. o you run a podcast? If so, you might want to consider hiring a podcast virtual assistant.
Podcasting is fast becoming a business tool that bridges the divide between marketing and conversational loyalty-building. And in a marketplace where customers value authenticity , a podcast is one of the most amazing methods of gaining word-of-mouth referrals from listeners who discuss what you present.
The power of a podcast lies in its basic premise. You’re having a conversation with your audience. It’s designed to provoke thought or discussion. It’s a basic human need, and it’s enjoyable. Whether you’re talking to industry insiders, or simply creating entertainment and interest, podcasting is the ideal medium to use.
It’s pretty obvious, though, that although podcasting is simple in concept, putting a great podcast together requires a little bit of work and expertise.
The Elements of a Great Podcast
The best podcasts out there are the ones that seem natural and unforced. They’re almost spontaneous in nature. However, a great podcast doesn’t happen by accident. And that’s why you should consider the services of a podcast virtual assistant. Ensuring all the important boxes are checked.
If you want your podcast to be a success, there are certain elements you should focus on. We refer to these as the “5 P’s of Podcasting”:
Promotion
You need to create maximum visibility for your podcast to take off. That means doing everything you can to attract interest across different platforms:
- Announce or advertise your podcast on the home page of your website. Don’t make it a footnote or afterthought.
- Create intriguing content for social media. This will arouse curiosity and interest. And always include a call to action or subscriber link.
- Get mentions or reviews on media outlets. Approach local radio stations, fellow pod-casters and YouTubers. Basically anyone willing to point people your way.
- Adopt a strategic approach. Pick topics or guests that appeal to very specific target audiences. Then aim your marketing at the people most likely to be attracted to it.
Preparation
Benjamin Franklin famously said: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. And when it comes to podcasting, preparation is everything. You should have a standard operating procedure that ensures all those details are checked off as carefully as the countdown to a rocket launch:
- Topic and guest research. This is critically important, but it’s time-consuming. Having someone knowledgeable on board, like a podcast virtual assistant, can save you hundreds of hours. And it enables much better decision making.
- Guest communication and setup is vital. You’ll need to forward question lists, create and distribute the broadcast link, and obtain promotional images and a biography from your guest. A short test run is always a good idea, too.
- You should also plan for the inclusion of promotions. This includes giveaways and sponsor announcements. Needless to say, these take up a lot of time to arrange and set up, too.
- And, of course, part of your preparation includes marketing material. Not just prior to the podcast, but for post-broadcast soundbites and marketing campaigns.
Presentation
Having everything ready and functional on the day can be a stressful experience. No matter how many episodes you have under your belt. The little things are the big things!
- Video and audio quality checks are vitally important.
- Backgrounds, slides, quotes, and video inserts need to be cued and ready to play.
- Having a prompt or third-person listener is a great way to monitor quality in real time. Here, a podcast virtual assistant can also fulfill the role of a quality controller.
Post-Production
The episode is done, the recording is in the bag. And now the real work starts:
- You’ll need tight, seamless video and audio editing done.
- You might want to create captions and subtitles.
- It’s good practice to transcribe the podcast and create show notes – which also provides great content that benefits your website SEO, too!
- Podcasts are perfect for creating content that can be repurposed and used on social media, in blogs, and anywhere you have an online presence.
These are all functions that a podcast virtual assistant can help you with – saving you time and money in the process.
Patience
The final “P” is important to keep in mind. Unless you’re a celebrity, building a high-numbers podcast takes time and consistency. That’s why it’s a good idea to have someone at hand to help create the frameworks and systems to replicate your best-performing episodes. A podcast VA can examine the analytics, see where your audience is most responsive, and help design episodes and features that bring the same level of success.
However, it takes time and diligence – and that requires patience too.
Leverage Your Time With a Podcast Virtual Assistant
As a smart business owner, you understand that time is money. You also don’t want to be spending your time on tasks that could be affordably outsourced.
A suitably qualified podcast virtual assistant can fulfill more than just the basic tasks, though: in many cases, you’ll be dealing with someone who understands the industry, knows how to optimize for time and effectiveness, and may even contribute useful ideas you hadn’t considered.
A podcast virtual assistant can easily handle almost every single function mentioned in this article. And it makes sense to free up your time so you can actually grow your business. Focus on doing the things you’re most skilled at, and the things you love.
Cost-Effective Solutions to Your Podcasting Needs
One of the benefits of hiring a podcast virtual assistant is that you don’t have to incur any major extra expenses. An experienced VA will be able to use the tools you have, or simply use what they have available. There are plenty of free or low-cost, high-quality tools that a podcast VA will use to help you create a great podcast:
- For the production and curation of stills, thumbnails, social media posts, and so much more, there are brilliant online image creation tools like Canva, which provides professional quality templates and tools for image production.
- For video editing there are tools like MovAVI and others, which deliver amazing video quality and are easy to use.
- Use GarageBand (for Mac) or Audacity (for PC) for audio editing. Both are excellent tools for crisp audio production.
- Zoom Call Recorder is also really useful for those guests who can’t get to you.
Why Invest in a Podcast Virtual Assistant?
When you choose to hire a podcast VA, you’re essentially eliminating around 80% of the effort and time that it would otherwise take you to set everything up yourself. In fact, with every step of the preparation and production process being handled, you have peace of mind in knowing that all you need to do is the actual interview!
A good podcast virtual assistant is more than just an outsourced resource, though. Your VA has a vested interest in seeing your podcast do well and can become a trusted and vital member of your team – all without the unnecessary overheads you’d incur if you hired a full time employee.
Ready to take your podcast to the next level?
Book a discovery call today and discover just how a skilled podcast virtual assistant can save you time – and money.
