Yes, it is possible to write a tightly crafted script for a podcast. I’d like to encourage you NOT to do this, but I know that in some situations, circumstances require a script. For example, in a few organizations, every word uttered must be approved, so it’s deemed easier to get permission before recording rather than after.

Why do I discourage scripting and then reading a podcast? First, most people are pretty lousy script readers. (I wrote a post about how to read a script aloud here. You might find some useful pointers in it. Check out the comments, too.)

Secondly, I think that the best podcasts sound conversational rather than scripted. If you can “fake” a conversational tone, you might do OK with a script. (This entails inserting the occasional pause, um, ah and even a flub or two. You should also vary the speed of your read. Do you think I’m disingenuous recommending this tactic? Welcome to the real world.)

Please don’t take a written document (which is crafted for the eye) and just read it. I can almost guarantee that this won’t work. You need something written for the ear.

I recommend LIGHTLY scripting when a script is called for. Start with jotting down the goal of this particular podcast episode. What are you trying to accomplish? Explaining the new dental benefit to employees? Rallying the troops for next quarter’s sales campaign? Getting customers excited about your company’s latest gadget?

After acknowledging your goal, you can write down a short outline, much as you would for a presentation.

Keep in mind that your listeners don’t have visual cues in front of them, so try to use devices such as numbered lists: “Let’s talk about the three ways to…”

Use the active voice when never possible and keep sentences short.

Be sure to add transitions between your points, and a recap at the end, using your numbered list as a structure.

What tips would you add?

Focusing on technology
Hey, you have a condenser microphone and a copy of Adobe Audition. That’s wonderful. But what is your podcast about, why are you doing it and who is your intended audience? Have you planned your first six to 10 episodes? Don’t start recording until you understand what your podcast is all about (unless you just want to play around as a learning experience).

Email the MP3 file to everyone you know
Ok, this business about RSS and iTunes is admittedly a little confusing. But please figure it out before you start podcasting. YES, you can certainly email a LINK to your podcast to clients, associates, friends and so on, but make sure that your podcast actually lives somewhere where there is at least an RSS feed! Why? Because the beauty of podcasting is both its portability and its serial nature, which are enhanced by your file being received by people who want it – without them having to remember to go somewhere to get it.

Don’t bother learning how to use a microphone
Some people say, “I paid 200 bucks for this mic, so of course my podcast will sound great!” Yes, with an expensive microphone you certainly have the potential to produce a podcast with lovely sound. But do you know how to USE the mic? Have you practiced? Have you found the sweet spot? Unless you want to assault your listeners’ ears, take the time to learn how to use your equipment. I’ve seen people sit six feet away from the mic and I’ve seen others get so close they look like they’re eating a popsicle. Find what works for you.

Don’t consider your listeners’ needs
“Our content will be so compelling that our listeners won’t care if we don’t make it easy to listen to us. After all, it’s not like there are lots of other podcasts out there, right?” Some successful podcasters sit down and record in one take with no edits.  They have a rare talent that most of us don’t possess. At the very least, if you’re to going to edit your audio at all, please even out the sound so that people can hear you. If there are two or more people talking, make sure they’re all at the same volume. The Levelator is a terrific tool for this. And it’s free.

Forget about shownotes
Yes, they can be a pain. But there are two very valid reasons for producing shownotes:
1. They make it easy for your audience to know what your show is about before they listen, and to find content after they’ve listened, especially if they’ve been at the gym or on a bus, away from their computer.
2. They make your podcast visible to Google and other search engines.

When I look at my pod stats, it’s apparent that most of the people who listen during the first couple of weeks after a podcast episode is published are regular subscribers. But then for months later – forever really – people are discovering the podcast by searching for certain terms. Without the shownotes, how would they find the podcast? They wouldn’t.

(Based on episode 71 of the Trafcom News Podcast, February 2008.)

Ask and you shall receive. Several blog readers have requested this Webinar, so here we go…

In this free Web-based seminar you’ll learn what podcasting is all about, including: how organizations are using podcasts for internal and external communications; how to create a podcast using free and low-cost equipment and software; and how to sell the concept of podcasting to management.

