I am a huge fan of podcasts. I enjoy listening to them in the car, while I do chores around the house, and most of all, while I run. For me, podcasts provide the experience of someone telling me a story or eavesdropping on the conversation of two (or more) fascinating people. I still enjoy reading books, magazines, and blog posts, but because podcasts are more versatile (you can listen to them anywhere!) I find that I have more time for them.
Though I’ve been a consumer of podcasts, I never really thought of creating one. Writing is my first love, and while I enjoy being interviewed for other people’s podcasts, I never considered creating one of my own. The production side was a bit daunting to me; plus, there are SO MANY podcasts already out there. What more would I have to add?
But a recent conversation had me thinking differently. I was speaking with an author friend about the traditional publishing process: first there’s a hardcover edition, then about a year later, they release the paperback version.
“People are going to read in the format they want to read in, regardless of when the book is released,” he remarked. “Why won’t publishers just release everything all at once and let people decide?”
Obviously there are reasons behind the publishers’ decision (hardcovers are more expensive with a higher profit margin, so there’s a fear people will just opt for the cheaper edition and it will negatively impact profits), but it raises an important question: If your content isn’t available in the format people prefer, will people buy it anyway? Or will they just wait until it’s available in their preferred format?
Wheels turning, I posted a poll in one of my Facebook groups: What is your preferred method of consuming content: blog posts, podcasts, or vlogs? The resounding winner: podcasts.
If you’re reading this, you obviously enjoy reading blog posts, but I suspect there are many more out there who don’t. They won’t read any of my posts because they can’t watch them on YouTube or listen to them on their morning run.
That’s about to change.
Introducing the Branding Outside the Box podcast:
Now, nearly all the blog posts will have a podcast component, empowering you to consume our content the way you want. Don’t have time to read this week’s post? Subscribe on iTunes or SoundCloud and listen to it on your way to work. It will be the same content, just a different format.
In the future, there’s a possibility of expanding to include interviews and a longer format, but for now, each piece will be short and concise, just like the blog posts. You’ll have the option to read with your eyes or your ears.
If you like what you hear, I encourage you to subscribe and leave a review on iTunes. It’s the most effective way to ensure people are discovering the podcast. And if there are particular topics you’d like me to address, don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments section here!
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