Promote Yourself with Podcasting

With the ability to record audio and video at our fingertips, it’s easier than ever to become a podcaster.   What’s a podcast? It’s an audio or video recording that, when posted online, can be listened to any time.  People who are interested in what you are podcasting can subscribe to your podcast and will automatically receive your latest episodes.

You don’t need to be a professional broadcaster to have a successful podcast. It’s a great way to showcase your expertise, gain business, grow your network and become an influencer.  I’ve been hosting and anchoring radio programs as well as podcasting for over a decade. I’ve also helped clients showcase their products and services through podcasts. Here’s what I’ve learned along the way.

It IS about you! Be comfortable sharing your thoughts and personality. It isn’t always about interviewing authors, experts or other big names. Your loyal audience will subscribe to your podcast because of you.

It doesn’t have to be long.  The ideal length of a podcast is something your audience can listen to in once sitting, say, during their commute to work. So, keep it under 20 minutes.  Shorter podcasts save you time, in recording and editing. My friend, matchmaker Lisa Amador, created a “Sixty Sexy Seconds” video podcast that shares tips & advice on relationships in one minute. Keeping it to 60 seconds reduces the need to edit, and present more in-depth information.

Serve it in Segments. Presenting one topic per episode will keep your podcasts shorter, saving you time and helping your listeners to go directly to the topics of interest to them.  If your podcast features guests, and you wish to cover more than one topic with that guest, consider recording two shorter episodes rather than one long episode.  It’s a time-saver, and gives you content for future episodes in one sitting.

Be consistent. Set a schedule and stick to it. Even if it’s one or two episodes per month.  If you plan to have guests for your podcast, a weekly release schedule is very ambitious. One or two episodes a month is reasonable.  It’s a good idea to record and ‘bank’ 4-6 episodes before you launch your podcast. This will give you some content to have ready to go.

Sites such as Libsyn and Blubrry will host your podcast for around $20 a month. These sites make it easy to get your podcast listed on iTunes and other podcast directories. If you are just getting started and don’t want to commit to the monthly fee, sign up for a free account at SoundCloud. You can post several episodes, and share them on your website and social media.

Happy Podcasting!

Lisa Osborn is a radio broadcaster and producer/narrator of marketing on-hold messages. She podcasts about essential oils, health and wellness at www.Lisa.FM. She’s a member of the Santa Barbara Professional Chapter.