The a course in miracles podcast is a vibrant, exciting place to be. It introduces you to people all over the world, and because you hear their voices, you feel as though you really know them. Podcasts provide a terrific free education in almost any subject. They offer a cure for the boredom of rush-hour traffic and long lines at the grocery store, and an alternative to the bland, lowest-common-denominator programming afflicting commercial radio.
But producing a podcast takes a lot of time. Not everyone can podcast. Not everyone should podcast. I have a terrible name for an audio environment. You might have a voice like fingernails on a blackboard. But whatever your reason for not producing your own show, don’t let not podcasting keep you out of the podosphere. There are hundreds of podcasters who will give you ‘airtime’ for the asking–and thank you for it.
Comments Are King
Comments are king in the world of podcasting. Podcasters love to hear from their listeners. Almost all podcasters want a conversation, not a monologue. They also need to keep coming up with interesting content, show after show, and listener suggestions, questions, and comments help them do that.
Comments are also a great way to establish yourself as an expert. I’m not talking about posting ads for your business on podcast blogs, though some shows on marketing do invite listeners to submit promos and business plans for evaluation. I’m talking about joining in the conversation the podcaster has started.
Even though podcasters are more relaxed and approachable than radio talk-show hosts, they still have an obligation to make their shows interesting to their listeners. Everyone likes to hear ‘I think your show is wonderful,’ but comments like that don’t really serve you, the podcaster, or the other listeners.
First, find podcasts that you love. Then respond to anything that you have something useful to say about. Did the host ask for tips on how to use a product or service you’re familiar with? Can you add new insight to the discussion of a controversial topic? Do you have breaking news relevant to the listeners? Can you point them to a resource? Are you burning to know the answer to a question that came to you while listening to the show?
You should, of course, always identify yourself by name and website when you leave comments. If you can provide helpful, interesting comments and ask provocative questions over a period of time, both the podcasters and the listeners will take notice.
My most amazing experience as a commenter happened on the Diary of a Shameless Self-Promoter podcast back in 2005. Heidi Miller had asked listeners to submit their ‘two-second-statements’ (very short elevator speeches). I sent her mine (‘I turn consultants into authors’), and she talked about it on the show for eight minutes. I had someone call to inquire about work even before I’d listened to the episode myself. You can’t pay for that kind of exposure.
