Background
The Career Fest Podcast Platform is a regular podcast featuring alumni and employers advising University of Florida students on how to succeed in their careers. Accordingly, students will be the primary target audience for these products, while alumni and employers will serve as hosts. The podcasts, featured in the student portal, offer career-related tips, information, and stories from employers, alumni, and experts to help students make informed career choices.
Strategies
Developing a Podcase Concept and Selection Podcast Format
The initial phase of this project is creating a niche career advice podcast for university students. The primary objective is to generate leads for students and establish the university as a thought leader in career development within six months of the project launch. Guests will be hosted on the show; therefore, the format will be a video or interview podcast.
Reaching Out to the Audience
Since the target audience for these podcasts is university students, the primary focus is on online advertising on Facebook and Twitter. Additionally, fliers will be pinned at strategic locations within the university to popularize the platform. The message will be similar on each platform but tailored as follows:
- Creating a Facebook group and utilizing the advertisement platform, targeting ads and likes, will be ideal for reaching out to the audience. It will include a survey, running for one month, to seek approval from the audience and analyze the data to determine the project’s viability.
- Twitter will be used for quicker response, like targeting likes and online surveys to seek views from the audience. The survey will run for one month to gather sufficient feedback for informed decision-making.
- Fliers will be pinned on advertisement boards at the university, with links to the Twitter and Facebook surveys.
Selection of Podcasting Equipment and Software
The project will require at least three cameras to capture a wide shot of the room and dedicated coverage of both sides of the table. Four microphones are ideal in case a group of four is needed. It means the space will be modular, accommodating four people or adapted to suit their needs. Minimizing the editing work will be necessary during and after the live recording. Therefore, a Blackmagic Design Atem Mini Pro HDMI Live Stream Switcher will help speed the workflow and minimize the editing work.
Similarly, trimming silence or unwanted parts will require podcast editing software, such as Adobe Audition. Four microphones, particularly podcast mics with built-in noise-canceling capability, will be ideal for capturing high-quality audio. Finally, a desktop computer and hard drive will help store and edit work.
Planning and Recording the First Episode
Purchasing the equipment and setting up the studio will take approximately one month. The episode outline will entail an engaging intro and outro for the podcast. An introduction is typically a voiceover with music that introduces the host and the podcast. Finally, the project is set up for production with actual guests.
Quality Expectations and Best Practices
The podcasts are anticipated to include discussions about professional journeys, individual choices, what one did when circumstances were not as expected, and lessons acquired along the way. According to Tobin and Guadagno (2022), informational incentives can influence podcast listening, and specific listening characteristics are related to favorable outcomes. Therefore, the following best practices shall apply to the podcasts:
- Each podcast should be no more than 40 minutes long and contain relevant and compelling topics.
- Creators must transcribe podcast episodes to improve the listening experience.
- The content must only feature personal experiences, personal decisions, lessons learned, cultural insights, and job opportunities for university students.
- Respond to and incorporate listener feedback and suggestions for continuous improvement.
Reference
Tobin, S., & Guadagno, R. (2022). Why people listen: Motivations and outcomes of podcast listening. PLoS One, 17(4), 1–16.