Nonprofit Marketing with Podcasts
Innovation is the key to a successful marketing strategy for your nonprofit. You’re here to help your community, but you also need to stay competitive.
We’ve talked to you about creating video for your exempt organization, but what about audio?
No, we’re not talking radio over here.
It’s surprisingly easy to create a podcast these days, but it can sound intimidating. Here are some steps to follow to create your own.
Create a Concept
First of all, what is your podcast going to be about? That’s a big question, but it is where you need to start.
Is it based around your mission? Maybe it is about your volunteers or the people you are trying to help?
Or perhaps you’d rather go broad and talk about the industry itself. That is fine!
This also makes you think, who is your audience? Is it for your donors, your volunteers, or other people in the exempt industry?
Finally, decide your release schedule during this planning phase, because it’ll help you plan how often you need to create your content. Plus, it’ll be easier to schedule guests, promotions, and extra things geared towards your listening audience.
Get in Production
How long will an episode be? Some podcasts run with 15 minutes or less, and there are some that succeed at a longer format (45 minutes and up). It depends on what you have to say, so keep that in consideration!
How often will you release episodes? Create a production plan in advance that is based around your episode length and schedule.
If you’re recording a short form series about fundraising, you could write and record all of your episodes at once.
But if you want to make a longer form series that interviews vital players in the nonprofit world, you will have to plan your schedule around those interviews. It takes more time, but in this field we know that anything worth doing takes time!
How do you record the actual show?
Well, you can record with something as simple as your computer microphone, or you can grab a professional microphone and mixer if you have the budget. Then you can edit with a free program, like Audacity. If you’re a Mac user, your computer comes installed with Garageband, which also works.
Once you get your episode perfect, it’s time for distribution.
Distribute It
After you record, you need to get your podcast out there. With the social media pages, email, and website you’ve already set up, you have an instant platform to push the podcast on.
Then you simply need to submit it to all the major distribution services out there—iTunes, Stitcher, etc.
There’s a lively podcasting community out there, and you can make a name for your nonprofit in the field. Consider it!
Just a reminder, if you run on a calendar year, there’s a Form 990 deadline coming up in May! The expert customer service team is ready to help you if you have any e-filing questions. Give them a call at 704.839.2321.
Are you ready to start podcasting?
