I love podcasts. Do you? When I head out for walks, runs and…when I do the dishes, those earbuds are likely going in! As a content marketer, there is always so much to learn and in the last 18 months or so, I’ve really latched on to podcasts as a way to stay current and add a little interest to my workouts and chores.
I’ve been asked a number of times lately for my podcast list by nonprofit communicators who:
- Have been thinking about starting to listen to podcasts but want suggestions, or;
- Would just like to compare notes and potentially add to their list.
So, here’s my current list – which has shifted a bit since I wrote about retuning to podcast listening in early 2013. And I’ve included specific podcast recommendations for nonprofit content marketers.
My podcast suggestions for nonprofit content marketers
Social Media Marketing Podcast with Michael Stelzner
This weekly show covers – unsurprisingly – all things social media. The show usually follows a guest interview format. The topics move around a little, often digging deep into the specifics of how to use individual social networks. However, content marketing is also frequently covered, as is the more strategic side of using social media to meet marketing goals. This is the only podcast I’ve been following consistently since early 2013.
PNR: This Old Marketing | Content Marketing with Pulizzi and Rose
Every week, Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose talk about content marketing news and trends. They recap the latest content marketing headlines, which I love because they are doing the curation and reading for me. They focus on adding their expert commentary along the way, which I really value. This podcast is very useful for anyone involved in any form of digital publishing and digital marketing.
Marketing Smarts from Marketing Profs
This show is also interview-based and reflects the quality of content you would expect from the folks at Marketing Profs. Listen to this podcast regularly to access insights, case studies and lessons about all aspects of marketing. This is another podcast that I started listening to in early 2013 and as I described it back then, it gets you out of ‘how to’ mode and into the principles and strategic aspects of marketing.
Online Marketing Made Easy with Amy Porterfield
I enjoy hearing Amy talk about Facebook marketing, Facebook advertising and other online marketing, lead generation and email marketing tips. The slant of this podcast is toward entrepreneurs, but there is a great deal of value for any digital marketer – especially those focused on building email lists – which should be you!
Podcast Answer Man with Cliff Ravenscraft
My listening to the Podcast Answer Man has been less consistent lately. I was initially planning on launching a podcast this year; a plan I’ve temporarily shelved. But if you’re thinking of launching a podcast for your nonprofit, you’ll glean so much practical advice from Cliff Ravenscraft. Just a heads up: Cliff does talk quite a bit about taking your business to the next level, so you might want to pick and choose episodes specific to podcasting.
Admittedly, my list is shaped by my day-to-day work as a small business owner/entrepreneur, but in the list above, I’ve shared podcasts that I feel can offer value to nonprofit content marketers. I think they’re all worth a try since looking at things from a different perspective (in this case, thinking like an entrepreneur) can be very valuable.
Two more of my favourite podcasts
There are a couple of additional podcasts to which I listen regularly, but are much more helpful to me specifically as an entrepreneur and freelance writer:
High-Income Business Writing with Ed Gandia
From episode to episode, Ed mixes expert interviews with speaking from his own experience as a successful freelance business writer. I love his focus on business-building tips for running a profitable, professional consultancy.
Duct Tape Marketing with John Jantsch
It seems like John Jantsch has been doing content marketing since long before anyone was calling it content marketing. This is another interview-style podcast and I like this one because of its brevity; episodes are usually under 30 minutes. Each episode is full of marketing tips from a small business marketing perspective.
Note about my list: there does tend to be duplication among the interview-style podcasts. You can definitely tell when a guest is on a serious promotional circuit, because they’ll show up in a number of these podcasts around the same time. However, it’s easy enough to skip episodes, so that doesn’t bother me.
Podcast listening: worth considering
The bottom line: if you’re looking for another way to add learning on-the-go, try a podcast.
To get started, I suggest visiting the iTunes store (or Stitcher, SoundCloud or other services depending on the show and your preferences) to have a closer look at my list and see what else is available on the topics of marketing, content marketing and digital marketing. Start with one: when you find a podcast that looks promising, look through the episode listing. If you see a podcast with multiple episodes/topics that really interest you, that’s a good sign of a podcast worth checking out. Go for it!
Your podcast suggestions?
What about you? Are you a podcast listener? What are your favourites? Please share your recommendations for nonprofit content marketers in the comments.