VK podcasts: what are they and how to use them?

How does it all work in VK

In general, everything is standard, as on the sites PodFM.ru, Podster, etc. Only searching by the title or description of the episode is not yet available: to listen to something interesting, you need to go to the news feed or go to the community.

At first, the function of adding a podcast was opened only to the 100 largest communities. Now everyone can add them; to do this, you need to write to a special bot.

Podcasts have a separate news feed. In the mobile version/application it is located in the news, in a separate tab.

There is also a whole section in the application - it is located in the menu, where “Music”, “Video”, “Games”. When you log in, you'll see your started episodes, subscriptions, and categories in which you can search for podcasts. If you search for podcasts by direction, you will only see the name of the community, not the name of the podcast itself.

If you log into VKontakte from a PC, podcasts are located only in the news in a separate tab. There are no dedicated subscriptions or started episodes - there is a feed where episodes from absolutely all communities appear. Even those you don't subscribe to. A nuance: in the browser version, only those episodes that are formatted as posts are published in the podcast feed.

Yes, episodes can still be formatted as posts, then they will appear in both the general news feed and a separate one for podcasts. To do this, you need to write a post and attach an issue to it, similar to a video or photo.

All community subscribers also receive notifications about the release of new episodes, regardless of how they are published (unless, of course, you specifically disable the corresponding notifications in the settings).

All new episodes from communities appear in:

• a general section with podcasts, which is visible in the application;
• news feed on mobile and PC;
• general feed if the episode is formatted as a post;
• notifications to subscribers.

You can listen to podcast episodes, add them to your favorites, and share them with friends. Nowadays there are many different topics on the social network. For example, the “vDud” group publishes interviews with various famous personalities, BeardyCast makes episodes about science, sports and IT, and “Medach” talks about medicine. Each topic has its own audience.

In general, the functionality of podcasts on VKontakte is the same as on popular sites. But it has its own characteristics.

How to use VKontakte podcasts in the application?

While in their news feed, the user can open the list at the top of the screen and select “Podcasts”, after which the news will display a list of popular and new podcasts. To play one of them, click on the corresponding play button in the podcast window. Clicking the star button will add the podcast to your bookmarks, allowing you to listen to it later.

If this function is activated in the public and the corresponding entries are added, the user can go to the “Podcasts” section while on the page of this community to see the full list of podcasts.

Here you can select one of the available podcasts and start playing it. Also here you can click on the button with three dots next to one of the podcasts, after which a window of additional functions will appear, through which you can send this recording to another person in a message (“Share”), or save the podcast to your bookmarks.

In the podcast playback window, you can increase its speed (1x button), or rewind the recording 15 seconds forward or backward.

How do VKontakte podcasts differ from those on other platforms?

Users can:

• listen to episodes in the background without advertising, unlike VKontakte audio recordings;
• add your favorite issues to bookmarks;
• save the place where you left off - if you change your phone to a computer, you can continue listening;
• change the scene playback speed from 1x to 3x;
• discuss issues, share them, sending a link to them to friends;
• receive notifications about the release of new episodes in interesting communities.

Authors can:

• add podcasts to the community using a bot;
• publish new episodes automatically from the website using RSS feed;
• view detailed statistics for each episode - devices, listener demographics, number of additions to favorites, etc.

Video guide to creating podcasts.

How is this format useful?

The main advantage of the new audio file format is that you can listen to them at any time, anywhere as a background while doing something. Most often, a person turns on the broadcast when doing something that does not require much concentration. Let's give a simple example. You are driving a car, but you are in a hurry to download a new post to learn interesting facts from the area that you like and in which you would like to develop. Some listeners turn on audio broadcasts to listen to people's smart thoughts, relax and escape from daily worries.

The new recording format allows you to turn routine tasks into an interesting and educational pastime. The maximum benefit can be obtained by watching videos in a foreign language. In this case, you can not only gain a lot of useful information, but also improve your language skills.

Who needs VK podcasts and are they effective?

