Podcasts, when used properly, are one of the most effective tools to engage association members. Especially in a time with so many people working remotely, the shared experience a podcast provides is coveted. Educational and entertaining (hopefully), podcasts are something members can mark on their calendars to look forward to. They also—again, when done effectively—are the gift that keeps on giving.
The same qualities that make each episode so popular are also the reason associations and organizations can mine podcasts to fill out an editorial calendar. People of a certain age can compare this strategy to television rerun or clip show; the younger crowd can apply this to digging through “oldies” from the 2000s or the (dare we say it?) 1990s on Netflix, Hulu or Disney+.
The point is podcasts don’t become irrelevant overnight, if at all. And if your organization’s program is among the majority successfully drawing listeners/viewers, you know you have a proven winner to cherry pick. With the right amount of creativity, audiences may never even notice new content is, in reality, being recycled. Either way, sustainability is in!
Consider these repurposing ideas when trying to live the dream of working smarter and not harder.
Blogs
The mark of a good podcast is the source material is engaging. That usually means an expert, or at least a person with valuable knowledge of a certain subject, is delivering bits of information in each question asked over the course of about an hour. Here, the shortening of attention spans and reduction of free time is an organization’s content manager’s best friend.
Think about how often is an audience member might be pulled away to take a phone call, make a meal, change a diaper, etc. It’s a good bet at least some of your target audience did not have an uninterrupted experience. And that’s not to mention those who wanted to jump in but their already busy scheduled exasperated by the pandemic made it impossible.
This opens the door to a wide option of content repurposing once the podcast has been transcribed. Among the most popular form of stories are:
- Q&As—A simple format following the structure of an interview. If an interview does run the full hour, consider breaking up the content parts ala how “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” was split into two films from one (long) book.
- Listicles—If the podcast in question is truly a learning experience, why not create a series of lessons? If you deliberately program or happen to notice a recurring theme among several episodes, this would also be a way to combine bits from multiple sources. The old “Five Lessons to Learn” or “Seven Advice Tips From…” headlines are catchy and good ways to reinforce the value of being part of an association.
- Trends Pieces—The world is always changing, but man, has it really been changing this year. Writeups featuring tips on relevant topics on everything from emerging technology to time-honored subjects like leadership and time management can be welcomed reading. Usually the toughest part of such stories if finding the expert to quote, but that’s not an issue with your podcast.
Be sure to link to the podcast in any post referencing it. Not only is this a way to maximize an audience and build a base for future episodes, it is also a best practice for increasing SEO for the podcast and an organization’s website.
Social media and email
Longform pieces are a great centerpiece for editorial calendars, but it’s newsletters/eblasts and social media that fills in the calendar dates between posting. Here’s where that repurposing comes in really handy.
- Scatter memorable quotes across days and platforms. A great leadership thought is ideal for a Monday e-blast on, but can then be transferred to LinkedIn Twitter, Instagram or Facebook with a little repackaging and some smart hashtagging (#ThrowbackThursday anyone?). Just touching up the background or typography is enough to make the same message look different enough to attract different audiences.
- Content promotion. Is there a kernel in a blog worth a standalone shoutout? Copy it as a teaser/call to action in an email, tweet, etc. This drives readers and gets a key message out to the public, even if your organization’s followers see the post but don’t click on the promoted link (hey, it happens to the best of us).
- Stats. Numbers are easy to use, and by definition, not wordy. Find some good numbers related to a podcast and make a standalone message or post out of it. If nothing else, this is content reinforcing how easy it is for engaged members can glean important information from your association.
There’s never been a time when associations need to demonstrate their worth to members. Content can be king in this regard. It truly is a full circle, too. Without the podcast, much of the described content would be much more difficult to accumulate. And the ensuing pieces ensure your members can make the most of the offering, which, in turn, should encourage future viewership—making it worthwhile to continue the podcast-content-outreach cycle.
Remember you don't have to manage your association podcast alone. Let's set up a time to chat about how AVNation can help you start or optimize your podcast.
