In a recent blog post, we talked about using, and being true to, your own voice online. This time around, we have some ideas for you on how to broadcast that voice widely, online and off. Using megaphones for reach as it were.

First, let’s talk about online. How about the following: webinars and podcasts. Say what?

Webinars and podcasts: multimedia content for your website

A webinar is just jargon for making a presentation online. This can be in various formats. You might have a PowerPoint presentation and narrate the talk. Perhaps it’s an interview with a notable person in your industry. Perhaps it’s just you talking about something in your field that you’re passionate and knowledgeable about.

How do you do this? Well, in any of these situations, it’s important that there be both video and audio. That makes it a webinar. For live events, there are services like Google Hangouts on Air, Skype, Banckle, GoToMeeting and many, many others. We use, and like, Google Hangouts on Air a lot. The interface is a tad cumbersome, but the payoff is great, and it just takes a bit of practice to make it work. You can broadcast your webinar live to an untold number of people. And, it records the webinar, so you can have it available at all times on YouTube. Did we mention it’s free?

Podcasts, generally speaking, are just audio broadcasts online. We often take the audio track from our webinars and turn them into a podcast, which we publish on our website and via iTunes. But you could have a dedicated podcast without the webinar piece. We use the (yes, free) Audacity software to edit the audio.

So how do you get content? Well, it’s inside you, really, just bursting to get out. You know your business or field. You have valuable information that many people would benefit from learning. So share it. Have a talk. Invite others to speak with you on a panel. Sound intelligent together. Put together a PowerPoint. Enable online Q&A to make it interactive. The possibilities are almost limitless.

Where do you promote these webinars and podcasts? On your website. Via social media. Join LinkedIn, Facebook and Google+ groups and communities (like local business networks). You’ll get viewers and listeners and, if you do it regularly and well, you’ll build an audience over time.

Networking with real people in the real world is always important.

Second, let’s talk about offline broadcasting. Take that knowledge that only you have and get in front of groups of people. There are scores of organizations that have meetings for which they need content. You provide the content. Identify the types of groups of people it would be beneficial for you to be in front of. Identify the local group leader and give them a call to introduce yourself. “Hey group-of-local-people-I’d-like-as-customers leader,” you will say, “I see on your website you have a regular meeting every month. I’d be happy to talk about widgets (no, not to pitch my services, but as a person knowledgeable about them) in front of your group for no charge at your next meeting. Sound good?” You bet it will.

And, if you’re feeling really crazy, you might even record the event (if it’s OK with the group) and post it as a taped webinar or podcast!

Have you used webinars or podcasts effectively? Let us know about it in the comments section below.

Image source:  Megaphon by floeschie on Flickr, used with Creative Commons license. Image edited (red border). Use does not connote endorsement.

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