Podcasting: Learn

Podcasts open the door to telling new stories and reaching new audiences — if you do them well. The reach, innovation and revenue that can come from podcasting requires substantial upfront investments of time, expertise and money. Audio storytelling is not like written or video story formats; it has a unique flavor that can reward or frustrate your audience, depending on the quality of the product you deliver. Further, research shows podcast listeners are fickle. They’ll listen to a few programs that connect with them, are delivered consistently and are high-quality. Then likely won’t listen to anything else.

It’s important to ask why you’re trying to launch a podcast. Is it because a competitor moved into audio storytelling or because you read about podcasting’s possibilities? Or is it because you’ve found a consistent theme that is best carried to your audience via digital audio? If you’ve done the work to know the latter is your motivation, then it’s time to invest in equipment and personnel. That can be expensive, but it’s the only way to do podcasting well.

A podcast drawing good reviews must also be properly distributed. And how users are interacting with the podcast must be tracked. In this section of “Better News,” you’ll learn how to launch a podcast, how to make it successful and how to monetize a high-quality product. For example:

• Because quality and tone are key to launching an audio product your audience will love, you’ll learn how to invest in the expertise necessary to produce a valuable podcast.
• Audio is substantially different from written or video storytelling. It’s more personal, for one, which means you need to understand how to develop a direct relationship with your audience.
• Podcasting’s upfront investment can range from a few hundred dollars to many thousands. Determining the right amount to spend depends on your podcast’s purpose and goals.
• There are several tried-and-true ways to monetize podcasts. Knowing which one to pursue successfully requires a unique sales expertise and the right focus on data.