked before, provide your guest something from those questions that inspires them to want to share their episode with their followers.

Expecting your guest to do extra work.

Your guest is giving you free content. So don't make them devote a lot of time and energy into being on your show.

Do your research before the interview. A high profile guest will have a media or press page on their website. This will be full of things like their bio and high-resolution images. Look for those first before asking your guest to email you that information.

Do your homework on your guest--don't ask your guest to repeat everything about themselves that you could easily find online. Let your creativity kick-in, and be that podcast interviewer that other podcasters strive to be.

Forgetting to share details.

When you're interviewing a prominent guest, there's a good chance you may have to work with that person's publicist or an assistant.

Put all your information into one simple email or document. That makes it simple for the information to be forwarded and referenced closer to the interview date and time.

Share the details of your interview up front, all in one email. Tell your guest as much information as possible. 

Respect the time they are going to give you, and create a comfortable interview situation from the start. Include how long the interview will last, how you plan to do the interview (phone, Skype, etc.), the type of format you use (for example, you always end with a guest book recommendation), etc.

Sending multiple emails.

Bombarding a guest with dozens of messages will likely cause your emails to go unanswered.

Busy thought leaders don't have time to have an ongoing conversation via email. In fact, each email you send to a busy guest's inbox may decrease their desire to be on your show.

Ask all of your important questions in one email if possible. Create a template of questions that must be asked. If you look like you don't have your act together, your guest may cancel the interview altogether.

Expecting your guest to work around your schedule.

It can be hard to attract popular guests if you aren't willing to work within their busy schedules.  

Don't send over your calendar and request the person choose a time. Expect a very tight schedule from your guest. Most thought leaders protect their time, and dedicate maybe one day a week, during certain hours, to interviews. That's how they've become who they are.

Connect with me if you would like to talk more about this. My calendar is available on my Circle270Media Podcast Consultants business website.

Recorded in conjunction with Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.

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. It's chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast.

If your business is using podcasting as a marketing or branding tool, I would love to showcase your podcast. Go to www.notetofutureme.com and scroll down to my booking calendar.

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

www.circle270media.com

www.notetofutureme.com

Me - Brett Johnson

LinkedIn - bretthjohnson

FB - circle270media

Twitter - circle270media

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

You know how you can search for an article by headline, subheader, or even a particular sentence anywhere in the text just by typing it into Google?

That kind of SEO transparency is a big reason why written content still dominates the web.

There are benefits to including a transcript and having “show notes” for your podcast on your podcast website. But doing it the wrong way is a waste of time. Here are some of the tips below for doing it the right way.

Format the post like an article, not a transcript.

A transcript format ignores many of the common SEO recommendations like linking to relevant other websites when appropriate, formatting the article according to H1, H2, and H3 tags, and including images with appropriate titles/alt text.

Format your transcripts more like an article, which is better for readers and search engines. 

Emphasize the value of the transcript and the “show notes” in your podcast.

When people discover your podcast, it’s important to get them to your website for all your content. One way to do this is to point out that all the key takeaways, resources, links, and even the transcript itself for that particular podcast episode is available on your blog. 

Don’t forget to inter-link posts on your website and link out to other websites!

One of the most important parts about including a transcript on your blog of each podcast episode is that there is ample opportunity to link to other resources on your site or around the web.

This is an important aspect of Google and SEO. It will improve the authority of your website, and also connect your listeners with the resources they want as they visit your website.

Find a Reputable transcription service to partner with

Meet Deborah Waltenburg, owner of DSW Transcription. Circle270Media has worked with Deborah for years, and we wanted to take this opportunity to interview her and shine a spotlight on her work.

She works with a vast range of topics, including finance, accounting, investment research, venture capital, sales and marketing, entertainment, sports, education, etc. Just take a look at her LinkedIn profile to find out more!

Her transcription work with medical and legal clients does vary a bit from those that are full-time medical and legal transcriptionists. She mentioned to me after the recording that when she is doing such work, it's typically for some type of qualitative research, or for someone's PhD work. She has the greatest respect to those highly skilled talents of medical and legal transcriptionists, and stenographers.

