The Podcasting podcast: How to get started with podcasting in your organisation Lee Hopkins

I listened to this podcast interview intently yesterday, and was blown away. ChatGPT—and AI in general—is way more advanced than I have given it credit for.
There seems a HUGE amount of dog work that AI can take off the overworked and underappreciated communicator, allowing said communicator to focus on higher, more strategic and longer-term work, including being able to reposition themselves as a resource of advice for senior management, not just that ‘person who does that communication stuff, whatever that is’.
I’ve been using ‘Jasper’ for nearly a year and until yesterday didn’t realise how criminally underused they were at my hands. Already, I have upped my game to create better headlines and subheads, write more interesting chapter titles, and so on.
The interview between Shel and Ms ChatGPT is riveting, and I strongly advise you to listen to the hour long interview and marvel at how much more you could ask your AI engine of choice to do.
Brilliant episode and interview. Kudos, Shel.

Welcome to another episode of ‘The Podcasting Podcast: How to get started with podcasting in your organisation’. Today, we’re going to look at why podcasting is so popular, what sort of business items you can podcast, and how you can great content for your podcast.
 
3, 2, 1… here we go
 
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Podcasting has become increasingly popular in recent years, and for good reason. It offers a unique and convenient way to consume content that appeals to a wide range of interests. Here are some reasons why podcasting has captured the attention of millions:
•           Convenience: With busy schedules and on-the-go lifestyles, many people find it difficult to make time for reading or watching video content. Podcasting allows listeners to consume content while multitasking, whether it's during their commute, workout, or daily chores.
•           Diverse topics: From education and news to entertainment and self-improvement, there is a podcast for every interest. With so many different genres and niche subjects available, listeners can find something that caters specifically to their interests.
•           Authenticity: Podcasts often feature real people having authentic conversations, making the content more relatable and engaging for listeners. This human touch sets podcasts apart from other forms of media that may feel more scripted or polished.
•           On-demand access: Unlike traditional radio or television shows, podcasts offer on-demand access to their episodes. Listeners can choose when and where they want to listen, rather than being tied to a specific broadcast schedule.
•           Diverse voices and perspectives: Podcasting has given a platform to diverse voices and perspectives that may not have been represented in mainstream media. This allows for a more inclusive and well-rounded exchange of ideas and information.
•           Low barrier to entry: Starting a podcast does not require expensive equipment or a large production team. With basic recording equipment and some editing software, anyone can create their own podcast and share their content with the world.
•           Engaging storytelling: Many podcasts use creative storytelling techniques to captivate listeners and keep them coming back for more. This can include sound effects, music, and expertly crafted narratives that draw listeners in and hold their attention.
•           Community building: Podcasts often have a dedicated and loyal fan base, creating a sense of community amongst listeners. This can foster discussions and connections among like-minded individuals who share a passion for the same podcast topics.
Overall, the unique combination of convenience, diverse content, authenticity, and community building has made podcasting a popular form of media that shows no signs of slowing down. With new podcasts constantly emerging on a variety of topics, the future of podcasting looks bright.  So, it's no surprise that more and more people are turning to this medium for their entertainment and information needs.  So if you haven't already jumped on the podcast bandwagon, now is the perfect time to start exploring all that this popular form of media has to offer. Who knows, you may just find your new favourite podcast!  Happy listening!
So, what are you waiting for? Grab your headphones and start exploring the world of podcasting today. With so many options to choose from, there's something for everyone. Whether you're looking for educational content, entertainment, or just a good laugh, podcasts have got you covered. And with the convenience of on-demand access, you can listen whenever and wherever it's convenient for you. So don't miss out on this popular and ever-growing medium—start discovering new podcasts now!  Keep listening and stay curious. The possibilities with podcasting are endless.
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Welcome to another episode of ‘The Podcasting Podcast: How to get started with podcasting in your organisation’. In this episode we are going to have a look at another example of vidcasting and podcasting, this time in a university.
 
