Audio Pod Artist

Podcasting as a Form of Networking

Something very interesting happened to me lately that really illustrates how podcasting can help business.

Some of the podcasts I put out (more and more of late because I'm enjoying doing it this way) involve me interviewing people who are either using web audio in an interesting way or are in some way fans and advocates of web audio. This is becoming a very useful extra way of networking for me and interestingly, has led directly to some paid work with one of the interviewees, which was completely unintentional.

Now, obviously I'm a professional audio type person so it's not that much of a surprise that the work I've been comissioned to do is as a 'jobcaster' on Jobs In Pods but why couldn't this happen to you in your line of work?

I'm not saying you should choose interviewees hoping to turn them into clients (the Jobs in Pods offer came as a lovely surprise to me) but you just never know where the connections we make when we step outside the blog postings and get on the phone will lead...

Podcasting in Business - Cookery

The third in a series of innovative ways of using podcasting in business, this week I've gone for a chef who has chosen to produce audio products to showcase his cookery talents and knowledge of food. Now, I didn't choose this case just because I'm a sucker for a French accent but it really helps...

Phillipe Haag is an independent chef and small business owner and he's gone for a montage style of podcast. This means he's been interviewed and the results have been edited into a commentary of him talking about certain types of food and then going through a recipe (sound effects included for authenticity!).

How can podcasting work for Phillipe?

• He has a great voice - what an accent!
• It allows him to showcase his expertise in a way other than blogging.
• Part of his business is to cater for parties in people's homes - podcasting helps him build that 'know, like, trust' relationship with customers.

Feeling inspired? Keep checking back as I rummage through cyber space to find you more examples of podcasting in business.

Podcasting in Business - Tourism

This is the second post in a series about innovative ways of using podcasting in business. The further I dig into the web, the more quirky and interesting examples I find of audio resources being used by businesses with some really embracing multi-media to provide the best experience possible for their customers.

How many times have you been in a museum and taken the audio tour? Well, the Visit Bristol team have taken this idea to their market and offer free mp3 downloads of various key sight-seeing tours around the city. They're really nicely produced, the Quayside tour has some brilliant sound effects and music which fit so well with the subject matter - so much better than a guide book!

But how does podcasting help this tourist information site to serve the customer?

• It allows him to take a 'guided' tour at their leisure.
• It lets him decide which tours would be most appealing before they setting off.
• It provides school teachers and educators with some excellent material they could use later in the classroom.
• It appeals to the mp3 generation, therefore offering something of interest to a potentially otherwise disengaged audience.

Podcasting in Business - Recruitment

A suggestion by my coach to set up google alerts on podcasting has led me to discover lots of very interesting uses of podcasting in business, which gives me a lot of information and inspiration (although it can be a little distracting at times).

One of the sites the alert pointed me to was a great website which uses 'jobcasts' to  showcase employers who are recruiting. Jobs in Pods carries out interviews with employers in a relatively informal way, discussing the company, its customer base, the vacancies available and the type of candidate they're looking for.

This really appeals as a way of recruiting on lots of levels:

• It gives a much more in-depth overview of the company than a job description ever could.
• After some initial podcast training or learning it's relatively cost effective to do in-house (time willing).
• It's a USP for a recruitment company - audio marketing can make you stand out from the crowd.
• Potential for other uses of the medium - candidate interviews could be recorded and 'published' privately for employers as an initial screening tool.

I'll keep you posted as and when I come across other innovative uses of audio resources...