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Common Questions about Podcasting for BusinessI’ve been involved in podcasting for businesses and organizations for over 5 years, and I’ve talked to a lot of people about the medium. I have noticed over the years there have been common questions I get asked, so I am addressing them on Day 8 of my 31 Day Podcast Challenge. Is creating a podcast hard?The answer is no, podcasting isn’t very hard — but it is work, so be prepared to put in the time and effort to make a good one and create great content. There are over 1 million podcasts in Apple Podcasts, the default podcatcher, so you do have some competition. The technical side of podcasting has a very low barrier to entry (which may be why the number of podcasts increased dramatically during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic). The equipment and software are affordable and easy to use. One of the major challenges for podcasters used to be the technical know-how to make the recorded audio sound professional, with theme music, audio transitions, and more. That’s changing as there are now plenty of services that will handle sound engineering and sound design for a reasonable monthly fee, including us here at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. There is a lot of thought and planning that goes into any podcast for a business or organization, and that’s where the major effort and time comes in.  A well-planned podcast will engage the listeners.  Just remember, you should give podcasting for business the same time and attention you would give to any major content marketing effort, like your company blog, vlogs and social media planning. Otherwise, it will be hard to get the maximum return on your investment.   Can podcasting help my business or organization?The answer is yes, it can — especially if content marketing is already a major component of your overall marketing efforts.  Podcasts reach people at times and places that other forms of media just can’t, like when people are driving, or exercising, or working in the yard. Podcasts engage the listener in what we like to call “lean-in moments.” Where you have the listener “leaning into” content, blocking out everything else around them. Those are great times they could be listening to your podcast, learning more about you, and hearing your story.  How long should the podcast be, and often should I publish the podcast?There are no requirements for the length or frequency of a podcast. As long as you focus on delivering content your audience wants and needs, you can make a five-minute daily briefing, a weekly half-hour update, an hour-long monthly update, or anything in between and beyond. No clocks, just content. Podcasting is a rapidly growing medium, so to efficiently reach your customers, members, or stakeholders, podcasting for business or organizations, podcasting is now a staple to marketing mixes, just like blogs and video.   Should My Business/My Organization have a podcast? The answer is, maybe — the variables include who is your audience, how does creating content fit into your time, and your commitment. When you choose to start podcasting, you’re creating a product for an audience, so it has to be something your audience will love. Treat your business podcast professionally. Start by defining your goals and objectives, to be certain you and everyone on your staff, including the marketing department or advertising agency, understand why you are podcasting, who your audience is, and what you hope they will get from the content you are putting time into creating.  Establish metrics that you can measure so you know the podcast is accomplishing what you intended. But be realistic. As with any content creation, this takes time to build. Your metrics should be yours — never judge your podcast by how many downloads, listens, or likes another podcast gets. That’s where a good podcast consultant can give you better insight on how your podcast is doing. We at...