One of the biggest worries, shared by most of my clients, is "How can I catch the media's attention?"
In today's world, you can be the media. Media releases – print, audio or video – are all fine things. But why wait around for someone to notice you when you're already doing most of the work? Just finish it up and distribute the final product yourself.
Podcasting is a catch-all for audio or video content that is created, packaged and distributed without the "permission" of some 800 lb gorilla. Millions of people around the world are listening to audio shows on their smartphones, or watching video programs on their tablets. The barriers to entry are low – even children have access to the technology to create these programs today. There's no excuse for not being able to create them.
But, just because you can create audio or video programs with the touch of a button doesn't mean you should just open your mouth and ramble. The public today is very much interested in content. Do you have something to teach them? Do you have something that they want to hear?
The first step in creating a podcast of any type is to develop your message into several chunks that can be made into individual episodes. The next step is to actually script out your messages. Broadway shows run for months, or even years. The actors do the same lines over and over, but deliver the play as if it's new to them every time. A script is not something to be ashamed of. Rather, you should be happy that you're able to craft your message into something that's deliverable.
Next, know your target audience. If they're serious bird watchers, do they really want to hear you re-hash the Roadrunner cartoons you saw as a kid? You need to give them the info they're looking for – maybe info they didn't even know they wanted.
Don't be afraid to place a call to action in there. Tell them to visit your web site for more information, or to pick up the phone and call now.
And then there's distribution. Make sure your podcast appears somewhere that a lot of people are going to trip over it, like iTunes.
Most importantly, you want to have enough professionalism that people know you're serious about what you're doing, but you still want to avoid the ultra-slick media look. You want people to know you're sharing because of your passion!