You need just a computer and an Internet connection to attend this 45-minute session at 2 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, August 25, 2010. Just send an email to receive the login instructions.

Please note: Seats are limited, so don’t delay.

As someone who has been producing audio since 2003, I consider podcasts part of my natural way to communicate. When people ask me about the value of adding audio to the communications mix, I start with these 12 benefits of podcasting:

1.    Establish your organization’s leaders as experts in their niche.
2.    Help to deliver the CEO’s message to employees using the warmth of the human voice in addition to traditional text channels.
3.    Create a “radio show” to educate customers and prospects.
4.    Add life to case studies by producing audio interviews with your staff and customers.
5.    Showcase the work of your nonprofit organization and its people by interviewing those who benefit from the work you do.
6.    Build buzz before a trade show by highlighting the work of key speakers and influencers.
7.    Capture the excitement of your company’s conference or sales meeting for the benefit of those not in attendance.
8.    Give your employees an audio version of the company news as an adjunct to the newsletter; they can listen while commuting or at the gym.
9.    Bolster your training efforts by adding an audio component; some people learn best while listening.
10.    Customers and prospects can easily subscribe to your podcast; this means that they are asking you for more content!
11.    Podcasting is relatively inexpensive; you can start with free tools.
12.    Podcasting can be fun and rewarding when done right.

What would you add to this list?

There was a time when printed brochures, news releases and ads in trade publications were the main tools we used to promote events. Now, in addition to these traditional media, along with Web sites and email, we can add social media to the marketing mix.

Increasingly, organizations are using blogs, podcasts, Twitter and Facebook to publicize an event, and then keep the conversation going during and afterward. In some cases, organizers succeed at creating a community that thrives long after the conference or trade show is over.

Let’s take a quick look at some of these tools.

Blogs
Think of a blog as a publishing platform. They’re no longer considered “online diaries.” Use your blog to publish content that builds excitement about the event by showcasing some of the key speakers and sponsors. Encourage questions and comments on the blog.

Twitter
As a micro-blogging platform, Twitter can work nicely with your blog, allowing you to publish 140-character bursts of information. Many event organizers create a hashtag in advance, so that everyone on Twitter who is talking about the event uses common terminology. For example, the popular South by Southwest conference is #sxsw.

Podcasts
I’ve worked with many clients who’ve used podcast interviews before and during their conferences, with great results. At Autodesk University, for example, we ran in-depth interviews with organizers, speakers and other experts before the event, to build interest. During the conference, we conducted more interviews and also grabbed quick sound bites with attendees. These were used as part of the marketing campaign to promote the event during the following year.

Video
If your story has a visual element, then use video. Keep them short, though, because editing time will eat up much of your budget otherwise.

Facebook
Have you thought of using a Fan page or Group on Facebook to drum up interest in your event? We’ll be covering these in more detail in future blog posts. There are differences between the two that you need to be aware of.

Ning
One of my clients recently used Ning to set up a community for attendees, so that they could congregate in a private online area before the event, and then keep the relationship going afterward. A group like Ning also provides a safe place for people to try out their social networking skills, rather than out in the wider world.

LinkedIn
Don’t forget about LinkedIn, which you can also use to promote your events. You can also post articles to stimulate discussions.

What are some of your favourite social media tools to promote events?

I recently wrote about HOW to make your meeting or conference social-media friendly. A commenter then asked for more information about WHY you would want to do so.

I have covered the “why” elsewhere in my PodcastYourConference site and in various presentations and Webinars, but here is a quick list of the reasons why you should consider incorporating social media into your event planning.

