Podcasts.

They’re as ubiquitous as the number of topics they cover – sports, politics, movies, gardening, cooking, books – if it’s a topic of interest it likely has a podcast or two or three about it. However,  while some larger banks have podcasts, they have yet to catch on with many credit unions and community banks.

Podcasts, as a marketing channel, can be a great way to build relationships with a broader audience. You can answer questions do deep dives on key financial topics important to your demographic.

Think of all the educational seminars you either offer yourself, or have seen others in the market offer on topics such as: security, investing, saving for college, mortgages – depending on who you want to reach, these can make compelling podcast topics, and afford you the opportunity to present the information in a way that is more engaging than blog posts and white papers. You can bring in community leaders to talk about important local events. Keep in mind as well, if you think of this as a community engagement tool, it might be part of your podcast to focus in part on local events and topical news items as well. Anything that feeds a need in the community for information, and keeps your name and presence in everyone’s ear.

When it comes to podcast marketing, there is really no hard and fast rule as to what you talk about, and when. You can do a podcast when a new idea strikes you, invite topic ideas from members or customers and do a segment when you have a topic of interest, or decide on a more fixed schedule – bi-weekly perhaps. It’s all up to you, and the level of effort and commitment you want to make.

While you can tailor your equipment up or down as budget dictates, a brief search of podcast equipment bundles suggest the basics would include a condenser microphone or two, with pop filters and stands, a mixer and audio software.

Is a podcast right for you? Perhaps you have favorite podcasts of your own you listen to on a regular basis. In terms of style and approach, there are literally thousands of podcasts out there you can dip into for inspiration, examples and ideas of how to possibly approach yours.