Internal Communication

The five golden rules of podcasting

In Melcrum’s new Special Report on How to get started with podcasting in your organization, author Lee Hopkins makes a strong case for why podcasts can be a valuable addition to the mix of internal comms channels. A primary reason for their attraction, he says, is the fact that they can be created simply and cheaply, with no need for in-depth technical knowledge or expensive equipment.

In the report he shares his five golden rules for those keen to get started with podcasting.

1. Understand the media. You do this by downloading and listening to lots of podcasts from all different genres – comedy, other business podcasts, music, chat, special interests and so on. Listen to the podcasts, see what you like in each one and what you don’t like, find out if there are some key elements that just work for you and you believe you can incorporate into your own podcast. Take lots of notes.
   
   
2. Create a script. Or at least a set of bullet points for yourself or the presenter, so that you/they don’t wander too far off the track when the microphone is on.
   
   
3. Use a template. By that I mean decide what your format will be (lighthearted articles read by the one person, a two or three person chat, special-interest focused recordings, etc.) and what standard items there will be in each podcast edition (for example, the same intro/outro music, the same way of introducing the podcast edition, the “layout” of the podcast – e.g. intro theme, welcome, item 1, item 2, comments, closing theme).
   
   
4. Edit and polish. You can always do a number of “takes” when recording, then edit out the ums, ahs, fumbles and mispronunciations later. You can also edit out over-long pauses to liven up an otherwise slow and boring interviewee. Don’t go overboard on your edits – you want to keep a natural feeling to your podcast and keep it from sounding too overproduced and slick – but equally don’t ruin great content by not wielding the editing mouse firmly but fairly.
   
   
5. Publish it. Create a publishing schedule for each edition so that listeners will come to unconsciously expect your podcast to appear in their MP3 player or on their computer. And tell the world about your new podcast. Splash it all over your intranet. If it’s for the “outside world” to hear then make sure every person in the company who has any interactions with customers, clients or people outside the company lets them know about the new podcast and how they can easily download and listen to it.