It’s not every day I’m invited to be on a podcast. In fact, it’s a whole new, exciting world. And, what fun it was! I was Angela Pitter’s guest on her new and very cool podcast, The Digital Scoop (search on Facebook for “The Digital Scoop”).
Angela and I met several years ago at our local Chamber of Commerce. I took a social media class that she was teaching and was so impressed with her breadth of knowledge. She knew the ins and outs of LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, email, etc. Unbeknownst to us, she checked out each student’s LinkedIn profile before we came to class – and she gave us a grade. Let’s just say I had room for improvement!
Using Facebook as a Platform for The Digital Scoop
Angela is always on the forefront of the power of social media. She’s an early adopter of all kinds of technology and frankly, it’s dazzling (and dizzying) how fast she adapts her business to the new functions within these various media.
So naturally, when Angela invited me to be on her new podcast, The Digital Scoop, and to see how Facebook Live worked, I was all in. We met at a Staples store near Boston, and it was incredible. Besides the usual paper, pencils, toner cartridges, Martha Stewart desk organizers, and, of course, staples, there was an amazing studio. There was a huge white board “ideation” room, several video studio rooms, and a few tiny audio/sound rooms for creating your own podcasts. It was incredible to see this one-of-a-kind Staples store-of-the-future.
So, we tucked into a tiny space that looked like a spaceship command central. Angela turned on the video feed via Facebook and we were live.
Are Podcasts Popular?
If you are wondering, as I was, about the popularity of podcasts, this might surprise you: there are currently over 750,000 podcast shows out there. And over 30 million episodes available to listen to!
Over half of all U.S. households listen to podcasts. 49% listen at home and 22% in their cars.
These facts are astounding! It’s great knowing that the old radio format is alive and well and growing by leaps and bounds. In fact, 13% of Baby Boomers are listening to podcasts, and more are joining the ranks every day. You can search for podcasts on your computer or phone, choose what you want to listen to, and use your phone or smart speaker to tune in. The range of topics seems never-ending.
If you haven’t tried your first podcast, click here for some basic instructions.
Take a Listen to The Digital Scoop
Sifting through all the ba-zillion podcasts might be more than you want to do today. Instead, take a few minutes to listen in on the conversation Angela and I had during our session. It’s both a podcast and a Facebook Live video so you can see us too! I’m not sure if it should be called a v-cast or a vodcast or radio or TV. I just know that Angela is a terrific interviewer. She’s full of cool stats and facts and helps bring this new and ever-evolving era of technology and social media to life. Simply click on this link to tune in:
https://www.facebook.com/angela.pitter/videos/10216424249750390/
We talked a little about retirement and some about being small business owners. Even if you’re not going to run your own business one day, you might find it interesting how I think about building mine through social media.
If you’re feeling really social, you could share this blog post or email update. And let me know which podcasts you’re listening to. Happy listening!
