If there is one question that I am asked more than any other, it’s the one that is the title of this article – What Is A Podcast?
Wow. Start with an easy one, why don’t you?
Asking ‘What is a podcast?’ is a little like asking ‘What is a magazine?’. It’s not easy to answer because the term ‘podcast’ covers so much. I tell you what – why don’t we start with the most basic definition and go from there…
At the very base, a podcast is a piece of audio. I think that that is something which covers every single podcast out there. As soon as your description goes into any more detail – there is always some exception to it.
One of the definitions that I used to use is ‘A podcast is a personal radio station, where every programme is just for you’. That’s a nice idealistic way of describing them, but it doesn’t really cover what they are.
To make it more complicated – a podcast is a different thing to different people. If you’re creating a podcast, they are either an extension of your social media or marketing strategy (if you’re a business); or a way of letting the world know about your passion, hobby or idea.
For listeners, they are a way of connecting with a growing archive of episodes covering such diverse subjects as financial investments, plastic surgery, true crime, TV shows, literature, politics, current affairs, news, fashion, sport, pets, gardening, families, interior design, movies…
I’m only grazing the tip of the iceberg with this list, by the way.
So – where are we? Are we any closer to knowing what a podcast is? A little, I suppose.
Part of the problem is that the podcast community (or business, depending on your approach) is one that is evolving. It doesn’t quite know itself what it is yet. But the possibilities are huge.
If you’re reading this, thinking about whether you should start making a podcast for your business – the answer is ‘yes’.
Don’t focus too much on what a podcast is – think about what YOUR podcast will be. How will your voice get your passion, vision, idea, business, company message out to a wider world?
There are billions of podcast listeners out there – you’re probably one yourself – get out there and speak to them. Don’t get left behind.
Okay, so maybe it wasn’t that easy a question. Have you got another one?
