Finding content related directly to your brand can be a challenge but there’s a hidden gem waiting to be tapped: existing events. Conferences, workshops and specific days your service celebrates offer a wealth of content and connections to boost your podcast’s impact.
Why Existing Events?
Here’s the deal: existing events are pre-loaded with value. They come with built-in audiences, relevant topics and established experts. By integrating these events into your podcast strategy, you gain several benefits:
- Content treasure trove: Events offer a goldmine of material. Talks, interviews and panel discussions provide a rich source of information to inform and inspire your listeners.
- Instant credibility: Featuring speakers from relevant events instantly enhances the reputation of your service and your service’s podcast. A conference or summit requires a fair amount of resources, even an online summit. These are all aimed at informing, educating and entertaining, yes even the statistical presentations, and they produce content.
- Targeted audience: Event attendees are a natural audience for your podcast. They’ve already shown interest in your service, making them prime candidates for long-term listeners.
- Cost-effective creation: Leveraging existing events reduces production costs. You can record talks directly at the event, conduct interviews remotely or set up a round table discussion to explore any of the speaker’s presentations.
Turning Events into Podcast Power
Now, let’s get practical. Here’s how to turn existing events into podcast fuel:
- Plan and Prioritise:
- Identify relevant events: Align events with your mission and target audience. Look for those that address your core issues or involve key figures in your field.
- Prioritise based on reach and impact: Consider the event’s expected audience size, media coverage and speaker reputation.
- Content Capture:
- Record high-quality audio: Invest in portable equipment for clear audio at events.
- Secure permissions: Always obtain permission to record and use content. This should be baked into the procedures for a disability service so you should already have the forms on hand.
- Gather supplementary content: Collect presentations, speaker bios and audience Q&A sessions to enrich your episodes. Think along the lines of an 8 hour, one day summit as providing up to 20 half hour episodes.
- Craft Engaging Episodes:
- Curate compelling snippets: Don’t broadcast entire talks. Edit presentations into focused segments highlighting key takeaways and insights.
- Weave in expert interviews: Conduct follow-up interviews with speakers to delve deeper or explore audience questions.
- Add your voice: Frame the event content with your disability service’s perspective. Offer context, analysis and calls to action aligned with your mission.
- Post-production polish: Basic editing ensures smooth transitions, clear audio and engaging intros/outros. Consider royalty-free music or sound effects for a richer experience.
- Promotion Powerhouse:
- Pre-event promotion: Announce your plans to cover the event on your podcast. Share this on social media, your website and event registration pages.
- Post-event buzz: Promote the episode featuring the event on your social media channels, website and email newsletters. Tag speakers and event organisers to expand reach.
- Leverage event materials: Include a call to action in your podcast, encouraging listeners to access presentations, speaker information or event resources.
If you’re interested in starting or even re-starting a show that’s podfaded, head over to jmps.au and watch the video “Dreamer to Podcaster”. This explains the two big myths holding most people back from podcasting and gives you an outline of the JMPS system as delivered through our group coaching program. If this is something you might be interested in, click the link in the show notes. You’ll find it interesting, I think. The first five people to sign up for the JMPS Group Coaching Program will receive a $300 a month discount, so jump in and join the fun.
Back to the episode
Potential Examples
- Harmony Day: If your service runs events for this, have a mic at the ready. Talk to clients about what this means to them. Don’t forget the staff and management either. Don’t have the equipment for multiple sites at the same time? Yes you do! There’ll be a smart phone handy and a voice note recorder, if not the RODE Reporter or RODE Capture apps loaded. (And if you’re a professional outfit, why aren’t they loaded on every work phone???)
- IDPWD: There are so many events around this day, you could find enough content for the rest of the year. The NDIS “Stories and Videos” page is another great resource, link in the show notes.
- Sports Days/Competitions: These represent amazing opportunities to find stories in the wild. Following a series of clients as they train, prepare and compete, to highlight the work your service does by telling these stories not hammering your service’s name through will build goodwill, trust and an improved brand image.
By strategically incorporating existing events, disability services can transform their podcasts into dynamic platforms for education, advocacy and community building. So, get out there, record those events and turn your podcast into a powerful voice for your cause!
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