What are the benefits and challenges of using podcasts as a social media platform?

I firmly believe that those who have niche experiences should share them with the world by creating and distributing their own content. Podcasts are a great way to do that because they communicate information digestibly for target audiences to be able to utilize and share. When executed effectively and consistently, podcasts can establish individuals as thought leaders within their field of expertise. From there, all kinds of opportunities can arise that wouldn’t have been possible simply by going through the motions and doing the work without documentation. This is why my good friend Rhyver White and I launched our podcast this month, Hear Us Out: The Music and Media Blueprint. We’re excited to see where this new frontier takes us!

Podcasts are uniquely human–and they invite the listener to be an expert for thirty minutes, an hour, however long the episode is. The audio format really invites people to sit in on a "masterclass," whatever the topic may be, in a way that many other mediums don't. You don't have to add your thoughts at the end, you don't necessarily have to like or subscribe if you don't want to. Podcasts ask for very little of their audience while offering so much information / new knowledge. In that way, they're one of the least invasive yet beneficial forms of social media.

Podcasting has changed my life. I don't say that lightly, I'm traveling the world as an expert. This is a dream come true and the fruition of 25 years of efforts. It's given me a community to express what my thoughts are and help influence people and companies in a positive way. I'm thankful to @linkedIn to supporting my podcast Sustainable Packaging in the new LinkedIn Podcast Academy!

I launched my own podcast in January called Passport to Thrive. I personally love podcasts, because it is a different way to connect to your audience at a different level. It can also bring in new people through your business.

As we're still in the infancy of the podcast age, the connection between the host/producers and the fan or the listener is closer. Fans and listeners can feel connected not just with the podcast alone but with the added effort of social media production. OnDemand content availability. There is no shortage or scarcity of shows to listen to. In other words, there is a show for everyone to listen to (or watch in video form).

Generally, podcasts are listened to while doing some other activity, like cleaning, cycling, working out etc. While it does require a lot of planning and research, I opine to save some production money dedicated to make it immersive as you practically do not have 100% attention and focus of the listener.

There is also not a need to always to reinvent the wheel, you can also repurpose video content into podcasts or when future planning making videos that are multi purposed and can be cut into different formats for different platforms.

One of the biggest challenges with podcasting is learning the technology part of it. It is definitely a learning process. Here are some of my favorite platforms that I use: - Riverside- to record - Audacity- to edit - Descript- to turn my video into text that I can use on a blog post/newsletter - Anchor- to host the podcast

Starting my podcast was a serious uphill battle and steep learning curve. The time commitment and the amount of new things needed to be successful were overwhelming at first. Editing software (Descript) and podcast distribution platform (Buzzsprout) took some time to learn, but are now relatively easy to use. Turns out this old dog can learn new tricks :)

One of the biggest challenges of podcasting related to consistency is maintaining a regular publishing schedule. Consistency is important for building and retaining an audience, as listeners will come to expect new episodes at a certain frequency. However, producing high-quality content on a consistent basis can be difficult, especially for independent podcasters who may have other commitments or limited resources. It can be challenging to balance the demands of podcasting with other aspects of life, such as work, family, or personal time.

The branding part is definitely a huge part of starting your podcast. This will also develop with time once you begin to feel more comfortable with recording. You need to think who you're trying to target and what you want your audience to say about you and how you want them to feel when they listen to your podcast.

Some ways to get started... Think about what you last got paid for? What was the reason they bought? Who do you want to help?

When you consolidate your ideas with you values and intention, you will be able to better understand your audience. You will craft a better podcast over time and authentically create. Like all creative works, creation is easier when you truly have passion for the topic, niche or guest. Perhaps you are a curious host and can bring the expert voices to a listening audience. The question is if you will be able to stick to one category over seasons or are multi-passionate and want to showcase more diverse ideas and themes. Set your intentions, work towards your goals be it for specific business gains or simply pure creation and include your audience.

I started because in a world that makes you feel not enough, not seen or heard. I created a space to share my voice, my story, and along the way inspired others to do so. To live their best life NOW! Do not start a podcast to make money, people can smell inauthenticity.

Creating a persona is so important not only on podcasts but also social media. Being consistent with your tone and personality is vital because you want your audience to feel like they know you and know what to expect from you and your content.

Your podcast "persona" helps if it is aligned with you as a genuine human being. What makes you tick, how do you share, what would you like to bring to the listeners earbuds. Social media allows you to show who you really are. There is also the mystique built on socials and this can also be true in podcasting. What I like about podcasting is that an audience gets to hear the voice of the creator and discern quickly if the "content" is worthy and authentic or more about painting a vision splendid. In this day and age of AI I think it is critically important to showcase your creative works authentically. This very notion of "persona" might be something for the AI article to amend. Perhaps we could call it style or tailored podcast?

As a new player in the podcast space, I always ask for feedback. A lot of my listeners are my friends or people that I know which allows me to ask them for feedback and I always tell them to be brutally honest. Constructive criticism is so important especially in the beginning when you're trying to figure out your system and your voice.