VK podcasts are needed by those who want to try a new format of interaction with users and, of course, by authors already involved in podcasting. However, I believe that so far podcasts on VKontakte are not as effective as other types of content on VKontakte or episodes on other platforms.

They are less likely to appear in the main feed, so few people see them. This is the main problem. Even despite notifications about the release of new episodes, there are few listeners.

Let's take for example the Meduza community, which was among the hundred pioneers. The post, published on April 1, was seen by 11 thousand people in the feed in 23 minutes. And the podcast episode, published on March 6, received only 619 plays.

According to my observations, regular posts, videos, photos get more views.

But you need to understand that impressions of posts can be random, but podcasts are listened to purposefully. That is, it is more correct to assess the situation not by impressions, but by activities.

Let's look at activity in other communities. For example, in the group of the independent magazine Discourse, a standard post gets on average 2–4 thousand views, 50–150 likes and a few comments. And the average episode gets just over 150 plays.

Finally, one more example: the KHL community. It has 1.5 million subscribers. Posts within a couple of days get 70–80 thousand views, 500–1000 likes, more than . And the podcast episode received just over 1,000 plays in a month.

Thus, if we compare user engagement, it is approximately the same: a thousand people listen to a podcast for a certain time, a thousand people like/comment on a new post. At the same time, podcasts receive less coverage compared to regular publications. This means that we can say that their conversion is higher: with less coverage, they receive the same activity.

But, IMHO, if you compare podcasts on VKontakte with episodes on other platforms, they lose. The above-mentioned episode from Meduza on VKontakte received only 12 reposts and 162 likes. The same episode, but already on the Meduza website, received more than 400 reposts on Facebook - there is clearly more activity.

I think that podcasts on VKontakte do not work so effectively yet, because users come to the social network for a little something different. And they go to other platforms purposefully to listen to new releases. My advice: try and test the format in a specific niche.

Since businesses do not actively use and monetize podcasts on VKontakte due to the relatively small number of listeners on the site, there is a chance to get ahead of competitors and get all the attention of the target audience. After all, such content engages listeners more and allows them to convey their expertise and increase loyalty.

How to put a podcast on the Internet

Platforms where you can host a podcast

Podster.FM is a paid platform for hosting podcasts in Russian. With Podster, podcasts can be exported to iTunes or a website via RSS.

SoundCloud is an online music distribution platform. For podcasters, the developers have created a separate application, SoundCloud Podcasts. Podcasts from SoundCloud can be easily shared and also exported to other platforms via an RSS feed.

iTunes is a music library for iOS devices. You can import your podcast from SoundCloud here. If it passes moderation, it may end up on Apple Podcasts, the most popular podcast app for iOS. It already has over 20 million podcasts in its library.

Google Podcasts is a similar application, but for Android devices. Podcasts are hosted in it via an RSS feed created, for example, in SoundCloud or Podster.

Yandex Music is a music and audio library. There is a separate “Podcasts” tab here. To upload your podcasts, you need to fill out a simple application form and wait for moderation.

Spotify is an online audio streaming service similar to SoundCloud. You can apply on the Spotify for Podcasters page.

Castbox is an application that already hosts more than 95 million podcasts, including in Russian.

VKontakte – VK now has the opportunity to add a “Podcasts” section to your community. To do this, you need to prepare files and send your application for moderation. If everything is ok, after a while the corresponding section will appear in your community. If you haven’t passed moderation, don’t be upset, you can post podcasts on your page or in a group, like regular audio recordings.

Youtube – You can also use YouTube to distribute your podcasts. Considering that this is a video hosting site, they must be in video file format. However, some podcasters don’t bother with video, but simply post videos with a splash screen and a voice-over.

Article on the topic: How to post a video on YouTube

How to publish a podcast on your website or blog

How to upload a podcast to your website? It all depends on what platform or engine you are using. On most sites, podcasts can be displayed by inserting html code or an RSS feed created, for example, in SoundCloud.

To get an RSS feed, go to the “Permission” tab in the podcast settings, check the box next to the phrase “Include in RSS feed” – “Save changes”. The RSS feed has been created, now to copy it, go to your account settings, open the “Settings” – “Connect” tab, here is the feed code. Copy and paste where needed.

