I just came across a fitness company who has a great iPhone app. I'm not going to publish their name as I'm “working on them” to start a podcast and fear others with better sales skills could beat me to the punch. They are such a PRIME candidate for a podcast that I wanted to share their situation so you can see where podcasting can help improve their business.
They have been saying,” An Android version of our app is in the works” for 8 months. A podcast could help them keep people in the loop on the progress of this project. A podcast could cut down on the number of “Is it ready yet?” e-mails that I'm sure they receive. Secondly, they could increase customer service. Without knowing a thing about coding, I feel 8 months is more than enough time to produce an Android app. When I spoke with the guys at Bossjock Studio (another iPhone only app), they explained that due to the hardware specifications of the Android they couldn't produce an Android version (at least not any time soon). It wasn't that they didn't care about Android users, its that the hardware is not compatible with the concept of their app (Bossjock Studio lets you record a produced podcast right from your iPhone).
They have a blog that announces news (example: they just partnered with another large company). They also spotlight people who are using their product. They are using a tumblr blog for this information. Here is something to consider. Every single one of their users HAS to have an iPhone. Their product is fitness related. Their audience is obviously on the go. While I can read your blog when I'm in front of a computer (and potentially on my iPhone), it would be MUCH easier (and have more impact) as a podcast. I can listen to your news, updates, and your success stories while I'm on the treadmill. trying to read your blog on my iPhone will be harder, and hinder my workout.
Why Many People Pass on Podcasting
I'm sure as a young startup, they don't have time to podcast. That's when you hire someone like me to help you with all the technical aspects. I have a few clients that record the content and upload it to a dropbox (and I take it from there). With a little practice, their content needs very little editing (so it requires next to no time to turn it into a finished podcast).
The other excuse is money. They think it costs a large amount to podcast. You can start with a great sounding microphone for $49, and a $15 Libsyn.com account (use the code sopfree and get your first month free). In this example if they didn't want to lose their tumblr site, they could use Libsyn.com and put a player on their old site. How else can you reach the world for .50 a day?
Everything is Going Mobile – Shouldn't Your Content?
I was in the car traveling this week for 14 hours. During that time I listened to 28 hour of podcasts. How? I use the BeyondPod android app to listen to podcasts. There is an additional plugin for it that allows me to listen at different speeds. I absorbed all sorts of content, and it turns out my brain can work just fine at 2X. When a juicy nugget came up in a podcast I would grab my phone, start evernote, and record a note to myself to follow up on later. I didn't read any blogs while I was driving.
It's time to start a podcast.
