Podcasting: I’m Thinking About It. Shouldn’t You?

As I'm looking for more ways to increase online visibility for my employer, I'm seriously considering going into podcasting. It's a great way to get found by a different audience, and to repurpose all the content I've been churning out in the form of blog posts, video tutorials and special reports. Best of all, our B2B competitors aren't podcasting yet (shhhh, don't tell them!).

To get more insight into podcasting, I turned to my friend and business mentor, Kelly McCausey of the Solo Smarts podcast. Kelly has been podcasting for a loooong time (in web years, she's been podcasting forever!).

Here's what Kelly has to say about this medium:

I found out recently that you've been podcasting for 8 years. Why do you love podcasting so much?

Podcasting gives me the chance to build a more intimate relationship with my audience. They hear my voice and catch all of my personality. They feel like they know me after just a few episodes.

I'm already blogging and a podcast is yet another piece of content I would need to create.

I don't think of a podcast as ‘yet another' item of content to create, that makes it sound like a chore and content should never feel like a chore! The good news is this: you don't have to create more content to start podcasting, just start by leveraging all of the great written content you already have.

Why would I want to get started? What are the benefits of podcasting to someone like me who's already blogging?

Your podcast makes you ‘findable' in new places, the most important of which is iTunes. Think of the millions of folks using iTunes to find content for their iPod, iPhone or iPad. They're not Googling, they're surfing the iTunes Music Library and finding great topic relevant podcasts. When someone is searching for your topic, don't you want them to find you?

What's so special about people who listen to podcasts? How are they different from, say, people who like blogs or YouTube videos?

Many folks who listen to podcasts on a regular basis do it away from the computer. I listen five or more hours a week in the gym, often listening to podcast archives back to back. I recently became a fan of Pat Flynn through his podcast by listening to several episodes in a row. I've never sat down to read even one of his blog posts all the way through so without his podcast I would still have no idea what he is really about.

What are the common challenges new podcasters face? What's the best way to overcome these challenges?

Some will say it's the technology of recording that challenges folks most but I disagree. That's easy to overcome with some step by step help. The biggest challenge I see new podcasters come up against is the tendency to ‘podfade away' after a few months. You know the same thing happens with other content formats too, folks start a blog and a year later it's been six months since they posted.

I encourage new podcasters to spend time up front developing a plan for content that stretches through their first year. Leave nothing up to chance and you'll still be podcasting a year from now.

If I decide to start podcasting, what are the top 3-5 strategies you would recommend for me to build an audience for my podcast?

I'll give you one and promise that's all you need: Solve problems for your target market. When you regularly address their problems, they'll keep listening and they'll invite their friends to listen too.

Audio or video podcast? When is one better than the other?

Audio is easier, for you and for your audience. You don't have to fuss with looking good and they don't have to give you more than one sense at a time.

Ready To Podcast With Me?

I'll keep you posted about my podcasting efforts, since I have yet to make a business case about it to my employer.

If you're interested in podcasting yourself, check out Kelly's new course, Smart Podcasting Skills (affiliated). I'm enrolled in it myself and cannot wait to create my very own podcast (if not for my employer, then for myself!).