Square,‘Talking Squarely’ and ‘Paying It Forward’ Podcasts | Content Strategy
Role: Content Strategy, Content Production
Team: studioID, for Square
Timeline: 2020, 2021
Tools: Optimizely, Zencastr
As part of the NewsCred/StudioID team, I contributed to the content strategy for Square's inaugural playlist, Talking Squarely. At the time, original podcasts were a relatively novel brand extension, and combining internal company expertise with the voices of real Square customers allowed for Square’s audience to access a different resource for their own small businesses.
In addition to framing the value of the podcast to client stakeholders, my team and I also facilitated the pre-production work for each episode, including coordinating and attending recording sessions, editing each episode, and acting as liasion between the client and our production partners. Standout episodes of Talking Squarely’s first season include conversations with Killer Mike about Black business and discussions about the new realities of e-commerce and supply chain fluctuations— especially timely in the COVID-19 production period.
As the lead StudioID strategist on the Square account, I created and executed on the content strategy for Square's second podcast, Paying It Forward, which addressed common issues facing small business finance owners. Where Talking Squarely was envisioned as a storytelling vehicle for Square sellers, episodes of Paying It Forward were constructed to provide bite-sized, actionable finance tips for small business owners. Formatting each episode around one financial expert and a guest with a related situation allowed listeners to envision results for themselves and their businesses.
Topics for Paying It Forward included how to apply for small business loans, navigating payroll software, and making sure your business’ e-commerce pricing was competitive— all services that Square was happy to provide. I also oversaw production elements for this show, taking more of a role in shaping and editing episodes with our main client contact/showrunner.
