Producing podcasts for clients
Part of a run of answers to follow-up questions about podcasting, from students at the University of Toronto. Here’s a link to all the apprentice Q&As, including those from 2010.
Question: Donna mentioned that she makes podcasts for clients, and I wondered what she would say on such a podcast. I assume that these would be part of a marketing strategy but I’m not sure how.
Answer: This is an fascinating question, because you often won’t hear much of my voice on a client’s podcast, unlike my own Trafcom News Podcast, where there’s a lot of Donna.
The types of podcasts I produce for others include but are not restricted to:
- Interviews with their experts, to be used for internal comms or external marketing
- Conference podcasts, which may be interviews with speakers*
- Insights from their events, including opinions from attendees
- CEO or other leadership broadcasts; more on this topic here
Often the clients are front and centre in these podcasts. I may record a voiceover introduction at the commencement and a call to action at the end. Sometimes this task is delegated to a voiceover artist. My role generally focuses on communications strategy and podcast production. For an example of what I’m talking about, please refer to the Tweep in Profile run I produce for the Donovan Group Inc. For this project, I interview social media experts, and then make a podcast for Andy Donovan’s company.
Sometimes the podcasts I produce for clients are more educational. When they’re connected to a conference or event, they may be both educational and promotional. It’s vital to keep in mind that these podcasts must be well integrated into the client’s marketing or public relations strategy.
*Here I’m pictured with Ingrid Norrish at the Canadian Society of Professional Event Planners (CanSPEP) conference.