One of the world’s leading research faculties in digital media, the Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) school within the UK’s University of Southampton, is one step ahead of the pack in its application of social media tools for communication. The school counts among its faculty over the years the inventor of the World Wide Web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Professor David Payne, the inventor of the optical amplifier, and Professor Tony Hey, corporate vice-president of Microsoft UK.
Since 2005, the school’s lectures and seminars have been podcasted and vidcasted, allowing students to run them again for revision, or for the first time if they’ve missed them. A dedicated portion of the ECS website was resourced to host the podcasts.
 
The ECS communication team began experimenting with turning the technology to its external faculty news. “It seemed a great way to present our research to journalists in a visual and audio format,” explains ECS’s marketing and communications manager, Joyce Lewis. “It provided an easy and compelling format for them to digest, and a terrific way to provide a cognitive link for them between our research and its potential coverage as a TV or radio news item.”
 
The result: “ECS TV” provides a vital link between the university’s research work and the outside world. The benefits, says Lewis, are numerous—especially in a department of only one (Lewis herself), plus one web designer:
“When we first started it, we were able to do it just by using the video-conferencing technology we already had—fixed cameras, operated remotely, and radio mikes,” she says. Editing the programs using the now-defunct iMovie application that came with her computer, the whole production line was cost-free. “That was the principal attraction of it in the first place—you can do this with a very small number of people and very few tools. It’s high impact at no cost.”
The ability to turn around content quickly is an incredible advantage over previous forms of communication media, she says, and brings it closer to rivalling print. “We were able to cover a conference and podcast about it each morning for the entire four-day duration. Because the production is simple, it’s really a case of a quick edit and you can get it out there.”
With a designer who has a background in TV production and an IT staffer, “We knew we already had the skillset to do a pretty good job,” says Lewis.
 
Podcasts and vidcasts are, very often, dependent on the quality and media-friendliness of their subjects. In a population of non-media trained people, however, this can prove difficult. Joyce has advice to share from producing hundreds of broadcasts. The trick, she says, is patience and positive reinforcement.
If the interviewee is fine “off camera,” she says, one must recognise that their stilted persona in front of the lens must only be a product of nerves and uncertainty, and can therefore be overcome with good, supportive coaching. Here are her tips for getting the best out of interviewees:
“If someone is drying up in front of other participants, I’ve found it effective just to ask everyone else to leave for a while—the camera person and other interviewees—so that I can sit and talk to the person and walk them through the process in private. That takes away the intensity and the pressure. Some people are shy and introverted and you need to help them relax. Taking away the sense of ‘people are watching me’ can help enormously.”
 
In such a situation, Lewis will then often walk the participant through the questions and topics, and engage them in a conversation about the leading topics before filming begins. “If they’v

Welcome to this edition of 'The Podcasting Podcast: How to get started with podcasting in your organisation'.
 In this episode, we are going to have a look at a Canadian pharmaceutical sales team and how they used podcasting to beat Canada’s vast remote physical distances.
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How do you connect with a geographically dispersed audience? iStudio, a Canadian interactive agency, introduced podcasts for a pharmaceutical client to communicate with field employees in a personal and portable way.
Ron Clark assumed the role of Vice President, Sales of ALTANA Pharma Inc. The organisation needed a cost-efficient way to introduce the new VP, build rapport between management and their sales team, and provide insights on key business initiatives.
The sales team at ALTANA is predominantly a remote workforce, spread across Canada. In pharmaceutical sales, representatives are primarily on the road for most of the work day. Accessing e-mail or the company intranet is often a challenge due to the constraints of travelling. iStudio investigated new online techniques that would be helpful in reaching a remote workforce and suggested a corporate blog and podcast as the solution. They created “Ron’s Blog,” which allows employees to have an open online dialogue with Ron.
Ron’s monthly podcast is available via the blog. The podcast is a 10-15 minute podcast which has a radio show feel. In each episode, Ron provides sales updates, shares insight, anecdotes and interviews special guests. 
The response to the podcasts suggests this medium has been a success: 76% of sales staff accessed the first episode and 88% accessed the second episode.
The feedback was also positive, with comments like: “It feels a little more personal than an e-mail, and has much more emotion attached to it than even a voicemail,” and “I like it because it’s user-friendly… plus I think it brings you closer to the sales force.”
Clearly, employees find the podcasts much more personal than a voicemail or e-mail. In addition, employees like the opportunity to provide input into the content of future podcasts via Ron’s Blog.
Even though the podcasts are primarily intended for sales staff, over 80% of all employees access each episode.
To support the process of planning podcasts, iStudio produced a customisable template that lets you plan podcast content down to the very minute. I'll pop the link to the template further down these show notes. 
 
