PPB January 2019

growing but some of the major players are iTunes, Google Play, TuneIn Radio, IHeart Radio, Stitcher, Podomatic, Sound Cloud, Podbean and Spotify. Pandora may be entering this space soon as well. Each of these podcast networks carries tens of thousands of shows all listed under various categories including business, sports, politics, hobbies and religion, to name a few. Under each main category is a subcategory. Make sure your show falls into a main and subcategory. Keep in mind that these networks offer apps which can be downloaded onto mobile devices for listening. These apps allow listeners to subscribe to your podcast, so when your show is uploaded to the podcast portal listeners will be notified and your podcast can be automatically downloaded to their device. Now that’s pretty powerful stuff. The key to getting your show onto these networks is to work with a podcast hosting company (I use Podomatic) that works with you to make sure your podcast is feed-compatible and will be acceptable to these networks. You will be responsible for submitting your own show and in most cases, it will be accepted. The more networks that host your podcast, the more people it will reach. Creating a successful podcast requires incorporating it into your marketing strategy and allocating sufficient time, resources, money and manpower to carry it out. It takes a lot of work to produce a quality podcast and it takes just as much work to market it. The reality of podcasting is that for every successful podcaster, seven don’t make it. Yet, when done right, a branded podcast can be a powerful tool to reach and serve your current and future customers. Steve Johann is an award- winning podcaster, speaker, author of The Podcasters Cookbook and consultant who helps companies, organizations and individuals launch branded podcasts. He also produces and co-hosts the Horsepower Chrome and Rust Automotive podcasts. www.stevejohann.com Creating a successful podcast requires incorporating it into your marketing strategy and allocating sufficient time, resources, money andmanpower to carry it out. It takes a lot of work to produce a quality podcast and it takes just asmuch work tomarket it. 64 | JANUARY 2019 | GROW