17% of Americans listen to podcasts at least once a month. This is double––double––the percentage it was just a handful of years ago! Radio shows like NPR’s This American Life and Serial have simply gone viral. Serial shattered download records to reach people nearly 5 million times. (Aren’t we all ready for season two?!?) We simply have to ask, “Why is this slice of the communications pie growing so, so rapidly?”
Many of you either already use podcast technology for your weekly sermons or you’re thinking about going in that direction. We’ve got some tips and considerations for you here. Maybe you’re interested in starting a new podcast with topics around current events, interviewing members, telling stories, or theological advice. Whatever content you’re planning, the power of a well-crafted podcast can’t be denied.
Podcasts tell stories of real people, in their own voices. This kind of storytelling makes listeners feel more connected to the narrator than blog posts and articles can. The concept of hearing someone’s words, right out of their own mouth, makes us nearly feel like we’re meeting them in person. We remember, we relate, we connect.
Now let’s think of putting this power in the hands of your church. You can tell stories like you’ve never done before, in a way that pulls your church members in by their heartstrings. You can help them connect with your church leaders in a way that feels so personal and one-on-one. The message of your church will be right in their ears!
Is a Podcast Right for Your Church?
Okay, okay: enough convincing. Podcasts can be a wonderfully beneficial thing for churches to have in their outreach and ministry arsenals. They allow you to reach many people on a free, intimate platform. But the first step in actually publishing your first church podcast is to develop a plan. Determine whether this is a wise investment of your time as a busy ministry communicator:
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To begin with, ask your church if they would download (and enjoy) a podcast, either topical or sermon audio.
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Find out how often they’d like to listen, and what topics they want to hear about.
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Ask them who they’d like to hear from! Your church has many amazing voices, and you may be surprised to see who has impacted members the most.
- Consider the resources you have available. Would you be producing this podcast alone? Do you have any tech experts who have time to spare? What would your budget be?
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Once you’ve answered these questions, you’re ready to decide if hosting a church podcast is right for your church. |
Pursue Your Podcast!
If you’re on board, I’m sure you have questions. Getting started can be a daunting step, but we’re here to be your partner. Let’s start with a few of the most basic FAQs:
1) What's the best solution to host my audio or video files for podcasting?
You have many options for recording, exporting, and promoting your audio files. Depending on your knowledge of recording software like Apple’s GarageBand, you may be able to do this with free software. But if you’re not so comfortable without a podcast-specific tool, click around and check out Blubrry, Buzzsprout, Podcast Machine, and Libsyn. Choose the recording tool/host that seems the most attainable and manageable for your skill level, budget, and workload.
2) If I have an existing podcast, how can I resurrect and revamp it without losing subscribers?
Maybe your church leadership has tried to host a podcast before or you have a current sermon subscriber list. Have no fear––you can transfer your fanbase! If you’re switching to hosting with Ekklesia360, here’s your guide to transitioning.
3) How do I “host” and promote a new podcast?
Now that you’ve got the new file all recorded, edited, and ready to share, you’ll want to put it out into the world. Your church members will want to be able to access the podcast in a place that is easy to download and search, like iTunes or Stitcher. To submit podcast episodes to these services, you’ll have to follow their requirements (iTunes and Stitcher). Once your feed is live, you should promote the episodes on your website, social media, and in any other relevant communications. After all, you didn’t go through all of this work for great episodes to go unheard!
Promoting a podcast is like any other message from your church. You should think of it as a growth step for your church’s members. How does it help them grow closer to Jesus? Does it encourage or equip them to be involved with the community? Thinking of your podcast in this way will help you find the best place for its promotion. Maybe you’re hosting a podcast on the best service opportunities for children––and the best places to promote this would be in the children + family ministry pages or on your service opportunities page, or both! Considering the purpose and the effects your podcast can have on the lives of your listeners is the best way to determine how and where you should promote it.
