Radio and podcast are siblings whose relationship tends to be rather complicated. Using the metaphor of Cain and Abel, Mike Fitzpatrick, the Director of Mediafitz, an audio and talent development company, states the two brothers do not always cooperate as they could. While radio – the older brother – is worried being upstaged by its younger, fresher sibling, the podcasters do not often seem to be willing to learn from its older brother.
So what exactly can radio learn from its younger brother? Among other things, podcasters can inspire radio in how to build a community, an art radio does not seem to excel at. Podcasts, on the other hand often manage to build a network of listeners connected by a shared interest. How does one create a community then? Like every relationship, this requires effort, but the results are powerful. Fitzpatrick suggests the strategies of creating a sense of community do not need to be complicated. As consumers love one-to-one communication, simple things like replying to their messages can make big difference.
However, the younger brother Abel – or the podcast in our case – could learn something from his older brother too. Fitzpatrick suggests that podcasts should not be afraid to partner with radio. One of the biggest problems of podcasts is discoverability and according to Fitzpatrick “the best thing is to promote a content in another content“. Teaming up with a radio station would really boost your podcast. Second thing that is worth trying to learn from radio is the power of editing. As the author of a successful Australian podcast The Toni & Ryan Podcast says: “just because you can speak for three hours, does not mean you should“. Another tip from the radio business is try to be as local as possible – know your audience and the region you are trying to reach. Fitzpatrick also encourages podcast creators to “create noise“, meaning to think beyond just talking behind a microphone and try to do more. He also suggests to his listeners to never underestimate word of mouth – the strongest tool for both radio and podcasts.
