BOLD CITY MEDIA

A lot of people are out there Podcasting with no clear direction. Just in any area of communication in business you need to have a plan to steer you in the right direction. Last April I gave a presentation on the 4p’s of Podcasting to the American Society of Training and Development here in Jacksonville.  Those 4p’s are planning, producing, publishing and then promoting your podcast

This is part 1 of a 7 part series. Don’t worry, I will keep each post short but it will provide a comprehensive overview of how to deliver a message effectively.

The plan is the first and most important phase of your podcast. It must identify your audience, define your message and the best way to reach them. If you don’t build this road map first your podcast will suffer a tragic death. When planning a podcast you need to ask your self some important questions.

- WHY AM I DOING THIS? IS IT TO:
-Support my marketing efforts?
-Build brand recognition?
-Develop and provide greater value with my clients?
-”My boss told me I had to do this”

These questions should get you thinking in the right direction.  The next post will be on identifying your audience.

Marc Krevo
BOLD CITY MEDIA
Dedicated to providing business solutions in social media in Jacksonville Florida

What method have you used to deliver your message? Do you find yourself saying, “oh we’ve made a video before, but after a while it just sat on the shelf.” Perhaps the video was dated and didn’t reflect the growth of your company.

Cost and long term effectiveness have been the leading issues as it reflects to video. Maybe that’s because of how your message was delivered. In the past your customers could only see it when they came by your office to see it or you sent them a copy. This distribution is very limited, kind of like a brochure; only so many people can see this depending on how many you produce or send out.

Maybe your video or message was great, but could only reach a limited audience. That’s unfortunate, not to mention frustrating. But consider this; years ago you could only get the daily paper in town or on street corners until someone came up with the brilliant idea of delivering it right to your front door step. Effective? Absolutely!

SPECIAL DELIVERY FOR XYZ BUSINESS! The good news is that now your message can be delivered to your customers front door step. Their front door step being their computer or mobile device (ipod, mp3 player, cellphone, etc.)

With video online and podcasting, most content is not only shorter and more effective, it remains current and fresh! By posting this message on your website it also connects with your audience through the human element of moving pictures and voice. But don’t stop there, because now your message can be distributed on iTunes, You Tube, Blogs, and other directories through RSS feeds. This is how you really reach the masses and in turn allow your audience to come to you through subscription. Now, doesn’t that sound like a good idea!

Marc Krevo
BOLD CITY MEDIA
Dedicated to providing business solutions in social media in Jacksonville Florida

I had a couple of meetings the other day with some potential clients about producing a podcast.  They asked me to explain what a podcast is. Technically speaking, it’s an audio file located located on server.  It’s appearance is a link that can either be listened instantly via a stream or downloaded to your computer or mp3 player for later playback.

Ok, what is the non technical description? Well a podcast is very similiar to a radio show on the web that helps the listener gain information about the topic they are interested in.  The most successful podcasts are those that help solve problems or challenges pertaining to the topic the listener is concerned about.  For example, you might be a caregiver looking for help in caring for an elder,  The Informed Eldercare Podcast helps caregivers with expert advice and resources.

Podcasts can offer advice from experts with solutions to your needs and challenges to your everyday personal, family and business life.

Podcasts also offer businesses an opportunity to greater serve their customers. When a company is seen as a resource, they rise above their competition. This creates awareness about what your company is really about. A podcast delivers this information by way of the human voice. This connects with your audience and customer on a personal level that ordinary text and graphics can not.

When you connect, solve and provide solutions to other people’s problems and needs you empower them to buy a product or a service or more importantly,  an idea.

Remember, people don’t want to be sold anything, but they love to buy. A podcast can deliver that for you in a much favorable light to your customers.

Marc Krevo
BOLD CITY MEDIA
Dedicated to providing business solutions in social media in Jacksonville Florida