Podcasts are no longer niche. They are no longer for nerds (mostly). And they can be an excellent route to getting your message out to an audience.
For years I’ve trained spokespeople to give broadcast interviews or print interviews but podcasts are the new route to coverage.
My shorthand way of distinguishing between print and broadcast was that radio and TV were mostly a sprint, and newspaper interviews were a marathon.
The broadcast interview sprint often came at you in a rush, with little notice. The good news was that your words were used as you said them and it was over quickly.
The bad news about the print marathon was the journalist could take as long as they wanted. They could ask you the same thing in a hundred different ways. But the good thing was that you could usually get your message across more comprehensively. And you weren’t live in front of 6.8m people at 6.30am with bed hair (see above)).
Now there is a medium that does the good parts of both broadcast and print and is becoming more and more popular.
Podcasts let your character shine, let you use your own words, but in a longer, conversational format that gives you (and your messages) room to breathe.
Podcasts are booming. In the UK, according to Ofcom, nearly 6m adults tuned into at least one podcast each week.
Nearly everyone who tunes into podcasts also tunes into radio, according to RAJAR figures*, and most broadcasters have added podcasts to their output.
This means that being invited onto – or seeking out invitations onto – news, current affairs, scientific, medical or other subject matter podcasts can be a great move.
What three things do you need to know about podcasts?
1 – Most podcasts are quite specific, about a set subject, issue or topic, with a regular audience. Audiences feel part of a community and are usually far better informed about the subject than a radio audience.
2 – Most podcast episodes pose a particular question, or focus on a particular facet of their core subject. They then have a conversation about it that can last 20 minutes or 45 minutes or even more.
3 – A lot of podcast hosts have a stronger familiarity and relationship with their audience than radio hosts. They often treat the podcast like their own living room. They may surprise you with how conversational, and personal, their approach may be.
What three things do you need to do if you’re going to be on a podcast?
1 – Do your research!
Listen to as many editions of the podcast as you can. What format do they use, what guests do they choose, how do they treat them, how much time do they get? Then quiz the podcast’s producer or researcher about what they expect from you.
2 – Prepare what you want to say
For any media appearance you should work out what your objective is, what three key messages will help you achieve that objective, then the facts and anecdotes that give those key messages meat. (Remember also podcasts often want your STORY, not just your messages).
3 – Pre-empt their questions
Sit down and work out what they will ask, what they might ask, what you’d ask if it was you. Do the nice and the nasty questions. Then work out your answers. Next rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. (Don’t worry, this will never sound forced or rehearsed on the pod, it’s just about getting those key phrases into your head as muscle memory).
And if you’ve got the time, get in touch. I can media train you or run a messaging workshop to make sure you make the absolute most of the opportunity podcasts present.
*Radio Joint Audience Research