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Top Five Myths about Corporate Podcasting

Perhaps you’ve downloaded podcasts from IBM, General Motors or Whirlpool, and you’ve wondered if your organization should join the podcast parade.

Before you even contemplate picking up a microphone, it’s important to look at your overall communications strategy and determine whether there’s a place for downloadable audio in the mix. Are some of your communications needs not being met through traditional channels? You may also want to examine some myths about podcasting in the corporate environment:

Myth No. 1: We all need iPods, right?

Wrong. Despite the name, you don’t need an iPod to make a podcast or even to listen to one. You can listen to a podcast on your desktop computer (as long as you have speakers) or any MP3 player. To create a podcast, you need (at a minimum) a microphone and editing software.

Myth No. 2: I’m not Ted Baxter; I don’t have a good voice.

Believe me, no one wants to listen to you if you sound like Ted Baxter! (In case you’re too young to know, Ted Baxter was the pompous news anchor on The Mary Tyler Moore Show who loved the sound of his own baritone voice.) Podcast listeners want to hear real voices from real people, not slick Ted Baxter wannabes. So, don’t worry if you don’t sound like a newscaster. Be yourself. If you truly think your voice is a problem (perhaps you talk too fast or have a heavy accent), hire someone to coach you on your delivery.

Myth No. 3: We don’t need a podcast because we have a newsletter.

I’m the first person to stick up for newsletters; I write them all the time. However, there’s no substitute for the power of the human voice. A podcast will not and should not replace all your printed or online communications, but it can be a great addition. Customers and employees are inundated with paper, online newsletters and Web copy to read; your company can cut through the clutter with a podcast. Remember, too, that some people are auditory learners, who prefer listening to reading. I’ll bet if your workforce is made up of people under 30, many of them would prefer spending 10 minutes listening to something, rather than 10 minutes reading. Ask them.

Myth No. 4: It will take too much time.

It’s true that a 20-minute podcast with background music, sound effects, fade-ins and fade-outs and multiple audio files blended together will take time to produce. But what if you want to create a simple podcast, say, a five-minute pep talk to the sales force? I guarantee it will be easier and speedier to record than to write it, edit it, have it formatted, perhaps printed, distributed and so on.

Myth No. 5: A podcast is just one-way communication.

It’s true that you can’t enjoy an immediate two-way conversation with your podcast audience, but they will talk back. You just have to wait for the email.

Happy podcasting!

© 2005 Donna Papacosta.