Amplifying Your Reach: The Power of Podcasting for Children's Activity Providers

This month, we're excited to feature Mike Roberts, owner of Making Digital Real - a digital marketing expert and long-standing partner of Morton Michel. Mike is the community director for the Children's Activities Association and the driving force behind Making Digital Real, a podcast mentoring and editing service. Join us as Mike discusses the transformative power of podcasting for children’s activity providers, sharing expert insights on how to use this dynamic platform to expand your influence and connect meaningfully with audiences both locally and globally.

Morton Michel: Mike, thanks for joining us! To start off, could you explain how podcasting can be a powerful tool for children’s activity providers?

Mike Roberts: Absolutely. Podcasting offers a unique platform to share engaging stories and educational content that can captivate both children and their parents. It's an excellent way to extend your reach beyond local boundaries and connect with a global audience interested in enriching children’s lives through creative and educational activities. It’s also an extremely powerful marketing tool. In todays digitally polluted world, many PDF’s and webinars simply land in the ‘to do’ folder, whilst podcasts are easily consumed anywhere, without the need for screen fatigue. I especially like the use of private podcasts to help business owners grow their marketing databases.

Morton Michel: That sounds promising! Can you share some success stories from your clients who started podcasting?

Mike Roberts: Certainly! One of my clients, a local art class provider, started a podcast discussing art techniques. She also created a bonus episode, only available to people who subscribed via her landing page. With every listen, she now directs people to the bonus episode, which means she now has the name and email address of her listeners, meaning a faster way to monetisation and using the podcast to grow her business.

Morton Michel: What are the first steps for providers interested in starting their own podcast?

Mike Roberts: The first step is identifying what unique insights or value you can provide to your audience. From there, it’s about setting up the right equipment, which doesn’t have to be expensive. A £20 headset will be more that sufficient in most cases, and a headset means the microphone is always the same distant from your mouth. Having a mentor can really simplify this process, helping you to launch and maintain and edit a high-quality podcast effectively.

Morton Michel: What common challenges might providers face and how can they overcome them?

Mike Roberts: Many worry about the time commitment and technical aspects of running a podcast. Overcoming these challenges is easier with support from a podcast mentor who can guide you through the process, from content creation to technical setup and promotion.

Morton Michel: How can a mentor and editor streamline the podcasting process?

Mike Roberts: A mentor helps clarify your vision and strategy, ensuring your content aligns with your goals and resonates with your audience. An editor, on the other hand, can enhance the audio quality of your podcast, making it professional and pleasant to listen to, which is crucial for building a loyal listener base.

Morton Michel: How can providers tailor their content to effectively engage both children and their parents?

Mike Roberts: It’s about finding the right balance between educational and entertaining content. Interactive content, like Q&A sessions where kids can have their questions answered, or episodes featuring storytelling or simple projects, can engage children while providing value to parents looking for educational options. I also love being able to add audio files that make the episodes more engaging, such as intro swaps with other activity providers, and adding in reviews from children and parents. This always gains huge results.

Morton Michel: Any tips for promoting a podcast in this niche?

Mike Roberts: Social media is a powerful tool, especially platforms like Facebook where many parents gather for recommendations and reviews. Collaborating with other children’s activity providers or educational influencers can also help amplify your reach.

Morton Michel: Looking to the future, where do you see podcasting in children's education heading?

Mike Roberts: Podcasting has a bright future in educational content. As technology integrates more into our learning environments, podcasts may become a regular feature in educational curriculums, offering a new layer of interaction and engagement in children’s education.

Morton Michel: Mike, thanks so much for sharing your expertise with us.

For anyone interested in exploring how podcasting can transform their children’s activity business, Mike is offering a free initial consultation to Morton Michel newsletter readers. It’s a free 30 minute introductory session and to take advantage of this offer, connect with Mike via mike@makingdigitalreal.co.uk or visit https://vault.makingdigitalreal.co.uk/products/courses/view/1170663 to learn more about his services and schedule your consultation.

Please note, the information in this article is provided by Mike Roberts from Making Digital Real and does not represent the views or opinions of Morton Michel.