The original ProVia podcast is all about helping employees connect with the company. It’s impossible for any one person to get to know every employee in a company this large, especially when they are scattered across six different facilities, so they are sharing interesting stories and getting to know each other through the podcast.
When framing a podcast, Joe sticks to about eight minutes as an ideal length; however, it can go longer for a particularly interesting story. A new podcast is sent out each Monday morning before the workday starts since many people listen on their commute. It’s an inspiring way for employees to start their work week.
Most of the ProVia podcasts are about people’s stories, but Joe also uses it as a platform to teach people about a lesser known functionality in the company, such as the marketing team.
Because it’s intended for employees only, the current podcast is hosted internally and a link is sent to all employee email addresses. Joe has also created a way for people to sign up who don’t have a ProVia email address. They can simply text a code to a designated number to have their personal email added to the podcast subscription list.How to Launch a Podcast
One of Joe’s first questions when starting ProVia’s podcast was a simple one: What equipment should he use? This led to one of his early mistakes when he used a lapel mic, connected to a voice recorder, in a conference room. The sound quality was terrible and Joe immediately sought to correct it.
To find the best equipment to buy, he consulted a sales rep at Sweetwater. Joe recommends the company as a great resource to get the right setup for what you’re working with. After explaining the project and the space he was using, his rep recommended the right mics to use.
With the addition of a mixer, mic stands and collapsible podiums, he was able to transform his office into “Studio J” for podcast recording sessions. His total setup time for each podcast is a mere three minutes.
One challenge to consider is not just what’s happening inside your recording space, but what’s going on outside as well. Joe notes he sometimes has to pause recording if it gets too loud in the neighboring offices or hallway.
Another early obstacle to overcome is the fear of not having enough content. Joe and Brian, ProVia’s President, came up with an initial list of interviewees to start with. Since then, it’s been a snowball of ideas. In fact, people often approach Joe with recommendations of who to interview. The best part? Once Joe extends an invitation to appear on the podcast, no one has ever said no.
Part of this is letting guests know that podcast recording is not linear. It’s completely edited so that guests can restate something if they don’t like how it sounds. They can also pause to think about a response since that dead air can easily be cut out. The end product is clean and makes everyone sound great.
Creating a podcast is an ongoing learning process, and while Joe says that getting started is the hardest part, he also says that it’s not insurmountable. His advice is to figure out the equipment, the location and the first few topics — then just get started.