december2022january2023 - 33

FEATURE
Is Podcasting Right for Your Firm?
By Becky Livingston
HAVE YOU EVER considered the amount of time you've spent giving the
same advice to people? What if you could capture that in a " bottle " and
repurpose it? You can in a podcast.
WHAT IS A PODCAST?
A podcast is an audio-only episodic series
that features one or more hosts talking about
a particular topic. No video is needed, unless
you want it. That alone may make you more
inclined to leverage this technology.
WHY WOULD I START A PODCAST?
There are a lot of reasons to start a podcast.
The main reasons are to share information,
generate brand awareness, build credibility as
an expert in your industry niche, and increase
your network reach.
WHAT WOULD I TALK ABOUT?
The beauty of a podcast is that you don't
have to do all the talking. You can invite
guest speakers to share their insight and
knowledge about a topic, trend, case study,
and more. Here are some ideas to help you
create a list of topics.
* Industry trends
* News topics
* Common questions clients ask
* Pain points within an industry
* Client experiences
* Best practices
* Summary about a new regulation
The list goes on and on. It's only limited by
your imagination.
HOW DO I START A PODCAST?
Forbes crafted a five-step process for starting a
podcast. Though the steps seem pretty simple,
they go into a good amount of detail about
each of these steps in their post.
* Define your niche or topics.
* Build your brand and online presence by
naming your podcast.
* Source recording equipment and editing
software.
* Record and edit the first podcast.
* Promote the podcast.
DO I NEED SPECIAL PODCAST
SOFTWARE?
Generally, no. But if you want a quality podcast,
the answer is yes. Fortunately, there is
podcast software available. In a recent forum,
several Association for Accounting Marketing
members claimed Riverside.fm, Branch Out,
SquadCast, Zoom, Zencastr, and Anchor were
among their favorites.
IS ANYONE ELSE DOING THIS?
Conducting a quick search on Google using
" accounting firm podcasts, " I was able
to find 51 accounting-related podcasts
with titles like Pulse of the Practice,
Sons of CPAs, Blood Sweat & Balance
Sheets, The Abundant Accountant,
Taxgirl Podcast, and more. Search
to see what's out there; maybe you
listen to a few of them already.
IS IT JUST ANOTHER TIME
SUCK?
It might feel like this is just another
task on your already overflowing
to-do list. And it will feel that way if
you go into it without a strategy. To
maximize your effort, I recommend
posting the script on your blog with a link to
the podcast.
Slam Agency writes that less than 20
percent of podcasts last longer than one
year. What can you do to avoid failing at
this initiative?
* Stay focused on connecting your brand's purpose
to your client's purpose. If it's irrelevant,
failure will ensue.
* Create a good-quality recording. Keep in
mind, you're just getting started, so interview
successful podcasters to find out what you
should be doing.
* Keep consistent. Podcasts take time, preparation,
and consistency.
* Plan to distribute your podcast where your
customers are so they can find it easily.
10 TIPS FOR SUCCESS
Riverside.fm shared over 20 podcast tips for
success, including these 10 favorites:
1. Start with the what. What is it about. How
to get the message across. Why it matters.
2. Think about the how, including style, structure,
and tone.
3. Ask yourself why you're doing this? Think
beyond a side hustle or sponsorship dollars.
Rather, define a deeper goal or purpose.
4. Know your target audience, including their
age, business interests, job level, geography,
and goals.
5. Define the value you provide to your audience's
lives.
6. Decide how long each episode should be.
7. Organize your workflow, including outline,
research, booking guest speakers, recording,
editing, and uploading.
8. Stick to a consistent release schedule.
9. Find guests you're really interested in
speaking with (and people your audience
will enjoy).
10. Produce
in
batches
to
save
time,
increase efficiency, and avoid missing
scheduling dates.
If you want to launch a podcast, work
with a skilled podcast agency or marketing
professional to help you launch the initiative.
After all, 424 million podcast listeners
can't be wrong. ■
DECEMBER 2022/JANUARY 2023 ■ www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
33
http://www.Riverside.fm http://www.Riverside.fm http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
december2022january2023

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