library podcast

Photo courtesy Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County

Readers, you are in for a treat.

I attended a session hosted by Jeff Laser at the Ohio Library Council Conference in Cincinnati. His tips on creating a great library podcast were clear, concise, and actionable.

I thought I knew everything there was to know about library podcasts, having helped launch and promote Inside the Writer’s Head, now in its fifth season. Turns out, I did not know everything. But Jeff does! And that’s why I asked him to share his knowledge with you. This post was written by him.

Jeff Laser is an Adult Services Librarian at Bexley Public Library in Columbus, Ohio. He has worked at BPL since 2012 and in that time has helped launch services such as Book-a-Librarian and is the host of the BPL Podcast. He has a BM in Music Composition from Capital University and an MLIS from Kent State University.

Podcast Like a Pro by Jeff Laser

So why start a podcast at your library? As we move further into the 21st century, libraries are increasingly looking for ways to serve the public beyond our physical walls. Podcasts allow just that.

In addition, they provide a platform to discuss important (and fun!) topics and promote library services. It’s also a great way to utilize staff talent, offering a unique, creative outlet that is both fun and stimulating.

That said, one of the main reasons Bexley Public Library (BPL) decided to give a library podcast an earnest shot was to leverage our high caliber adult programming. We host a range of speakers, professors, writers, and other experts to discuss a variety of subjects including social justice, literature, culture, and more. The podcast gives us a unique opportunity to have a concise conversation about these subjects in a format that is accessible beyond just the one-night speaking engagement. This gives patrons who are unable to attend the program itself an entertaining and convenient alternative.

Even if your library doesn’t have a similar focus on adult programming, don’t fret. There are several directions a podcast can go besides the traditional host-interviewing-guest structure. Narrative podcasts (e.g. Serial or Welcome to Night Vale) tell a story across multiple episodes. Review podcasts, such as Binge Mode, focus on a particular book, movie, or television show for in-depth discussion.

How Much Will It Cost?

Being a public library means having a limited budget. Employees need to justify expenses. Realizing this, Bexley Public Library purchased equipment that has multiple functions at the library.

For example, we use the same equipment for the library podcast that we use to record our oral history interviews, and to record full-length programs from time to time. We also make the equipment available for our patrons to use.

The initial expense for starting a podcast doesn’t need to be outrageous. Free software such as Audacity or GarageBand will work just fine. Quality microphones can be purchased for around $100 each. Add a few accessories like pop filters and boom, and you’re ready to record.

Making a Great Podcast

Interview preparation goes a long way to ensure an engaging conversation with your guest. Familiarize yourself with their material and come up with a few questions.

During the interview, allow yourself to go off-script and ask follow-up questions. If you know you and your guest share common interests, ask about them! Capturing that human connection is one of the most fruitful parts of podcasting and one of the primary reasons the format has grown exponentially.

Editing is arguably as important as preparation. If you come across long silences, excessive filler words, unwanted background noise, or even just generally uninteresting passages, remove them! Remember, however, the goal is to keep the human element intact. Don’t go as far as removing every single “um”, “uh”, or slight pause in the conversation. Keep it sounding natural.

From the technical side of things, less is usually more with podcast editing. I stick with equalization, compression, and reverb. A high-pass filter is useful for removing unwanted low sounds such as hums, fans, etc. Compression will help even out the peaks and valleys of your audio track for a smoother listening experience. Finally, a bit of reverb will add some depth to your recording (not too much though or it will sound like your interview was recorded in a gymnasium!)

Getting Your Podcast Out There

You have a few great interviews edited and ready to go, what now? First, you’ll want to find a hosting solution for your podcast. Popular options include Blubrry, Libsyn, and WordPress. BPL uses Podbean, which allows unlimited upload time for $108 per year. These services will guide you through setting up your Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed, which will allow you to submit your podcast to various platforms. You’ll provide information about your podcast during this process, such as artwork, title, author, and description.

Once your RSS feed is ready, submit it to as many platforms as you can: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify. The process is easy and the more platforms you’re on, the easier it will be for listeners to find you.

Don’t overlook the importance of branding your podcast. Even if you aren’t a graphic designer, you can create simple but effective graphics by using tools such as Canva. (Note from Angela: If you are a LibraryAware user, you can also use a widget template to make your podcast graphic.)

