Getting to grips with podcasting

Podcasting is becoming one of the new tools that people can use to get themselves known on the web and for businesses and other organisations to get their promotional message across effectively and efficiently.

At a basic level all you need is a computer headset and a web connection. But to make the most of what you have to offer you need to think about what you are saying, who you are talking to and do you want those listeners to talk back to you in some way?

I've worked in radio as a broadcast journalist for many years and putting a good podcast together is just like creating a good radio feature. The tools you have available and the skills you need are exactly the same.

On this site is the content of a presentation and workshop I ran for the Wessex branch of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations. I'd interviewed some people at an event a few weeks earlier called 'Meet the Professionals'. This was like 'speed dating' where around 20 practitioners of public relations sat at tables and groups of students had a chance to spend around five minutes with each person to find out what they did, how to get into the industry and so on.

The purpose of the podcast is to show people different recording techniques which you can use and integrate into your work. Things like getting atmos, walking around with people while they're talking, getting people to say who they are when you're doing vox pops etc are all little things which you can use to liven things up.

Remember that you have to think about the type of people who are listening to what you have done, usually you are speaking to one person and not an audience.

There are two main things to remember,

• Radio is a one to one medium. You are not talking to hundreds or thousands of people you are just talking to one. There may be hundreds or thousands of people who eventually listen to your podcast, but they are listening individually probably on headphones and you are talking to them directly and reacting a rapport with them as an individual.
  
  
• You are painting pictures with sound. Use sound, background noise and different techniques to paint the right picture for the people who will be listening.

Follow the script with the audio and where there is a number alongside check out the note which explains what I've done and why I've done it.

This is a basic site at the moment and I'll add different elements to this site to explain things as time allows!

I hope this helps you in some way.

Good luck

Tim