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Podcast Primer: Best Practices & Need-to-Know Advice

NEWCOMM TOPTIPS

Republished wih permission from Lawrence Ragan Communications' Web Content Report

While the podcasting phenomenon began primarily with a handful of Internet enthusiasts only late last year, the mainstream media is already using the technology to make their radio broadcasts available as podcasts. And more recently, content managers are using the distribution method to communicate with targeted audiences more effectively—and cheaply—in a way that few other technologies can.

Ragan's Web Content Report talked with Internet experts and communicators who have already added podcasting to their toolkits. Use the following to stay up on the latest trend on the Web—and consider podcasts as yet another tool to add to your outreach efforts.

Podcasts Defined & Explained:

Podcasts are audio programs stored as media files, usually MP3s, and distributed through a subscription model that takes advantage of an enhancement to RSS, says Shel Holtz, president and founder of Holtz Communications. “The explosion of podcasting as a communications channel is unprecedented,� and didn’t exist until last August.

“There currently are some 7,000 to 8,000 podcasts available, most produced by enthusiasts (also known as ‘indie’ podcasters) on a variety of topics that don’t have the kind of audience that would justify programming on traditional radio,� Holtz explains.

“Because the files are retrieved into computer media players (e.g., iTunes, Winamp, etc.), they can be detached from the computer and stored on a portable digital media player like an iPod or a Zen Micro, so listeners can listen away from their computers, while driving or walking the dog or jogging.�

Listeners subscribe to a podcast just once—and content is delivered to their computers whenever a new show is ready. “It’s time-shifted radio,� Holtz adds, “Think of it as TiVo for your ears.�

Podcasting’s potential is huge, most Internet experts agree. Research shows that retention is high and the connection strong when people actually hear a message; indeed, audio represents a significant channel to communicate with both internal and external audiences.

“The amount of time [people] have to read is limited,� Holtz says. “Reading requires dedicated time; you really can’t be doing anything else. when you're reading. You can listen, though, while doing something else.�

“Communicators underuse communication channels that leverage the sense of sound, but audio is, nonetheless, a powerful communication medium,� Holtz continues. “With the ridiculously low barrier to entry of podcasting, communicators can produce radio-like content for distribution to audiences on very specific topics.�

“One of the most appealing characteristics of blogging is that it draws the audience closer in because it has a better feel for the person authoring the content,� Jiyan Wei, director of interactive services at v-Fluence Interactive Public Relations, says. “Well, podcasting takes this one step further by actually connecting the audience with the voice of the blogger.�

As podcasting’s visibility continues to rise, which it likely will considering that Apple Computer’s news release of its iTunes software includes podcast subscription support, Holtz and others expect to see communicators begin to use the technology to improve their efforts—and communicate with targeted audiences more effectively. “Consider a weekly investor relations podcast featuring interviews with key executives. Or a podcast about a popular brand. How about a weekly news update for employees?� Holtz says. “The goal is simple: Provide targeted information and content to audiences that reinforces communication goals.�

As far as execution, “nothing could be easier,� he adds.

Here’s How It Works:

Record a file to your computer. All you need is a $9 USB microphone. Save it as an MP3 file. Store it on a server. Create an RSS feed with an enclosure that points to the MP3 file. Publish a link to the RSS feed.

The only cost, Holtz says, is bandwidth consumption, but there are services that are developing pricing to accommodate podcasters, such as LibSyn.

Holtz recommends picking up Podcasting: The Do-It-Yourself Guide, by Todd Cochrane, published by Wiley, for more details.

Chicago destination offers audio tours to tap younger audiences and enhance the ‘offline’ experience

Since the year-old opening of Chicago’s 24.5-acre Millennium Park, the Chicago Park District has seen a tremendous response from tourists and residents alike—all of which have shown great interest in learning about the park’s various destinations, architecture and landscape.

To help facilitate that interest and boost the number of younger visitors, the park district began offering audio walking tour downloads on its Web site just three months ago. Anyone with iPods or MP3 players are encouraged to download the tour, which features the voices of Architect Frank Gehry, Cloud Gate Sculptor Anish Kapoor, Crown Fountain Designer Jaume Plensa and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. Those who do not have an MP3 player can rent one for $5 at the park.

