Blog 5

Explore how you would create a PLN prior to building a podcast on a topic of your choice

After choosing a topic I am interested in for my podcast, I would begin looking into different communities that are relevant to my topic by searching hashtags on Twitter. As Mo Amir revealed in his interview with Jesse this week, Twitter is full of different communities filled with PR personnel, entertainers, and more. Mo used the example of Canucks twitter and described it as a great place to network and meet people, so I would use Twitter as a tool to build my PLN, and therefore, build my podcast. In addition to networking amongst people within Twitter communities, I would also research what kind of “sub-communities” I should be involved in. For example, Lee’s (2020) article claims that a shocking 70% of people listen to podcasts through ITunes. Knowing this, I would need to familiarize myself with ITunes and make an effort to understand how streaming works through this platform. Further, Lee (2020) mentions “podcatchers” – a term I had certainly not heard of before. After reading more, I learned that podcatchers are just different apps that stream podcasts, which seems like a rather important thing to know about when starting a podcast. Again, this is a perfect example of where I could utilize my PLN, and hopefully connect with someone who is knowledgeable on podcatchers or any other applications I should know about.

How would you emulate success stories in this space (podcasts that you’ve listened to or seen become noteworthy), and how would you use your PLN with the intent to expand your audience?

To match other popular podcasts, I would aim to imitate their strategies, but not their content. When choosing a topic, I would look for a gap in the market and pick something that is not currently being talked about, as being unique could spark interest and even create opportunities for new discussions. I would also be sure to utilise my PLN as a way to advertise my new podcast. As Mo said, many of his guests also doubled as a form of marketing because the guest’s followers would often tune into his podcast to hear the guest. In addition, one could use a PLN to learn how to better market themselves and learn the skills needed to run a podcast from experienced others. Lastly, I would offer myself up to be a guest on someone else’s podcast. This way we can both help each other, as I would get to advertise myself and my podcast to their followers, and they would get new content! This is an example of great networking and demonstrates the many benefits of a PLN.

Additionally, explore some of the privacy/security concerns to consider when developing an audience on any social media platform? What are the concerns for individuals who become influential in a social space?

 From what I’ve heard on various podcasts, most podcasts tend to be at least somewhat personal, meaning, you’re typically expressing your beliefs and biases. This not only gives out information about you, but may also put one in danger. For example, say you discuss politics in your podcast; Depending on what politician you’re speaking about, people will be able to search what city or province you are living in. As we discussed in previous blogs, the internet gives people a space to be anonymous sometimes, which can often make people feel a sense of security while being unkind. Depending on what you discuss in your podcast, there will always be people who will want to criticize or disagree in an ungracious manner. Additionally, contrary to personal social media accounts, podcasts platforms are public, which means your content will hopefully be easily accessible and spread over the web. Knowing this, privacy will always be a concern.

 References

 EDCI 338 (2020, Oct 10). A01 Building a Podcast [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyODAhviQyA

Lee, K. (2020, June 30). How to Promote Your New Podcast: 10 Effective Strategies to Try. Retrieved from https://buffer.com/library/promote-a-podcast/