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And now I’d like to introduce Rick Beato. Rick is a legend in the online music world: performer, producer, teacher, entrepreneur, and interviewer of some of the giants of the music world, Rick produces a YouTube video channel that is always worth watching, even if you aren’t a musician yourself.
What Rick has to say about vidcasting to the music base applies equally to the rest of the world, including us in the business communication world.
I’ll put a link to his YouTube channel in the show notes for this episode [https://youtu.be/B9PboTYmuQQ?si=06_ctM8e2XyQeShr] .
Without further ado, here’s a selection of relevant statements by Rick:
 
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Mary Spender is a musician from Britain, and has achieved notoriety because of her constant showcasing of her own excellent music, combined with great product reviews and top production values. 
This is a summation of a recent video, outlining how much money she has made from her YouTube channel. Again, her words are totally applicable to we business communicators, no matter what medium we choose to operate in.
Mary came to fame with a music video with YouTube legend Leo Moracchioli, playing a cover of Dire Straits’ ‘Sultans of Swing’
 
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Links:
Rick Beato video about YouTube and his publishing schedule: https://youtu.be/B9PboTYmuQQ?si=Nz8UFq8UZqKFExIr 
Mary Spender with her views on YouTubing and the secret to successful social media: https://youtu.be/-mjk4QUkwSU?si=OhnWCcUfQ5IogslY
Sulta

In this episode we ask the very important question, what about the bandwidth? Does anyone have any concerns about how much data we might be using to produce and publish our podcast?
This is a standard concern for IT departments, and luckily the answer is a wonderful service called Libsyn (www.libsyn.com) where, for a small fee each month, you can host your podcast on their servers, set up the podcast ready to distribute via RSS and even retrieve download statistics on each edition.
A hosting package on Libsyn also comes complete with spaces and prompts for all of the essential information that you will want to make sure is present on your podcast’s web page.
Podcasting offers all the key advantages associated with social media such as low barriers to entry and established popularity among the general population—in Melcrum’s 2007 survey on social media and corporate communication, 58% of respondents said they were already using, or planning to use podcasts in their organisation.
HOW CAN I GET STARTED WITH PODCASTS?
Here are three quick stages to work through:
1. Why podcast?
First of all, consider what it is you want to use podcasting for. For example:
1.  CEO podcasts
2.  Daily/weekly team updates, divisional or organisational updates
3.  Speeches or presentations
4.  Training and administration purposes
5.  Specialty podcasts
6.  Something entirely different
Remember that podcasting is a technology that can greatly enhance collaboration. You could take this one step further and encourage participation and contribution by giving employees opportunities to participate in and develop their own ideas for podcasts.
 
2. What to podcast?
Next up, consider your content and format:
1.  Will it be a program format?
2.  Will it be news items, interviews, or magazine-style?
 
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In this episode, we’re going to look at the 2024 podcast landscape for business communicators and PR professionals.
As much as it’s essential to know where we’ve come from, naturally we must also keep an eye on what is happening right now.
In the boundless world of marketing and PR, certain industry leaders stand out for their innovative approaches and unique insights, many of which they share on their respective podcasts. These podcasts serve as invaluable resources for professionals and enthusiasts alike.