Over the last 15 years, we’ve seen the democratization of content on the Internet. The rise of blogging has enabled almost anyone with an internet connection to become a writer, and social media has turned everyday people into reporters, breaking news in their own communities from their own point of view.
Podcasting, a portmanteau of the words “pod” — from iPod — and “broadcast,” has empowered virtually anyone to become a talk show host. Podcasters create content about everything from sports and technology to gardening and fashion. If you have a hobby or passion, chances are there’s a podcaster somewhere in the world that shares it, too.
As I explored what Piktochart community members were creating online, I started to spot a trend. A handful of Piktochart users were creating amazing video and audio content in the form of podcasts. Users like Kim Doyal talk about how to use technology. Freelancers like Mike Wood share their experiences in marketing and writing. Podcasting was once an little known method of sharing information, but it has now become a recognized medium for distributing both audio and video content for brands or individuals alike – and our users are paving the way.
With Piktochart, you can make visuals for your projects with professional templates. Check them out by simply signing up for free.
One of these Piktochart users making a splash in podcasting is Deirdre Breakenridge.
After 2 decades of mentoring women and professionals in business and marketing communications, Deirdre Breakenridge decided to launch her podcast, Women Worldwide. In her podcast, Deirdre interviews women around the globe and shares the stories of their success in business and life. She even interviewed Piktochart CEO Ai Ching Goh!
“Although there was a resurgence in podcasting, it appeared that very few women were taking advantage of the opportunity,” said Deirdre. “For every one female podcaster, there were approximately 3,600 female bloggers. At the same time, according to the Women’s Media Center, women in radio and TV media paled in comparison to men. After 25 years, I thought it was time to help power up the voices of incredible women who were willing to share their passionate career journeys.”
Deirdre and I brainstormed about how Piktochart could partner with Women Worldwide over lunch in New York City. We settled on an idea that could help the podcasting community.
By bringing Piktochart’s amazing design team on board, we aimed to release a template all podcasters could benefit from – one to use for promotion of their next guest. We thought that by combining Deirdre’s communications and podcasting expertise with the design talent of Piktochart’s newest full-time designer Maxi, we could have a hit on our hands.
“I was really excited about using the template to promote our shows,” said Deirdre. “Having a creative template to announce podcast episodes is a way to take our Women Worldwide guest interviews to a new creative level. At the same time, being on the go and managing many different business initiatives, the template offers us an easy visual tool that shares podcast guest and show information. For us, it was creativity made simple and professional.”
For Maxi, the biggest challenge for this template was including many elements into one content piece. And once an element appeared to be nailed, he’d discover a use case that didn’t quite fit the template. One example was the podcast episode title – sometimes podcasters use long titles and sometimes they prefer to go shorter. Maxi’s challenge was to create a template that works for as many podcasters as possible.
“All of the pieces together paint a really good picture of each podcast episode,” commented Deirdre. “Overall, we ‘got it right’ by being able to represent a podcast in a branded template that visually details the must-know information for a show. It’s a visual win-win for every party involved and really helps with the promotion of a podcast show.”
Below are the template elements Deirdre and Maxi are most proud of:
- Room to include sponsor logos so they can receive visual advertisement, too
- Creating a space for tags and links
- Space for long and short titles
- Room for a photo of the guest and even a spot to include a guest’s brand logo
- A spot for the podcast show logo
Both Deirdre and Maxi had a great time working on this project.
“Working on this collaboration with Deirdre was really fun,” said Maxi. “Template collaboration is an amazing way to work directly with a user and learn more about their needs when using Piktochart.”
“Working with Piktochart was a wonderful experience,” added Deirdre. “I’ve worked with many teams over the past 25+ years. Working with the Piktochart team was among the best experiences. From the process and thorough development of the template elements to the creative design and quick turnaround, it was teamwork performing at the highest level.”
Deirdre hopes this new template will be an opportunity to be more visual with podcast marketing efforts. You can jump right into customizing it by creating a free account.
“You can add in all of the branded elements of your podcast and then cross promote your show through all of your social media communities and online networks,” she suggests. “You can share the template with your podcast interview guests and sponsors / advertisers, so they can help promote the shows, too. Asking your influential friends to share the template announcement is another great way to amplify, extend your show’s reach, and drive more downloads of each episode.”
If you are thinking about starting your own podcast, Deirdre has tips for how to get rolling and have a successful show.
“I learned quickly that having pre-interview calls with guests was the best way to build rapport so we’re really comfortable with the interview topics,” she suggests. “The discussions always feel like we’re old friends having a conversation.”
She has also learned about monetizing a podcast, the best ways to work with advertisers, and how to work alongside a studio to create amazing content. But, Deirdre says, her best advice is to be sure to ask for feedback on your show.
“Critique is a gift, which can really help you to strengthen your podcasting skills and help you to grow your audience at the same time,” she said.
In 2016, Women Worldwide will continue to feature women who will share their career stories and journeys in life. Deirdre will also be opening up the interview discussions to amazing men, too.
“A big milestone for us in 2016 is reaching 1 million downloads,” she said. “We are very close to achieving this goal!”
As she is working to increase audience numbers, Deirdre is also building an incredible network of business professionals.
“My career is built on being what I call a Chief Relationship Agent (CRA). Women Worldwide is a great way to facilitate connections between professionals and then watch all of the great outcomes that result,” she explained. “I’m also hoping to explore other platforms where the members of the Women Worldwide can connect and share their stories to reach an even wider audience.”
Thanks to Deirdre for her work with our team on this podcast promotion template. We couldn’t have made it without her expertise and feedback.
Are you a podcaster? We’d love to hear what your most successful approach to promotion has been. What do you think of this new collaborative template we’ve released with Deirdre? How do you see it being used for your podcast? Tell us what you think in the comments!
Are you feeling inspired yet? With Piktochart Pro, you can also customize your own template and upload your own fonts! Get started by creating a free account.
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