YALCIN SONAT / SHUTTERSTOCK . COM
Get it out there and keep it going Once you record your podcast , you need to give it a home . “ There are plenty of services out there where you can post your podcast ,” Fisher says . You can create a dedicated page on your agency ’ s website for your podcasts or upload it to a host ( like SoundCloud or Buzzsprout ). Uploading it to a host makes it easy for you to submit it to Apple Podcasts or Spotify , opening up your podcast to millions of potential listeners .
Many podcast hosting sites can be used for free ; Buzzsprout allows you to upload up to two hours of audio every month for free and SoundCloud allows you three . You can also pay for more time per month or for the use of tools to promote your podcast , like Simplecast ’ s feature that allows one-click sharing to Apple Podcasts or Spotify . There are plenty of hosting sites and payment options to choose from .
So get your radio voice ready — you ’ re a podcaster now .
PODCASTS BY THE NUMBERS
> 900,000 + podcasts currently exist
> 30 million + podcast episodes currently available
> 11,000 + travel-related podcasts in Apple Podcasts
> 51 % of Americans have listened to a podcast > 37 % of Americans listen to podcasts to escape
> 28 minutes is the ideal length of a podcast episode
Source : Podcast Insights , Edison Research ; Apple Podcasts
HANG UP THE PHONE , OPEN UP ZOOM
VIDEO MEETINGS CAN MAKE STRONGER CLIENT CONNECTIONS .
Is email communication just not doing it for you anymore ? Are your phone conversation skills lacking ? Are you craving the face-to-face connection we ’ ve been missing ? Consider making the switch to video meetings .
VAX surveyed travel advisors in January 2021 and only 30 % of respondents said they use video meetings with their clients , but of those who do , 55 % said that video meetings help them feel more connected to their clients . As the ways we work and interact continue to evolve this year , video meetings may help replicate the in-person meetings travel advisors missed in 2020 and help you .
In its “ 2019 Impact of Video Conferencing Report ,” telecommunications company Lifesize reported that 98 % of people surveyed said video meetings help with relationship-building inside and outside the company and 89 % said it helps them feel more connected .
If you haven ’ t made the switch to video meetings or want to use something other than Zoom , you have a lot of options , some of which are free !
VIDEO MEETING TOOLS OTHER THAN ZOOM
Google Meet – Free to use , must have a Google or Gmail account Cisco Webex – Free and paid options available Skype – Free and paid options available Microsoft Teams – Free and paid options available GoToMeeting – Free and paid options available
EVERYBODY ’ S DOING IT
Zoom , the video conferencing app , saw an increase in daily meeting participants from 10 million in December 2019 to more than 300 million in April 2020 .
SPRING 2021 / THE COMPASS / 25