“The audio tour was designed to give [visitors] the opportunity to learn more about the park from those who were involved in its creation,� says Karen Ryan, communications manager for the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. “We also wanted to offer the audio tour to people free of charge.�

The tool also helps enhance visitors’ experiences. “Millennium Park is a great example of how modern technology can enhance visitors’ experiences of a dynamic public space,� says Millennium Park Executive Director Helen Doria in a press release. “Examples of 21st century technology can be found throughout the Park, from the state-of-the-art acoustics of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion to the LED screens that project the faces of Chicagoans onto The Crown Fountain. We are proud to use advanced technology to offer this new resource to people, where they can learn about these elements of the Park and more.�

Park staff hired an outside vendor to develop the audio tour, and once created, “it was relatively easy to transfer it to the MP3 technology and make the tour available for download,� says Ryan. Antennaudio, the company that developed the tour, also handled the technology, she adds.

To promote the effort, park communicators posted information about the audio tours on its home page, issued news releases, developed promotional materials that can be found in the park’s welcome center and other Chicago tourism locations and have encouraged on-site staff to direct interested people to the tours.

Ryan says the audio tours have been widely successful. In the first weekend of its announcement, nearly 1,500 people downloaded the audio tours from the park’s Web site, and since then, another 500 have done so. About 25 park visitors have rented MP3 players from its welcome center.

What’s more, park staff has received a significant amount of positive feedback via Web site e-mails and media coverage across various Chicago outlets, including the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, all of the major Chicago television news programs and several technology- and city-focused blogs.

“We have been overwhelmed by the positive response to the tour,� says Ryan. “I would encourage anyone who is considering creating an audio tour to make it available on their Web site.�

GM jumps into podcast game with Fastlane Radio—and generates buzz among tech-savvy consumers

Given its widely-popular blog, Fastlane, which generates 8,500 visitors each day, it’s not surprising that GM would be one of the first companies to begin podcasting to promote its brand among tech-savvy audiences.

Indeed, beginning last Februrary, the company launched its first set of podcasts—four recorded interviews—via its blog, followed by about a dozen since then that highlight product innovations and new launches. “We wanted to take people behind the scenes at GM,� says Michael Wiley, director of new media. “Podcasts are cheap and give people a richer experience and depth of content than most other mediums.�

What’s more, “people are busy these days and looking to get their news in downtime,� Wiley says. “You can download a podcast and listen to it later in the day, on your commute or on a walk.�

GM’s podcast content has ranged from executive interviews, sponsored events and behind-the-scenes product promotions and introductions—and Wiley says the possibilities are endless. “The beauty of podcasts is that they’re so cheap to produce,� he says. “You could do a podcast for virtually any event, product promotion, even instruction manuals for products or product assembly.�

In the early days, GM relied on an iPod and a plug-in microphone to develop its podcasts, though Wiley admits the audio quality was mediocre. “We weren’t sure if people would really care about the audio quality,� Wiley says, “but we got some complaints and decided to upgrade to a new methodology.� Luckily, GM staffers have access to a professional sound studio, free of charge, and have relied on high-quality software and services since the first few podcasts it developed.

One of the most popular GM podcasts was that of a recent secret Pontiac-sponsored concert in Times Square for its new Solstice launch. Because the city of New York wouldn’t allow the company to promote the concert, the 26-minute podcast showed the event unfold—from behind-the-scenes preparation to walkers who stumbled across the free concert and the show itself. “It was a great way to show people what it was like to really be there,� says Wiley.

All 53,000 subscribers to GM’s RSS feeds automatically get an update when a podcast is available. And since it began offering the audio content, the site has seen 40,000 downloads–the Pontiac event receiving the most.

While GM is pleased with its results and plans for more podcasts in the future, the company’s efforts have gotten mixed reviews among the podcast and blog communities. One reason: The initial audio files were the sound portion of audio-visual Webcasts, i.e., not audio shows produced specifically for podcasting, something experts warn against doing.

At the same time, most applauded the company for experimenting with the new medium during its start-up phase—and predict other communicators to start doing the same.

