She Went From Radio To Podcasting. Here’s Why…

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Podcast Movement starts this week in Philadelphia. If you’re attending the event, someone you may run into is Traci DeForge, the CEO of Produce Your Podcast, a company you’re about to learn about. Traci began her audio career in radio as an Account Executive in Athens, GA. She worked her way up to Market Manager where she ran stations for Eddie Esserman. “Traci managed our stations in Brunswick and was prescient with her early embracing of digital platforms and creating a successful one of her own, Esserman told Radio Ink. “She successfully made the leap with her podcast model. Broadcasting misses her.”

After radio Traci started a training business and continued to work with radio stations. That lead to her work with Fortune 500 companies. Then, a few years ago, she recognized how podcasting was becoming more and more mainstream and she jumped in. Here’s her story…

Radio Ink: You have a love for radio. Tell us about that. 
Traci Long DeForge: Radio runs through my veins! I fell asleep listening to the CBS Radio Mystery Theatre on an AM transmitter radio under my pillow when I was very young. I was pretty infamous for my call-in requests for Meatloaf’s hit “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad.” Don’t even ask me about the radio shows I used to “produce” with my friends and, yes, of course they included commercials. There are cassette tapes out there somewhere which will come back to haunt me one day.


Radio Ink: How did you turn that love for radio into a career? 
Traci Long DeForge: I was recruited right after my graduation from the University of Georgia to sell radio ads for Magic 102.1 FM in Athens, Ga. I still remember my first day. I walked into the station and thought, “I’m home!” I was fortunate enough to build an incredible career with Southern Broadcasting Companies, Inc. I started as a sales rep of one FM in the early ’90s and worked my way up to being Market Manager for the 12-station cluster over the course of 10 years. I cannot say enough good things about the professional expertise and industry knowledge I learned while working for Charles Giddens, Paul Stone, Eddie Esserman, and Sanders Hickey. It was the catalyst to becoming a successful consultant, speaker, and strategist.

Radio Ink: Is that why you launched Produce Your Podcast? 
Traci Long DeForge: I’m fascinated by how things often come full circle. I started my own business 13 years ago and my first clients at that time were radio stations in need of training for their sales staff or challenged by management transition. I never lost my passion for radio even as my client list evolved into early stage startups and Fortune 500 companies including Google, Weight Watchers International, Hilton, Marriott, and British Airways. In 2015, I observed the resurgence of podcasting coming to the forefront and immediately identified multiple business development opportunities. I started Produce Your Podcast to explore those possibilities for B2B and B2C clients. In doing so, I kept the idea of circling back to radio broadcasting properties with podcasting monetization strategies as a way for them to expand their revenue models. I’ve envisioned a podcast plus broadcast mashup for several years.

Radio Ink: Tell us specifically what your company does?
Traci Long DeForge: We work with customers from various businesses ranging from an independent author to Microsoft. We provide full-service turnkey podcast development. The services include walking the client through every step of the podcasting process. We create the audio identity of their visual identity, produce broadcast quality episodes, and then handle all of the details of iTunes approval and platform distribution. Produce Your Podcast has three big differentiators. We record our clients by connecting them to a live engineer in our studios while they are anywhere in the world.
The client currently the furthest away is located in Norway. In addition, each client receives access to a 10-step comprehensive workflow process system. It includes guest management tools and customized templates to use in their digital marketing. Most importantly, we create a monetization plan to integrate into their business model. Our overall focus is to create a stress-free creative experience so the client enjoys the process and the benefits of hosting their own show.

Radio Ink: What is your goal with Produce Your Podcast? 

Traci Long DeForge: Our big-picture goal is to provide access to as many individuals and business owners who want to change the conversation in their industry through podcasting. The most successful shows are built on meeting your listeners’ expectations consistently. The systems we’ve created and the production process we use ensures our clients get premium sound quality and all the support they need to release on time and have fun doing it.

Radio Ink: What should radio stations be doing in this space? Traci Long DeForge: There are vast opportunities for radio stations to develop both the programming and sales sides of the business by leveraging podcasting as a viable channel for a whole new sector of revenue growth. The focus is shifting more enthusiastically towards embracing it as opposed to resisting it which in turn is creating more questions than answers to a degree.The integration for podcasting as a monetization strategy requires a buy-in from executive management down through all layers of operations. It requires accepting the challenge of taking the traditional way of doing things and turning it upside down. Thirty-eight percent of millennials ages 18 to 34 listen to podcasts, according to  Edison Research. They also did not grow up listening to radio. This is a perfect way for radio to  literally introduce the power of audio, storytelling, marketing influence, and impact essentially to a whole “new” demographic. How do they do that? Let me count the ways.

Radio Ink: Any chance they can make real money at podcasting? 
Traci Long DeForge: It’s clear that podcasting is becoming a popular marketing strategy in the business world. As the trend continues to grow the opportunities for innovative monetization through the radio business model becomes very interesting.  U.S. podcast ad revenues have exceeded expectations with an unprecedented $314 million in 2017. This reflects 86% growth year-over-year, according to IAB & PwC Research. They predict podcast revenue will surge to $659 million by 2020, a triple-digit 110 percent hike from 2017. The eye-opening facet of this equation comes into play when considering how stations can diversify revenue beyond traditional advertising practices. I’m currently in conversations with several radio owners and operators on how a branded podcast offering may infuse new dollars to their bottom with minimal impact to their current expenses and operations. It is an exciting time in the audio communications industry.

Radio Ink: What is your prediction for the future of podcasting? 
Traci Long DeForge: The future of podcasting is bright! This year alone the accessibility factor of how people find and download podcasts has improved dramatically. The quantity and the quality of listeners and subscribers continues to increase and they are continuing to share their favorite podcasts with their networks. My prediction is branded podcasts will become as integrated into a B2B and B2C marketing strategy as other current social media outlets. How it is utilized may vary but the benefit of going vertically deep in your industry or trade organization will become more and more attractive in today’s competitive landscape. We’ll see businesses leveraging podcasts in more creative ways. They will become  tools for internal communications, be used as a means of training and leadership development because they can be produced with industry and business specific content. The need for quality audio will transition from being optional to being a necessity. The market is far from saturated however; as more podcasts are launched the listener will become more discerning. I’d like to think all of this will lead to a greater demand from time-starved CEOs, business owners, and entrepreneurs for full-service podcasting services. Can radio be a player in that space? I think so.

Reach out to Traci DeForge at [email protected]
ProduceYourPodcast.com
912.223.9525

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