That’s right. Facebook, the largest social networking platform, the one that arguably started it all, has just released their first podcast. It is called 3.5 Degrees, The Power of Connection.
“Hosted by David Fischer, Facebook’s VP of Business and Marketing Partnerships, this journey of exploring connections aims to bring the world closer together through common lessons as we set out to build new businesses, paradigms, products and movements in today’s ever-connected age.”
“This podcast explores the benefits, opportunities, and challenges of this new proximity; bringing together unexpected pairings of business leaders, mavericks and entrepreneurs who share surprising parallels in values, visions, experiences, and ideas.”
This is big for a few reasons.
- The first, and most obvious, is that if a company this widely known, and used, is now podcasting, they obviously see the immense value behind this booming medium.
- Second, with Facebook talking more about podcasting, we will see even more new podcast listeners and fans emerge every single day.
- Third, and perhaps most importantly, is HOW they plan to use this platform to further their mission – to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together.
Let’s look at # 3 more deeply.
According to the team at Facebook, the company was specifically focused on creating a podcast with a light brand touch, something that was NOT about their products or services, but rather that uniquely exemplified their mission and values.
They said, “We saw this as an opportunity to not talk about us. We thought that if we’re going to try and enter the space and do a compelling show for the industry, we wanted to do something that people would actually want to tune into, and we have these wonderful people who have stories that need to be told to the world.”
What can ALL podcasters take away from Facebook’s approach?
Simply put, Facebook’s approach can teach all podcasters HOW to use podcasting to further their brand.
Podcasting is an audio medium that is intrinsically attached to your brand’s marketing strategy. However, what makes podcasting so successful is the ability to dig deeper. Simply selling your products in audio form is not too far off from a regular old infomercial. That is neither intriguing nor thought-provoking to a listener. But, podcasts take communication with your community so much further. They give you the perfect platform to explain more, connect deeper, and communicate more clearly with your audience. Not just to talk about your goods and services, but to highlight your business objectives, your goals, and your mission. To discuss WHY they matter, HOW they help, and WHO they most benefit.
Every podcast should magnify what a brand is passionate about, what stories it can uniquely tell, and what distinct point of view it can bring to light.
**Quotes courtesy of PacificContent.com and Facebook.com
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