Podcasts: Should Your Organization be Recording?

Does your organization use podcasting as a way to reach your current and potential members? If not, it should! For those unfamiliar with podcasting, a podcast is an audio program that can be downloaded to a device like your phone, tablet, or mp3 player. Just like associations, there is a podcast for everything. Interested in knitting? There are at least 30 different podcasts that cover that subject. If you’re interested in politics, your options increase into the thousands. Podcasts are a phenomenal place to find entertainment and education.

Who listens?

In early September, the Interactive Advertising Bureau released a study on podcast advertising conducted with the help of Edison Research and Westwood One. According to Westwood One’s The State of American Podcasting, which uses data from the survey, the average age of the typical podcaster is under 34. Two-thirds of all podcast listeners are between the ages 13 and 34.  Twenty five percent of people between the ages of 12-24 reported having listened to a podcast in the last month.

I’m sure many of you are thinking, but my membership is older than this… yes, that might be true. But what has been the crying call of nonprofits for the last 5-10 years? Fear of millennials not joining.  I argue this is a great new way to reach them!

How does your organization benefit?

Podcasts are a great way to reach new demographics and markets. Help reach the younger members of your community and people who are not yet aware that they should be part of your community. Podcasts are also great ways to be seen as thought leaders and content creators.

How do you create a podcast?  

I highly suggest reading How to Start Your Own Podcast by Lifehacker or How To Make A Podcast by Buzzsprout.

Is creating a podcast expensive?

There are certain things you absolutely need for starting a podcast, such as editing software and microphones, which can have higher costs attributed to them. You should also account for staff time, which includes researching content, recording, and editing.

A great way to offset the costs is through advertising or by seeking out sponsorships. Think about whom in your community would want a chance to reach your members in a new and innovative way. The Interactive Advertising Bureau’s report on the previously mentioned survey concludes “that nearly two-thirds (65%) of fans are more willing to consider purchasing products and services they learn about during a podcast. Sixty percent also state that, given equal price and quality, they prefer to buy products from companies that advertise on their favorite podcasts.”

Podcasts are a great way for your organization to get out in front of your community in new and exciting ways. If you are not yet ready to make the leap to creating your own podcast, I highly recommend researching some nonprofit podcast to use as tools and resources.

Below are a few of my favorite nonprofit/industry related podcasts:

They can be found by searching in your favorite podcast library or at the links below.

 Nonprofit Ally Podcast: http://nonprofitally.com/podcast

1. Nonprofit leaders network: https://nonprofitleadersnetwork.com/podcasts-blog/
2. Nonprofit tech podcast
3. Nonprofit wizards podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/nonprofit-wizards-podcast/id974093583?mt=2
4. PCMA Convene Podcast Series: http://www.pcmaconvene.org/category/podcast/
5. Tony Martignetti Nonprofit Radio: http://tonymartignetti.com/category/tony-martignetti-nonprofit-radio/
6. Chambers who podcast:
   1. Arizona Originals (Arizona Chamber of Commerce)
   2. Cbuzz (Columbus (OH) Chamber of Commerce)
   3. Chamber Chat Widecast (Peoria Chamber of Commerce)
   4. Member Spotlight with Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce

Personal podcast suggestions:

Because all podcast lovers enjoy seeing what others are listening to, below are some of my favorite non- nonprofit podcasts.

1. NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour http://www.npr.org/podcasts/510282/pop-culture-happy-hour
2. Panoply’s Culture Gabfest http://www.panoply.fm/shows
3. The West Wing Weekly http://thewestwingweekly.com/index/
4. NPR’s This American Life http://www.thisamericanlife.org/podcast
5. FiveThirtyEight Elections http://fivethirtyeight.com/tag/elections-podcast/
6. Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History (cannot seem to find an online host outside of podcast library)
7. NPR’s Code Switch https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=1112190608

Feel free to leave your suggestions for nonprofit and others in the comment section!

Resources:

http://www.slideshare.net/westwoodone/state-of-american-podcasting

http://lifehacker.com/how-to-start-your-own-podcast-1709798447

https://www.buzzsprout.com/how-to-make-a-podcast

http://www.edisonresearch.com/iab-edison-research-podcast-advertising-study-2016/