With Deborah’s help, we have put together something very special for any podcaster, or business, who is looking for a transcription service, but really don’t know what questions to ask. 

It’s called “How To Find The Best Transcription Service For Your Project.”

In it, Deborah has detailed two important areas.

1. key things to consider before you begin your search
2. questions for prospective transcriptionists to make your search a little easier

Just send Deborah, or me, your email address, and we’ll get you this easy to use, question by question document.  

[email protected]

[email protected]

Recorded in conjunction with Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.

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. It's chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast.

If your business is using podcasting as a marketing or branding tool, I would love to showcase your podcast. Go to www.notetofutureme.com and scroll down to my booking calendar.

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

www.circle270media.com

www.notetofutureme.com

Me - Brett Johnson

LinkedIn - bretthjohnson

FB - circle270media

Twitter - circle270media

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

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

Me - Brett Johnson

LinkedIn - bretthjohnson

FB - circle270media

Twitter - circle270media

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Publishing a business podcast is an efficient way to establish your thought leadership by sharing your knowledge with your listeners in a way that provides value.

Podcasting is a valuable business marketing tool that can increase your online and brand authority, drive traffic to your website, and ultimately, increase sales.

Consumers are savvy. They’re not receptive to traditional advertising hard sell. They’re seeking relevant, helpful information to guide them through their decision making process.

A podcast for your business is a way to help them on their journey. You can build trust and establish personal relationships that enhance your business’ brand trust.

If you’re not familiar with the ins and outs of a business podcast, let’s get the conversation started! 

Define Your Target Audience - Your Consumers

The first step is to determine who you are trying to reach, your target market.

Chances are, if you already have a traditional or digital marketing strategy in place, you’ve already taken this step. 

Next, ask questions and answer them in the way your customers would. Each of these questions will add another layer to be able to speak to your target audience.

By understanding who your target audience is and their needs, you can begin the process of creating content that is relevant to them. 

Identify Podcast Content

Think about your business, your customers, and your target audience. 

Focus on topics that will be of value to them.

It might be...

• information,
• product reviews,
• facts about your industry,
• insights about your business,
• introducing new products,
• promoting your corporate philosophy or culture, or
• even answering frequently asked questions.

Provide information that your customers are seeking, in an informative, educational, or entertaining way. Offer them a peek behind the brand by humanizing your business.

Tips For Creating Better Business Podcasts

While maintaining a pre-decided, constant publishing frequency of the podcast, you need to produce quality podcasts – ones that listeners will enjoy and benefit from. Professional sounding, quality podcasts capture the attention of listeners.  

So let’s cover some tips on how to do this...

Create a Content Calendar

Creating quality podcasts is a process. You need to be consistent.

Set up an editorial calendar to organize your publishing and content schedule. A calendar keeps you on track. 

It's About Quality, Not Quantity

Keep your podcasts focused. Consistent quality podcast content will get you noticed by the search engines and your listeners.

Give Your Listener Something to Do After Listening

The podcast is a great chance to convince the listener to take some kind of action step while you have their attention.

How about an email for more information? Register for the next webinar and save money with a podcast only code? Sign up for a newsletter that has exclusive content beyond the podcast?

Be creative, and be sure to include all your call to action links in your podcast episode show notes.

Engage With Your Listeners

One key point to podcasting is having the ability to engage with listeners. End your podcast by inviting listeners to comment.

Create a specific email address just for the podcast. Respond to emails quickly and professionally.

And lastly, 

Don’t Sell Stuff

People don’t generally listen to a business podcast looking to be sold a product.

They’re there looking for help and advice.

The goal of a business podcast should be to do one of the following:

• Solve some problem for listeners
• Educate listeners
• Entertain listeners

Keep in mind what you think your listeners would want from the podcast.

You are your brand’s ambassador with your business podcast.

Creating consistent, high-quality podcast content is the best way to drive traffic to your website, engage with your listeners, and ultimately grow brand awareness.

With planning and a consistent approach, your business podcast will become a valuable component in your company’s overall digital marketing strategy.

Need help?

You can contact us at C270M for a free initial consultation. I have a link in the podcast episode show notes to schedule a time to talk.

And email me with any comments you have about the podcasts - [email protected].

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy