Why you should make your great Podcast content available to Radio.

It may seem counter intuitive to some, yet if you’re aim is to grow your podcast audience I would argue that getting it into or onto traditional media sources may prove a wise investment in your time.

There are 216 community radio stations in the UK, and tons of community stations in the US. The UK is starting to grow a small community TV network and again many in the US. In the main community volunteers, college grads and alumina staff these stations. They need content, always.

If you could engage with audiences in this sector you could direct people to your podcast.

In a Crunch Network article about the future of Podcasting Parviz Parvizi, David Silverman discuss the potential growth of Podcast medium and they make the point that Serial was able to ride on the back of This American Life’s traditional broadcast platform of Radio. This led to scores of listeners from traditional media moving over to Podcast.

As the media strategist Mark Ramsey puts it “Few have a launch platform as powerful as This American Life. . . . [Serial] hijacked the attention, time, and listening of public radio fans and moved a portion of it off public radio per se.”

The power of radio has often been word of mouth – in fact word of mouth continues to be the most powerful selling tool known to man. If someone says ‘they are great, I had a really good experience’ – you know that trust has been initiated.

Radio continues to be the trusted medium, more so than newspaper, TV and online. In the past in times of disaster or emergency people would often turn to radio first – because it is trusted and immediate. Today it goes Twitter, Radio, TV.

It’s a no brainer to me then that Podcasters should be talking to traditional media as well as social media to get their content aired.

However there is perhaps a moog point on what type of content a radio station would entertain. I’m not sure they’d go for the how to make money through a passive income lifestyle approach – they may?

As a radio programmer I may give it a punt though. I would definitely be interested in content that links to what is relatable to my audience for the given station. You could easily place gardening, celebrity interviews, and film reviews, sports reviews from Podcast to radio.

I’d also be interested in a good self-help wellness Podcasts perhaps like the Changeability Podcast. Actually Julian and Kathyrn would be superb on the radio they have great personality and are a good engaging listen.

Interestingly some have gone almost full time in radio which these days has little to do with their Podcast but it is definitely where it started. Helen Zeltzman and Olly Mann are a great example. Broadcast on radio as well as Podcast is now their profession having been heard first through the Answer Me This Podcast, which was recorded in Helen’s living room.

However that’s another point all together.

In summation you may need to adapt your audio content slightly, but by trying traditional media routes may also be a way of gaining some new listeners.

Notes

Check out Mark Ramsey’s (And Tom Asacker‘s) Media Unplugged Podcast.

Answer Me This Podcast is superb, very British and often very funny.  It takes an odd irreverent look at life and it’s lifeblood is its listeners, they bring the quirkiness.  Perhaps the most interactive show on the internet?

Changabilty Podcast.  Nominated for a UK Podcasters Award and quite rightly, these two are a good listen for a change of life affirming mental attitude.

Finding your Community Radio Station: To find a Community Radio Station in the UK try looking up the list at the Community Media Association.  media.info also lists every radio station in the UK with contact details.