How to use podcasting to connect with your clients, it’s easier than you think

by Elaine Slatter

We are overwhelmed with information.  Sometimes we are tired of reading and viewing and we just want to listen to sound.  One advantage of sound is all we need to do is plug in our headset and listen while we are busy completing other tasks.  Sound is completely portable.  You can listen while in your car, jogging, walking the kids to school or at the gym.  Your business could take advantage of snapping up the audio space by podcasting.

Did you know that there are at least 24 women whose podcasts are extremely popular as rated by Entrepreneur Magazine?    They cover all kinds of topics from wellness to tech, finance, and interviews with women CEO’s.  Why not check them out here?

You may not be a household name like these 24 women, but you can engage a new audience and build your credibility factor by podcasting, especially if you like talking versus writing or appearing on camera.

How to get started with podcasting?

You don’t have to spend a ton of money on equipment at the beginning, especially if podcasting isn’t your main income stream.

Here are the basics for your setup:

1)  A good microphone

2)  A POP filter (for the ‘P’ and ‘B’ sounds so you don’t get the ‘pop’ sound!)

3)  A headset

4)  A Skype account

5) Recording software

6) A podcasting hosting account such as Soundcloud

Eventually, you might need audio editing equipment, but to start with, don’t invest time and energy in this area for basic podcasting.  You can get excellent audio editing and audio mixing from freelancers on Fiverr.   I found an excellent contractor whose service was impeccable.  For a complete equipment setup,  check out this list.

What kinds of podcasting could you try?

1) One of the easiest ways to get started is by interviewing people.  Before you become the interviewer, why not be a guest on a podcasting interview show to get your feet wet?

2) Next, find interesting topics and speakers your audience would like to learn from and interview them (this is where Skype comes in).   I was recently interviewed on a podcast about entrepreneurship by Tracy J on Power Xtra Radio for her show called “Something for the Weekend”.   She was in the studio in London, UK, and I was on Skype.   Although there was a difference in the audio levels between the two of us, this was fixed by the great freelancer on Fiverr, so the sound was equalized.

3) One of my entrepreneur techie friends, Stacy Maynard, has partnered with  Javed Khan from Empression Marketing.   Their podcast reviews technology and the engagement comes from the lively exchange between them (His Way or Her Way)  as they often have opposing views.  You can listen to their podcasts on Soundcloud or i-Tunes. Here is their podcast on the 2017 social media trends.

4)  Teach classes via podcasting, supplementing with downloadable worksheets, e-books etc. via your website.

Understanding Soundcloud

If you are going to produce a series of podcasts, they have to live somewhere.    Recorded audio files can be stored on Soundcloud. It is the audio version of YouTube.   You create your own channel with your own branding and gain your own followers.   This is where you upload your MP3 files.   You can then link to these media files from your website page or blog through the embed code on Soundcloud.

Soundcloud has an i-Tunes app and is available in the Google Play store, too.  Your podcasts can stream for mobile under a subscription service that you can monetize.

Or individual instructional podcasts can be sold directly from your website, just like ebooks.  You may have to increase the bandwidth of your ISP (Internet Service Provider) if you want to store your MP3 files on your website in your media files.

Why not try podcasting as part of your social media strategy for 2017?

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Elaine Slatter is a Small Business Expert, founder of  XL Consulting Group and author of the popular book, “Fabulous Fempreneurship”, a complete business guide for women.  XL Consulting Group helps entrepreneurs with market planning, strategy, branding, web design and social media. She has over 30 years of executive business and marketing experience and is ready to help you rocket your business to success.  Elaine is passionate about mentoring women to become successful women entrepreneurs.   To find out more, visit XL Consulting Group or join the Fabulous Fempreneurship mastermind.

You can connect with Elaine on social media at:  Facebook Group | Twitter | Facebook

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Elaine Slatter

Elaine Slatter is a Small Business Expert, founder of XL Consulting Group and author of the popular book, “Fabulous Fempreneurship”, a complete business guide for women. XL Consulting Group helps entrepreneurs with market planning, strategy, branding, web design and social media. She has over 30 years of executive business and marketing experience and is ready to help you rocket your business to success. Elaine is passionate about mentoring women to become successful women entrepreneurs. To find out more, visit XL Consulting Group or join the Fabulous Fempreneurship mastermind.