James Marriott is a podcast consultant and also the force – and voice – behind Steel City Business, a podcast focusing on the business scene in Sheffield, highlighting all the good stuff that’s going on from the sole traders to start-ups to the big brands working globally.
Ahead of the launch of the second season of the show, James shares his top tips for podcasting with unLTD.
There’s never been a better time to launch a podcast.
Pop on Facebook and it won’t be long before you see someone posting a list of a band they’ve seen live starting with every letter of the alphabet. Twitter’s the same. Even LinkedIn.
People have more time on their hands right now, and they want content. Lots of it.
Make a connection with a listener now – in these strange, unusual times – and they’ll still be with you when we come out the other side of this crisis.
Think about your social media, or your e-newsletter. Ultimately, they’re about delivering a message to an audience.
And yet neither utilise your most influential tool – your voice. That’s the power of podcasting. It’s your words, exactly as you say them. No character limit, no filter or cookie consent and best of all they’ve actually chosen to listen to your message.
Habits are changing right now. We are generally creatures of routine, but the ‘norm’ has gone out of the window. Everyone is suddenly open to a whole new ‘norm’. You have an opportunity to be part of that.
Podcasting is social-distancing proof, and at a time where many people feel isolated, it’s a personal, one-to-one medium which is available to everyone. Podcasts are free to listen to, with no expensive hardware required. They fit perfectly into this new ‘norm’ and will continue to do so, whatever happens next.
It is pretty easy to start, but getting it RIGHT from the start is a challenge so here are my top tips:
Content is very much king
Don’t make a half-hour advert. Your audience needs to get something out of listening – people consume content because it’s useful, it answers a question, or it’s entertaining.
Come up with the right idea
What other shows already exist in the same space as you? How do you make yours stand out? What makes it unique or better than others?
Know what you want to achieve – and ask for help
If you know what you want out of doing a podcast, it’ll help you find the right format. One of my most popular offerings is strategic consultations where we start with a blank page and work out exactly what format is right – making sure it meets your aims.
Long or short form are both great
An effective podcast doesn’t have to be long and detailed – Land Rover’s Discovery Adventures had its longest episode clocking in at just 17 minutes.
Listeners know not everyone has a studio in their house. Many podcasts sound different right now, as hosts record them at home on their laptops so you don’t need to invest in expensive equipment.
Get the idea right and you have an amazing tool which will see you through these hard times – and far beyond!
If you’d like to book in a free call to discuss how podcasting could help your business right now, contact me via email james@jae.media.
The first season of Steel City Business is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, other podcast apps and at steelcitybusiness.com and the show is on Twitter @SteelCityBiz.
Top pod picks:
Jamie Veitch – Business Live
Business Live is a weekly show for the curious entrepreneur and social entrepreneur. Every Friday, host Jamie Veitch interviews business leaders for this FM radio programme on Sheffield Live with episodes then available as a podcast through all major podcast platforms.
Listen for strategic advice and inspiration with a brilliant array of fascinating guests. Hear how interviewees overcame their biggest business challenges and get practical tips to help your business thrive.
Several thousand people listen to the show every Friday morning and hundreds download the podcast afterwards. The programme has become a staple of the business and social enterprise community in Sheffield and beyond, with nearly 300 episodes broadcast so far featuring many diverse Sheffield business leaders, plus nationally known figures.
Recent guest companies have included Jiraffe, Twinkl, CC33 and The Source Skills Academy – check out the podcasts of the last 80 episodes in all popular podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or your favourite podcast app.
Just search for “Business Live: Jamie Veitch’s Sheffield Live radio show.” And
do contact Jamie to suggest or put yourself forward as a guest for the programme jamie@veitch.org.uk.
Helen Williams
A real-lifeaccount of what it takes combined with coaching strategy aimed at business owners, start-upsand entrepreneurs, run by Helping Entrepreneurs Win (HEW).
As part of the show there are guest interviews discussing motivating factors, highs, lows and general tips for success and sometimes even survival based on the interviewees’own experiences in the business and entrepreneurial space.
Why Podcasting?
Utilising a variety of content and media outlets allows any business to cater for a wider reach of audience as possible. Not everyone consumes information, entertainment or learning in the same way or at the same time. You build a library of content that is there for personal consumption at a time convenient for the listener. Podcasting is a vital part of the marketing mix for us here at HEW.
Available on all podcast platforms on Apple and Android devices. Visit our website or social media channels for direct links to download and subscribe.
www.helpingentrepreneruswin.com
Andy Hanselman – Andy’s 3D ideas
Andy’s 3D iDeas looks at the insights into ‘demonstrably different’ businesses, people and ideas.
The monthly lessons are on creativity, culture, competitiveness and customer service for entrepreneurs, business leaders and forward thinking people to help improve the way they lead and differentiate their business.
To download and subscribe visit: https://bit.ly/2VRjACJ
