Your organization finally has taken the plunge into podcasting. You’ve chosen a host, show title and theme music—you have the right equipment, too.
Congratulations, but you’ve only just begun. If your organization wants a successful and sustainable podcast, you need to not just inform, but also entertain and engage the audience. And you can’t do that without one key ingredient—content.
Consider what will appeal to your audience. Ask yourself two questions from their point of view: Why is this significant and why should they care? Just because you find something interesting doesn’t mean your audience will.
So, if you expect to release a podcast weekly, biweekly or monthly, where can you find content on a regular basis? Think like a journalist and use your eyes and ears with the following three possibilities.
Crowdsourcing
Ask your friends and family about your organization: Is there a service or a product they love and want to learn more about? Is there something they dislike about your brand or something they can suggest you do instead? Maybe there’s something you do that they’re unfamiliar with, which could lead to a podcast episode.
Also, consider surveying your customers or clients—ask them questions surrounding what you do, how you do it and why you do it. Who would they like to see as potential show guests? What would they like you to do in the future? The answers you get from your friends and family, as well as customers or clients, could provide a slew of ideas for show topics.
You could also offer your own list of potential topics and see which ones poll the best. This is another easy way to engage your listeners and make them feel like a bigger part of your podcast.
Your Organization
Look for stories about people within your own organization—who has a message the audience could benefit from hearing? It could be personal or it could be about their role in your organization. Who is working on something new or unique and how has that changed their life or your organization? Ask around—you never know what you might uncover.
Look for stories about your products and services, too. What makes them different from the competition? Do you need a how-to podcast episode? Featuring your organization’s experts or products and services has another benefit—they can help position your organization as a thought leader in your field.
Headlines
Become a news junkie. Read national newspapers such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Check out your local paper, magazines, blogs and newsletters. Focus on any publication that would cover your organization’s line of business.
But don’t limit yourself to print or online publications—you never know what you may come across on social media channels like Facebook or Twitter. Of course, you shouldn’t forget about TV news, documentaries and web videos, either.
Doing so will keep you up on the latest trends, newest innovators or issues facing your industry, and that, in turn, will provide plenty of ideas for podcast episodes. You also could discover potential show guests.
If you’ve taken all these steps and you’re still concerned you don’t have enough material, there’s a simple trick to extend the life of your podcast and maximize the content generated from each of your guests. Consider using clips from the interviews in more than one episode. That gives you an opportunity not only to explore a topic from different angles, but also an opportunity to continue promotion. That added promotion might even generate more listeners, as well.
Steve Orr is an award-winning broadcaster and founder of Steve Orr Media, which helps clients become more effective speakers, as well as create and produce podcasts.
Connect with Steve Orr: @steveorrmedia