Podcasting – the art of story

I’m teaching an intro to social media class at Phoenix College.  My students included re-careering adults, returning students and typical college-age kids. Throughout the class, we are discussing a variety of different social media platforms and how they apply to small business.  By the end of the semester, each student will have prepared a social media strategy to present to the class.

One of those platforms is podcasting.

Not being an expert on podcasting, I asked Adrian McIntyre, host of Valley Business RadioX, to speak to my class about it.  I’ve been interviewed on a few different podcasts before and I’ve listened to a couple, but thought it best to have someone actually working in that realm to provide the information to my students.

Planning for and producing a podcast is much like any other social media platform – you need to know your purpose and what you expect to gain from having one.  Do you have enough content to keep the podcast going beyond five or six episodes or will you fall victim to “pod-fade” – running out of ideas for your show after the first few episodes?

Podcasts are not commercials for your business.  Sure, you can incorporate information about what you do but people aren’t coming to a podcast to hear only about your business – they want your knowledge and expertise, they want to learn something.  So for instance, one of the businesses my students could select from is a travel agency specializing in cruise travel.  We brainstormed possible topics for that podcast – top 10 spring break cruise destinations or what to pack if you are going on a cruise, for example.  Keeping your audience in mind when planning for your podcast will keep them coming back for more.

His final piece of advice?  Remember that we are all inherently storytellers.  Podcasts are a platform to tell good stories.
From the campfire to the kitchen table to the company boardroom, stories are how human beings organize our minds and connect with one another.

And since we’re on the topic – what are some of your favorite podcasts?