Best Practices: Disney delivers podcast-exclusive content for 50th anniversary

While a handful of other companies had already begun to republish audio files on their sites in podcast form, Disney was one of the first to develop content exclusively for a podcast.

“That’s the key to developing a truly successful podcast,� says podcast pioneer Michael W. Geoghegan, founder of Willnick Productions. “Rather than taking an audio file and calling it a ‘podcast,’ companies need to create unique content as a podcast to generate real interest and long-standing popularity.�

Geoghegan, who was hired by the entertainment giant, spent an entire week on site with Disney during its three-day 50th anniversary celebration to develop, host and promote three 50-minute podcasts. “It was a great way to give people the real experience of being there,� he says. “There’s really no other medium that could do this as effectively.�

Disney’s podcasts highlighted the premier of the new entertainment and attractions at several Disneyland Resorts, a collection of exclusive celebrity interviews, music, anecdotes and live event coverage to convey the excitement of the anniversary and the story of what has made the brand a national treasure for five decades.

Podcasts were produced daily after each day’s events from May 3 through May 5 and promoted on Disney’s home page. Currently, those podcasts can be found online.

On its podcasting site, you’ll also find instructions as well as traditional audio files that can be downloaded without an MP3 player, should visitors not wish to take advantage of the new distribution format—two best practices, according to experts.

While Disney issued press releases and added the content to its home page, “we didn’t do a ton of podcast promotion,� says Geoghegan. Yet the content itself, as well as the delivery, was covered far and wide by the media, many of whom were on site during the anniversary celebration.

What’s more, “People all over [the Web] were talking about it,� Geoghegan says, including the podcast community, Disney’s large online fan base, bloggers, the media and others.

And while Geoghegan can’t divulge the number of downloads the site saw, he says it was “significant,� and that he’s received more than 100 e-mails from fans and others thanking him for the great content and experience. What’s more, Disney is planning to hire Geoghegan to produce another series for them—a solid indication that Disney communicators saw podcasting’s value and ROI.

Geoghegan recommends that anyone who gets involved in podcasting take it seriously—and develop top-quality, professional content exclusive to the technology. “You don’t want to just take an audio file and call it a podcast.�

Also, it’s important to remember, “Your listeners control the subscription,� he explains. “And, if you

come out of the gate with an unprofessional or poorly-developed podcast, they’ll unsubscribe as quickly as they signed up.�

Holtz relies on podcasts to raise visibility, generate clients

Beginning last January, Holtz, along with Neville Hobson, ABC, who lives in Amsterdam, launched a twice-weekly podcast focusing on the communications profession, called For Immediate Release: The Hobson & Holtz Report.�

Currently, the other component of For Immediate Release� is interviews, but the two plan to offer reviews and other content. In the early days, the show had roughly 30 or 40 listeners—and today, it averages 600.

Here’s how the two produce their shows—and the equipment they use: Holtz and Hobson record the podcast as a conversation using Skype, a free Voice Over IP (VOIP) tool, and Holtz has invested in some higher-end recording equipment, including a Behringer mixer ($80), a PreSonus condensor ($150) and a condensor microphone ($300). He also uses Audacity, a free open-source recording/editing application; a rig he takes on the road that includes a condensor mike ($100) and a Behringer mixer ($50); and an iRiver portable digital player/recorder that he uses for field interviews as well as to record back-ups of the twice-weekly show, just in case the computer recording fails (which it hasn’t, so far).

“For Neville and me, our profiles have definitely risen as a result of doing the podcast,� Holtz says. “We’ve been covered by the likes of BBC. PRWeek has called us ‘ascendant stars.’We’re constantly surprised by who's listening, like one of the technology reporters at BusinessWeek.�

“And we find that our podcast is not only a conversation with each other, but also with our listeners,� Holtz adds, “so we have met a lot of fascinating people. I suspect someday it'll lead to paying work.�

New Communications Blogzine is pleased to bring you this valuable article from our partner, Lawrence Ragan Communications, the leading publisher of corporate communications, public relations, and leadership development newsletters. The preceding article originally appeared in Ragan's Web Content Report. To find out more about Ragan's publications visit www.ragan.com.

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