Sharing The Conversation With Podcasting
When you own a twenty-first century gym you really should support it with all the up-to-date media resources you can get. In my opinion, using the available tools of the Internet is the best way you can leverage even the leanest budget; many of them for free or less than the cost of an ad in the Yellow Pages.
Podcasting is one of the most intriguing of these potential resources. It’s under-utilized as yet but it could be a really powerful voice for your business. It’s a way to connect with likeminded business owners and gym aficionados. Even if you don’t want to make one yourself it makes a great source of information that make the best use of long commutes and your half hour on the elliptical machine.
If you haven’t had the experience yet, podcasting is a recorded format that’s a cross between talk radio and audio books. They are great for periods when you are physically occupied but your mind is free. Working out is one of those times to which the medium is suited. If you listen to industry related files you can pick up a lot of knowledge and ideas from what others have tried, what works and what doesn’t. It’s amazing how freely podcasters will share information about their experiences.
Podcasts About Business And Marketing
There are thousands of great podcasts about business in general. For example, the Entrepreneur On Fire podcast is a high power production that gives out vital information and business insight. Another is the Marketing Lifestyle Show by Amy Schmittauer, a great source of information on marketing and how to promote a business.
Fitness Business Podcasts Of Note
The SpartanUp Podcast is the talk show component of Joe Desena’s Spartan Races Empire. Desena leads the show himself, posting new episodes every Tuesday, all of it great stuff! The Barbell Business is a no-holds barred podcast about the experience of operating gyms and people in the industry as guests. This doesn’t even scratch the surface for what’s out there. If you check out some the directories for podcasts such as iTunes and Stitcher.com you’ll find almost any topic in fitness covered in detail and they are relatively easy to produce yourself.
Do Your Own Podcast
You can do a basic podcast with some simple equipment but you may find that to get the sound quality you really want you might want to get a good quality mike and digital recorder. Just recording a Google Hangout or a Skype conversation can set you up with material that is compelling enough to pick up an audience over time. What would you talk about? Well that is up to you, who you know to interview, and your innate creativity.
You might want to post a podcast to your website but it actually requires a special form of hosting. It is the one thing that tends to be excluded by your hosting company’s terms of service, even if they don’t readily admit it. But once the server detects the traffic pattern of podcast downloads they will shut it down fast. You need to use a service like Stitcher.com or Libsyn.com to host podcast files posted on your website. These services are configured specifically to handle the sudden bursts of traffic from a podcast that’s picked up a following.
A headset will work if you are on your own and recording audio from the web or Skype. Alternatively, you can get good USB mikes such as the Snowball for under $100. For even better equipment you will likely pay $400 for a professional quality mike alone. Cliff Ravenscraft is the guru to turn to for advice on equipment, although there are plenty of other good sources.
No Limitation But Imagination
What you say and with whom you say it is entirely up to you. Whether it catches on and helps to market your gym business depends on if it’s entertaining and relevant to your audience. The best way is often to find people who interest you, actively show your interest by asking questions and giving them the space to answer. Above all, make it fun because if your audience knows you are having a good time they will find it much more enjoyable to follow along. After all, to be successful in this business, you have to make people feel good just as much as look good, to build their minds as well as their bodies.
Bibliography
Greenfield, Rebecca. The (Surprisingly Profitable) Rise Of Podcast Networks. September 26, 2014. https://www.fastcompany.com/3035954/most-creative-people/the-surprisingly-profitable-rise-of-podcast-networks (accessed June 3, 2015).
Ravenscraft, Cliff. Podcast Equipment. https://podcastanswerman.com/equipment/ (accessed June 3, 2015).