To be an effective podcaster, remember the four C's. Your broadcasts must be Concise, Chatty, Clear and Consistent.
Concise:
Each podcast should have a clear focus. Pick one point you want to
concentrate on and select your material to support and illustrate that point. It is
better to offer several short, clearly focused podcasts than one, long, rambling,
self-indulgent diatribe.
Chatty:
Make your material engaging. That might be difficult, especially if you're
talking about estate planning or tax avoidance strategies but it's necessary. Use
real life examples and simple language to communicate your points. Listeners will
tune out jargon, dry statistics and 'academic-speak'.
Clear:
Once upon a time, politicians and thespians used to train by speaking with a
mouth full of pebbles. The thought was that if one could make oneself understood
even under those circumstances, clear speech would present no problem if one were
unimpeded.
I'm not recommending you start putting rocks in your mouth. However, make an effort to speak clearly. Listeners won't value what they can't understand.
Consistent:
You can podcast monthly. You can podcast weekly. You can even -- if
you're brave and have the time -- podcast daily.
It doesn't really matter as long as you pick a schedule and stick to it. Blow off your listeners at your peril. If there's no material when they expect it, they won't come looking twice.
Once you have your podcast up and running, remember that you have to promote it. Link to it from your Web site, add info about your podcast to your signature files and include a mention in your print advertising.
People won't listen if they don't know the podcast exists!
Written by Susan A. Friedmann, CSP, The Trade Show Coach, Lake Placid, NY, author: "Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies," working with companies to improve their meeting and event success through coaching, consulting and training. Visit The Trade Show Coach for a free copy of 10 Common Mistakes Exhibitors Make.