• Running an event blog, or blogging about the event on your regular blog, will help to publicize the event among potential registrants.
• Tweeting about the event can do the same. In fact, Twitter, which encourages re-tweeting, may help your message spread even more quickly than will your blog. Of course your content has to be interesting. You can’t keep rebroadcasting the same “Hey we’re having an event” message.
• Ditto with building your presence on Facebook or any other venue where your audience gathers online.
• Pre-event podcast interviews with key speakers offer potential attendees, exhibitors and sponsors a glimpse of what they might be experiencing in your event’s keynote presentation, workshops, breakouts or other sessions. You’d be amazed at how much interest you can generate with a 10-minute audio podcast.
• Suppose you’re running an annual event, and your members, employees or customers are traveling from all over the world to be there. Do you think this is an opportune time to capture audio and video conversations, presentations, event feedback and so on? In my humble opinion, YES! The cost of recording, editing and publishing this content is likely to pale in comparison to your total event budget. USE this content now and in the future. Repurpose it. Repackage it. Make the most of it!
• If you take a few minutes to create an event hashtag (such as #iabc09), you make life easier for those who are blogging and tweeting about you. You also simplify your own tracking of the conversations about your event. Do you care what people are saying before, during and after your event? You should. This feedback is real and unvarnished, and can help you to organize even better meetings in the future.

Social media can help you to create buzz, boost registration numbers, foster a sense of community among attendees, entice exhibitors, and create relevant content for your Web site and marketing efforts.

Remember: Conversations about your organization and your event are happening, whether you’re listening to them or not. Be a part of them. Doing nothing is not a viable tactic.

Over the course of a typical year, I  attend several conferences, speak at a couple, and participate in others on behalf of clients – producing content, particularly podcasts. Since I’ve been in this arena for a few years, I’ve come to observe organizations that “get it” when it comes to employing social media and new media tools before, during and after an event. This “social-media friendly” list is by no means exhaustive, but it can serve as food for thought when you’re planning your next conference.

• Is there an event blog and podcast? Have you produced audio and video content before the event, to build excitement? Do these include interviews with key speakers?
• Are you as the organizer posting updates on Twitter before, during and after the event? Are you encouraging registrants to do so as well?
• Are you creating audio podcasts and shooting video at your event? This can enhance the experience of those who are at the event, and help you to create marketing materials for next time.
• Have you considered using a tool like CoverItLive to encourage live blogging?
• Did you create a unique hashtag so that bloggers and Twitterers can use a uniform tag to refer to your event?
• Does the venue have strong, freely available wifi?
• Are there electrical outlets where attendees can recharge their laptops and other devices?

Please contribute your own comments!

Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 2 p.m. Eastern.

Sign up for this free Web-based seminar to learn what podcasting is all about, including: how to find podcasts relevant to your interests; how organizations are using audio for internal and external communications; how to create a podcast; how to sell the concept of podcasting to management.

You need just a computer and an Internet connection to attend this free 45-minute session. It’s at 2 p.m. Eastern on Thursday,  November 19 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. Just send an email to receive the login instructions.

I’m looking forward to be presenting this Webinar again: How to use new media tools to make the most of your event. This online seminar is designed to answer many of your questions about conference podcasting, event promotion/marketing and so on. It’s designed for people who organize not only big conferences, but all-employee meetings, sales meetings and customer events too.

Over the past few years, I’ve heard this lament many times: “We really want to produce podcasts for our upcoming conference, but our IT Department says they won’t support us. What should we do?”

In a former life, I was a systems analyst, so I’m familiar with some of the workings behind the sometimes-mysterious doors of the IT world. There may be good reasons for not supporting your organization’s multimedia efforts, but I haven’t heard a valid one yet. As my friend Shel Holtz has noted (and I’m paraphrasing): “Has anyone ever said that we don’t have enough paper to print the company newsletter?” Of course not.

Let’s suppose that your IT Department won’t offer technical support for podcasting. Well, that’s OK, because your IT people probably aren’t podcasting experts in the first place. You can hire help or learn to do it yourself.

What if the IT gurus tell you that there isn’t one megabyte of storage space available to you. Here are some suggestions:

• Host your audio or video files externally.
• Build a microsite on WordPress for all the information and multimedia content about your conference. Link to this microsite from your organization’s main site.

Problems solved.

Have you run into roadblocks from the IT people? Please share your experiences in the comments section.