Col Satish Singh Lalotra
‘Podcasting is an amazing way to share your story and inspire others’—-Lewis Howes.
Since the time humans expanded their footprint across the globe giving rise to their existence in such nooks and crannies that were hitherto beyond the realm of thinking during those times, it gave rise simultaneously to the dire need to remain in touch with contemporary times and issues that impacted their lives in more ways than one. Hence the need to invent and invest in such modes that enabled them to remain informed with each other. The world has covered lots of ground since the time of invention of the ubiquitous ‘Radio’ in the 1890s that ruled the airwaves unchallenged. Since those early times of radio, a whole lot of gizmos and such like inventions have made the humans transcend the geographical divide and bound them in ways that looked simply as if taken out of a sci-fi movie. ‘Podcast’ is one of the latest means to remain in touch with each other that are similar to a radio show albeit with unique USPs appealing to the audiences and content creators with podcasting dreams. These can be accessed through podcast listening platforms, social media channels or embedded on websites thus making them all the more versatile. Podcasting doesn’t have a long history. In fact the word podcast was introduced in the year 2004, which quickly climbed the charts of audience’s preferences across the world.
There are many types of podcasts, and no two podcasts are similar. No matter how you define podcasting, it’s clear that this media format deserves a closer look. So what is a podcast and how does it work? In simple terms, a podcast is a digital medium consisting of audio or video episodes that relate to a specific theme. The hosts of a podcast are referred to as podcasters. While many forms of media have barriers to entry, a podcast is simple to create. To get started, podcasters only need basic equipment, like recording software and a microphone. Since podcasters aren’t regulated, anyone is free to coordinate and share content. Typically, podcasters will record and edit digital content using podcasting software and light editing and share it with an audience. They can post on you tube, publish audio files on a podcasting hosting service( such as apple podcasts, Google podcasts, or spotify) or share the podcast episode directly through their website . These audio files are often exported as an mp3 file, and creators might release a short podcast trailer to spark interest before the full show launches. My interest in this media platform was ignited when out of the blue I was contacted by a young podcaster from WB who got my contact number from a common friend and requested me to do a podcast on SFF( Special frontier force) , an elite special forces organization since I happen to serve with this elite organization many decades ago. Since I didn’t have the courage to dissuade this gentleman from evincing interest in this secret organization and bringing to the fore its contribution in many battles that India has fought in the public domain I went along the flow and did a podcast for him. Surprisingly enough I was contacted by an ex-soldier of SFF who having watched this podcast of mine and part of ‘Project Mustang’ in the early 1950s kick started under the aegis of CIA of the US. This gentleman had his own litany of woes against India for short shrifting this elite organization and shared the same under the heading of ‘comments section’ of my podcast. How all-encompassing this podcasting has been, was amply portrayed by connecting two individuals (self & this Tibetan resistance fighter) with the commonality of having served with the SFF, set me thinking the invaluable service this media platform (podcast) has been able to achieve.
Once a podcast is released, it can attract an audience in several ways. Podcast directories allow users to discover and subscribe to new podcasts. Since major search engines display podcast episodes in search results, strong SEO (Search engine optimization) can also help podcast listeners. Not all podcasts have the same goal, but as a general rule, podcasts are a form of entertainment. People might listen to a podcast to learn more about a topic, keep up with the current events and such like issues. It can be a powerful marketing tool, as also an opportunity to promote your business, broaden your reach or market to your existing audience.
If one is able to build a community around a podcast, it can also be a way to build trust. If one tries to define a podcast then one may find himself bewildered by a raft of varieties that this new media platform carries with in itself. Ranging from a typical ‘Monologue’ , ‘conversational’, ‘Non fictional storytelling’, ‘theatrical’ , ‘repurposed’, ‘hybrid’, audio/video podcasting the sheer variety can befuddle a viewer. As the name suggests in a monologue podcast , there is a single or solo host with usually an unscripted format covering a host of subjects under the sky. Since it is a monologue podcast one doesn’t have to bother to coordinate with other hosts and is a sure shot way to grow your audience. Moreover since you are in the driver’s seat ( controller) the entire programme can be modulated as per your convenience. In so far as Non fictional podcasts are concerned, they present a real life event in an engaging way often supported with the help of data and pictures as happened with my podcast regarding the role and engagement of SFF in India’s myriad secret operations.
While coming to ‘theatrical’ podcasts they often lay stress on fictional stories stretching over many episodes , while there are many standalone podcasts too which are theatrical in essence but carry a typical standalone tale that have the ability and strength to captivate the audience without running into many episodes as such. ‘Conversational podcast’ as the name suggests is essentially a discussion falling more under the ambit of a radio talk show to discuss a subject or interview guests. For ‘repurposed podcasts’ the content creator repurposes an existing content and read along with blogs or articles that allows an audience to engage with the content in their preferred format. When choosing the format for your podcast, it is important to consider your goals, targeted audience and resources at your disposal. ‘Behavioural targeting’ is one such tool at the disposal of a podcaster to help identify which type of podcast is more appealing to the audience as such. It is very clear from the above that podcasts have been very much popular since the time this media platform caught the fancy of masses across the globe.
As far as making of the podcasts is concerned, the first and foremost thing about this platform is its relative inexpensiveness. Though it takes time to make a podcast, it doesn’t entail an upfront cost and hence a new podcast can be launched without making much investment. You boost your range of interactions with people, places, and issues across all timelines without much ado. At the same time there are certain cons too with regard to this media platform; the first being the time factor in making a podcast, with a very aggressive approach for its marketing so that one can find more listeners . It has to be having a very high quotient of entertainment, failing which the targeted audience losses interest in a very big way. The very fact that my podcast on the role of SFF resonated in a big way prompting an octogenarian Tibetan resistance fighter to connect with me via the comments section show that the single biggest factor of marketability in such cases is the clicking of the overriding theme governing the podcast as such with the global audience. With a new media platform augmenting the reach of a podcaster , is it any wonder that nowadays this platform has become the proverbial bandwagon of both the hosts of a podcast and the audience as such cutting across continents. ‘Be loud about the things that are important to you and let the world rock with the importance instilled by your podcasts’.
(The writer is a retired army officer)
The post World in a Podcast Mould appeared first on Daily Excelsior.