Let's look separately at a couple of methods for the popular WordPress engine, as well as the Tilda and Wix designers. Since many people use them to create their websites.

WordPress

You can publish podcasts through an RSS feed, through html code, through widgets and plugins. For example, there are several widgets for hosting audio from Soundcloud - HTML5 SoundCloud Player, SoundPress and others.

There are also separate plugins for podcasting - PowerPress Podcasting, Seriously Simple Podcasting, Podlove Podcast Publisher, Simple Podcast Press.

Tilde

For Tilda there are ready-made blocks with a widget - SoundCloud, Mixcloud and Yandex.Music, as well as a block for inserting html code.

Wix

To host a podcast on a website made with the Wix builder, use one of these applications in the Wix App Market - Wix Podcast Player, WixMusic, SoundCloud, Spotify.

How to design a podcast page

Before posting podcasts, prepare graphic materials - cover, avatar. They are easiest to make in the online editor Canva or Photoshop. Dimensions and other technical requirements vary by site - you'll see them when you download the podcast. For example, on SoundCloud, the cover size ranges from 1400 x 1400px to 3000 x 3000px. It appears not only on SoundCloud, but also on all other platforms where you export podcasts from this platform. Banner size - 2480 x 520px. He is only seen on SoundCloud.

How to attract your first listeners

There is always a chance that your podcasts will be noticed on the platform where they are posted. But it’s better not to wait for a miracle, but to promote them yourself. How exactly? Tell everyone about your podcast - on the website, on social networks and messengers, in mailings, in general, wherever your audience is.

Checklist for starting a podcast

Instead of a conclusion, we offer a mini checklist for launching a podcast:

• Choose a topic that is interesting to you, in demand among listeners, and on which you can record many episodes.
• Create a clear content plan for several issues ahead.
• Buy equipment for recording sound, download programs or applications for processing it.
• Prepare files for the podcast page design.
• Place your finished podcasts on one or more platforms and promote them wherever you can.
• Set up a feed and post the podcast on your blog or website.

Mini-instructions: how to add a podcast to the community

A podcast cannot be added as a photo album, video, or audio. For now, the platform is conditionally closed: to be able to publish podcast episodes on VKontakte, you need to write to the bot. He will ask for a link to the description and episodes of the podcast: you can’t just try a new format on the site, you need to record at least 2-3 episodes and post them on a third-party platform.

When you send podcast episodes to a bot, real people will appreciate them. They will listen carefully to the recordings and look at the description. Fraud will not work. For example, it will not be possible to record several tracks and publish them as an episode in order to bypass advertising and restrictions in audio recordings from VKontakte - such content simply will not be missed. If everything goes well, your community will be allowed to use the podcast.

Important: You can only add one podcast to a community, and the number of episodes is unlimited.

Once approved, you will need to indicate the name and upload the cover of the podcast, and then publish the first episode.

Episodes can be loaded manually or automatically using an RSS feed. It’s convenient if you publish a podcast on some website - you won’t need to download episodes twice. To do this, you will need to go to the community settings and enable RSS, and then provide a link to the file.

After you download the first episode, you can add links to other episodes in the blocks on the right.

Individual episodes do not need to use the podcast cover art. You can upload other pictures. If you decide to discuss different topics in the episodes, use an alternative cover. When downloading a new episode, you can select and download it instead of the main one.

By using multiple covers for different topics, you can visually show your listeners what you'll be talking about in the episode. And they will be able to quickly find the issues they are interested in in the general list.

How to create a podcast, or Content for your ears

How to make a podcast

Podcast topic

How to choose a podcast topic and format? You can look at the top search queries and start recording podcasts on popular topics. But this will not work if you have little understanding of the topic or are simply not interested in it. Listeners quickly recognize falsehood. Therefore, first of all:

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We find a topic that inspires you personally and may be of interest to listeners.

The second point is that you need a topic on which you can record many episodes. Consistency is important in podcasts; episodes should be regular.

