I had an unsuccessful run in 2014 for the county council person seat now held by Derrick Davis. One of my shortcomings aside from being a Republican in Prince Georges County was that I was an unknown entity to both my party and the county I sought to serve. The one thing I do know really well is podcasting. I’ve been podcasting and in this space since 2007. There are three strong reasons why you and the party need to start a podcast. There are more reasons but let me share just a few.

1. Podcasting can build stronger relationships
2. Podcasting can connect with local influencers and donors.
3. Podcasting gives you, your own private stage.

I should have used the power of podcasting earlier in my campaign to grow my base. I should have used my podcast to answer the frequently asked questions of my position. I could have used podcasting to interview donors and activist in the county that in turn would have supported me after we built a relationship.

Podcasting is great from building relationships. Whatever platform do you have where you can take advantage of the commute time around the beltway? According to the US Census Bureau the average time we spend is 25.4 minutes travelling to work. That’s 25.4 minutes of podcast audio your potential audience can learn more about you and your brand in an environment where the other content platforms can’t really go.

When you think about it, when a person is listening to you, your voice is in their earbuds. It’s intimate. You will be able to find common ground with your listener. They will “get you” on a deeper level. When they finally meet you, they will feel as if they have known you for years. That is the power of the connection. You can be personal. And I think you should. You should show your heart. You should and can give them a reason to identify with you.
I know this to be so true that I created a business to provide this service to the busy professional that needs to get their message out.

In addition to connecting with your supporters, podcasting is an amazing platform for you to connect with influencers—people who may possibly donate to your campaign, endorse you or that you may look up to. If you were to go and ask a person who you look up to if you could spend thirty minutes to an hour to speak to you; they might say no. Schedules being what they are…. But the moment you have a podcast, it shows them immediately that you have something to offer them. You have a stage to give them. An audience. An opportunity to speak about themselves and show off their thoughts to an entirely new group of people.

And, conversely, you get a chance to gain more listeners of your show and more exposure to your campaign from their audience. By connecting with these influencers, as I mentioned earlier, you are also building a relationship with them; you’re getting to know them better and you’re providing value to them. In return, they’ll likely be able to provide value right back.

All the World is a Stage.

If you were an unknown like me, the stage can be daunting. It is owned by the opposition. It is regulated by the same cast of characters. On your podcast you control the tone, the tempo, the time, everything. You can deliver your message, your way.
The power is also in the niche. Let’s say an NPR style podcast gets 100,000 downloads a show and your new podcast only gets 100. That would seem small accept that those 100 people are your people. They purposely subscribed to your show. They are your disciples. They are your super fans. A room with 100 people is pretty impressive. They can take your message and build a base. You can truly communicate with them and have them share your message with their friends.

Good luck on your next campaign. This works in small business too.

PodcastSolutions.us is a new podcast editing and producing company in Prince Georges County owned by Rev. Kenn Blanchard.