Creating a Podcast for I Can Be

How we created a branded podcast for an educational charity

Educational charity I Can Be believe in leading by example. They don’t just tell young girls they can be whatever they want to be – they show them. By taking girls aged 7 to 8 into different workplaces and introducing them to women doing diverse and interesting jobs, they demonstrate first-hand the breadth of work that women can do.

So, when we were joined in our studio by Lamorna Byford, Project Director at I Can Be, and a group of bright Year Three’s from Langford Primary - we didn’t just show them what podcasting was like, we made a podcast with them!

The tables were turned on our company Chair, Louise Beaumont, and resident producer, Sandra Ferrari, with the girls quizzing them them about what podcasts are, how they are made – and how they make money.

What are podcasts, how do we make them – and do they make money? These are some of the (very valid) questions posed to us by the bright girls from Langford Primary who joined us in the studio to create their own podcast. Listen to the Message Heard team get a grilling and learn more about the amazing work that educational charity I Can Be are doing to teach girls they can be whatever they want to be. Find out more at: ‍♀️www.icanbe.org.uk www.message-heard.com

Interview with Message Heard Founder, Jake Warren

Message Heard Founder, Jake Warren, sat down with the good folks at BrightTALK to discuss podcasts! Have a listen to their webinar here. BrightTALK host, Ryan Ross, gets Jake to outline loads of podcast-y things for you, like:

• Why the UK podcasting industry is going from budding to blooming

• How to tell your story through sound and why that can be more compelling than video

• Whether anyone can & should create a podcast (there are a LOT of never-listened-to podcasts out there

• Hot tips on what makes a GREAT podcast- that will get listened to by your target audience

• Why podcasting works for internal communications

• How podcasting can help you OWN the conversation in your industry-moving beyond white papers that no client ever reads

• Tricks of the trade- what podcast producers consider when they help you craft your internal AND external stories

What does good audio quality sound like?

Psst - have you been thinking about using podcasting to enhance your brand, start a conversation in your industry or even just communicate better with your staff?

Have a listen to what we do here at Message Heard Creates. This simple little teaser gives you a back-to-back comparison of what sounds great and what sounds terrible. Can you hear why sound quality is important for engaging your audiences? We can.

Message Heard · What does good sound like?

So, you want to make a podcast?

Message Heard Creates 

Questions to guide you through your podcast build

Do you have podcast game? What’s your strategy?

• Why do you need another communications tool? Are you not reaching a particular audience with your existing tools?

• Does your next tool have to be a podcast? Why?

• What do you want to achieve by having a podcast?

• What are you going to stop doing now that you’re getting into podcasting?  Or are you going to carry on doing everything….?

• Is anyone else in your industry owning the conversation that you’re trying to start through your podcast?

• How can you own the conversation better than everyone else?

• What is your company’s unique point of view?  Is it interesting? 

Pre-production planning - plan, plan, plan for success

• What voices are going to use? Are they great to listen to? (hint hint, it’s not about getting that helpful person in Marketing to interview your management and ‘heads of’….  It’s about showing your convening power in the industry.

• Right. What stories do you want to tell?  What makes these stories truly interesting and engaging for your audience?  Are you developing a thought-through show with a story arc told episodically, or a random set of podcasts with nothing in common because you’ve got people keen to get in front of a mic to keep happy…?

• What format do you want to use to tell them in your podcast? (there are *lots* of options – it doesn’t have to be one talking head interviewing another talking head…)

• Who will write your podcast script? Do you know how to write for a podcast?

Production - capturing magic

• Do you want to be a “bedcaster” recording on a mic you got off Amazon in your company’s echoey old meeting rooms or a professional using equipment which makes everyone sound great?

• How are you going to make sure that you tell your stories well?  Who’s your producer, making sure that there’s not one annoying person taking over the conversation…., and that you have all the content in the can that you need to tell your stories?

Post-production - it’s all in the edit

• Do you have a podcast editor on the team who will tighten up the conversation and make your experts and guests sound good? Or just a chap that cuts audio and makes wedding videos…

• What about your sound?  Do you have everything sorted from the theme jingle to the sound beds to bring your stories to life?  Do your teasers tease or are they tepid?

Wait, wait – who is your audience again?

• Who is your audience?  Are you trying to reach your employees with an engaging upgrade on internal comms?  Or are you seeking to build engagement with your ecosystem - from current to potential clients, through to suppliers and partners, right up to the innovators and disruptors setting the pace? 

• Where do they live on-line?  And how are you going to reach them to let them know about your podcast? How are you going to make the most of your ear-worm audio teasers?

• Where are you going to host your podcast so that your audience can listen easily?

• Are you going to put yourself into their podcast consumption routine with consistent scheduling and release of your podcast?  Or are you going to record and release as and when….?

• What do you want your listener to come away feeling, thinking and doing? What is your call to action and what’s your hook to future episodes (and shows!)?

What next?

We help you get your message heard, and we work with clients from the biggest blue chips to the feistiest start-ups.

Here’s how:

Consultation
Got an idea for a podcast series but need help bringing it to life? Already have a podcast series but not getting any traction? We’re here to help. By understanding both your communication challenges and goals, our team will set you on the right path to getting your message heard. It’s our aim to ensure you own the stories surrounding your industry.

Production
Podcasts solve communication issues for both corporate and brands, but it’s not easy taking an idea to completion.  We work with a global network of experienced producers, journalists, marketeers, influencers and growth hackers to ensure your message is brought to life. From audio to artwork, we’ve got you covered.

Distribution

Message Heard helps you take your content to where your audience lives. We’ll guide you through how to disseminate your story and integrate bespoke analytics to ensure you deliver against business and marketing goals. Through in-depth analysis, we can help your message take on a life of its own.

Do you have more questions?

Send them this way: contact@message-heard.com