And thirdly, the topic should reflect your type of activity and interests. If you are a simple blogger and you need podcasts for self-PR, then everything is simple - the choice of topics is almost unlimited. But if this is a podcast for business promotion, then we take the appropriate topic. If you build houses, record audio on the topic of construction, and not about salad recipes, as an example.

You can see what other entrepreneurs and bloggers are doing:

1. Website builder Tilda - record interviews with people who have created a business website on their platform.

   

2. Igor Bondar is the founder of the Woodroot educational platform, TEDx speaker, and author of the Soft Skills course. He records podcasts about personal productivity and self-management.

   

3. Showroom - podcasts in which designer Den Talala and musician Valera Yushkov talk about everything: design, people, music, cinema and so on.

   

The purpose of creating and running a podcast

Determine the purpose of starting a podcast. Why are you going to invest time/money into creating a podcast?

Basically, podcasts are made to:

• Increase audience reach and increase brand awareness. Business podcasts can be an excellent addition to pages on social networks, a blog, or a website. Plus, you can attract an audience of busy people who are more comfortable listening to podcasts than spending time reading articles or watching videos.
• Establish yourself as an opinion leader. If you are promoting a personal brand or just an expert in some field, record your own podcasts and people will know about you. There is every chance to gain popularity and become a highly paid specialist.
• Establish communication with clients and potential clients. During podcasts, you can take calls from listeners or respond to their messages. This will allow you to establish communication with people. Listeners can also suggest interesting topics for future podcasts. The better your communication with your audience, the more trust you have as a business, blogger or specialist.
• Increase sales. If you manage to hook listeners with your first podcasts, they will be waiting for new episodes. As a result, you will receive a loyal audience that is interested in you as a person or your business. Such listeners are likely to become buyers of your products and services.
• Earnings . Yes, podcasts can be monetized too. So far, the main methods are audio advertising embedded in the podcast, or advertising on the podcast page if you post them on your website.

If you need more listeners - how to promote a podcast

For podcasts to generate engagement, loyalty, and awareness, they need good reach. How to get it:

Choose the right topic. If you are adding a podcast to an existing community, research your target audience well. An episode discussing breastfeeding is unlikely to go down well among a group of motorists.

Put the topic in the title. In the general list of episodes, only the titles of the episodes are visible, so put the main theme in them. This way, users will quickly find what they are looking for and will be more likely to become interested if they see it in the feed.

Let's lift the veil of secrecy - soon users will be able to search for episodes using keywords. Therefore, it is better to start correctly describing and naming the episodes now.

Ask your subscribers to be active. For example, simply ask to like or share your favorite episode with a friend. Option: running a competition with a prize drawing between those who are active helps spread the podcast.

Why is this necessary? Then, in the mobile version, users see recommendations from their friends in the podcast feed. If your friend likes it, you will see the episode itself and information about who exactly liked it.

Periodically remind about the podcast. Publish posts, talk about the fact that you are releasing episodes, attract the attention of subscribers to them. Tell us where you can listen to them and how they are useful.

From my examples above, you can see that podcasts are listened to very little. If you constantly tell your subscribers about them, there is a chance that over time the audience of listeners will grow. Of course, if the topic is interesting to them.

Do your timing. If you're recording long episodes, break them down into separate topics. And then leave “anchors” in the description of episodes or posts - the time from which you can listen to a certain topic.

This will show you care by making navigation easier. Those who are not interested in the entire episode will be able to immediately start listening from the moment the topic of interest to them begins. There will be more auditions in the long run.

Make posts. Episodes can be attached to standard posts. Make sure that they are seen by the maximum number of subscribers. Accompany your audio content with an attractive description to make readers want to become listeners.

Promote your podcast. If you add a podcast episode to a post, you can promote it in the same way as a regular one - for example, advertise in the news feed, order advertising posts in other communities. You can start targeting by linking to a specific episode or podcast in general.

All these methods will work more effectively if used together: “accustoming” subscribers to podcasts, properly designing and illustrating episodes, stimulating activity, and periodically running ads.

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