Include brief theme music during your podcast to make it more memorable. If you don’t have the ability to create a jingle, try royalty-free music websites such as Bensound.

Marketing your podcast on a limited budget is challenging but not impossible. Try to utilize your guest’s social media following. Ask them to post (or re-post your content) about the podcast. A pull quote graphics (see below) is an easy way to draw people into any given episode and works well across social media platforms. Try placing an embeddable player in a prominent space on your library website to allow for spontaneous discovery and easy listening.

Go for It!

Now that you have an idea of the basics, give it a shot! If you’re looking for inspiration, check out the podcasts I linked above, or perhaps some library related podcasts such as The Librarian Is In, Lost in the Stacks, Book Squad Podcast, or (of course) The BPL Podcast. Hosting a podcast is truly one of the most unique and rewarding things I’ve done in my professional career, and it could be for you too!

For more help with your library marketing, email me at ahursh@ebsco.com. Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email every time I post. To do that, click on the “Follow” button in the bottom left-hand corner of the page. Connect with me on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

An exciting thing happened this week! The library marketing profession is now the subject of a podcast. It’s called Library Figures. It’s produced by Piola, a company which designs library websites.

Many smart and strategic library marketing professionals including Kimberly Crowder of the Indianapolis Public Library (featured in this Super Library Marketing post last year) are guests on the pod. Each episode focuses on a successful library marketing strategy. The host and guest dissect the implementation, tools, success measurements, and results. I amhonored to be featured on episodes one and four. Maybe it’s silly, but I’m just beyond thrilled that we’ve got our own podcast corner where we can share and learn.

I’m a huge podcast fan. My podcast player is overflowing with episodes. I’d love to share my list with you and explain a bit about why listening to these shows will make you a better library marketer.

The Science of Social Media

This is a new discovery for me. This show, produced by Buffer, focuses on data, insight, trends, tips, and more. Anyone who works on social media for any library will find value in listening to these episodes, which cover subjects for everyone from beginners to those with advanced social media skills.

Marketing School

I just discovered this podcast last month and I’m catching up on back episodes (there are more than 900!) but I really love it. The creators release one ten-minute episode every day focused on one nugget of great marketing wisdom. Past subjects include blogs, event marketing, crisis communications, and generating great content ideas.

Brand Newsroom

This show, produced by a content marketing agency in Australia, bills itself as “the show for anyone who has a say in how companies are communicating.” The hosts use a round-table discussion format to dissect topics like crisis communications, branding, and networking. The most interesting episodes involve disagreement between the hosts. They all have a different perceptive on marketing, and I find that they help me to consider issues from different angles. They also have a fun segment at the end of each episode called “On my Desk” where they share something they’re really excited about, from apps to software to new books.

Marketing over Coffee

As its name implies, each weekly show is recorded in a coffee shop. The two hosts talk casually about all kinds of marketing topics including writing, influencer marketing, SEO, and other relevant marketing problems and solutions. They also take listener questions, which I really love. And the episodes are short, so they’re easy to listen to during a typical 20-minute commute.

Social Media Marketing Podcast

Michael Stelzner, who runs the Social Media Examiner website, is the host of this show. His guests have a range of backgrounds and answer questions about all kinds of social media topics and tactics. Mike is really good about digging down and getting the basics about each topic. He also shares a new app at the beginning of each show. Most of his discoveries are free or very inexpensive and they’re all designed to help make marketing easier and more fun.

Unpodcast

I’m going to end in an unconventional spot by recommending this podcast, hosted by husband and wife team Scott Stratten and Alison Kramer. I have seen Scott speak at Content Marketing World several times. He’s hilarious and brutally honest about the faults and triumphs of marketing. Alison is his partner in crime and besides being the cutest couple in marketing, their observations are always spot on. Some episodes dissect customer service, some talk about marketing mistakes, and sometimes they talk about innovation and entrepreneurship. They really make me think. Just trust me and subscribe.

And of course, we support our fellow library marketers producing podcasts. Read the back stories about how those shows are produced and then subscribe to the library podcasts on this list.

And if you have a podcast you want to recommend, please let me know in the comments!

Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email every time I post. To do that, click on “Follow” button in the bottom left-hand corner of the page. Connect with me on Twitter, Snapchat, and LinkedIn. I talk about library marketing on all those platforms!

Super Library Marketing: Practical Tips and Ideas for Library Promotion

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