Today, I am excited to introduce you to Autumn McMahon, the Manager of Marketing and Member Relations at Oklahoma Electric Cooperative (OEC).  Autumn has a relatively new podcast as part of her role at OEC. It launched in April this year, around the same time as the pandemic changed the world. Surprisingly, it turned out to be a good time for her to launch a podcast! In today’s episode, Autumn shares how she has been using OEC's "The Current Buzz" podcast to meet her members where they are at and deliver a lot of useful content to them in a short amount of time. She also discusses what keeps her motivated and what she has learned from OEC's members. I am sure you will enjoy our conversation, so stay tuned for more! Content is getting consumed at a much higher rate  Autumn's marketing content is getting consumed at a much higher rate right now than ever before. Because people are at home now, and they are in front of a screen more often. Figuring out new routines Many people used to listen to podcasts while they were commuting or while they were out getting some exercise. Things have changed due to the pandemic, however, so everyone has had to find their new normal and figure out new routines. Shorter podcasts Autumn has found that having shorter podcasts tends to play better for her listeners now than it has ever done in the past. So she tries to pack a lot of good content into a shorter length of time to meet the different demands that people have on their time. Members OEC is cooperative, so they do not have customers. They have members.  Members want green homes At OEC, they have seen that the members are getting younger and more educated. They are consuming media differently, and they want to learn more about how to green their homes.  A higher level of detail Having a podcast allows you to tell people more in a shorter amount of time and to dive deeper into the content. So Autumn has used her podcast, in addition to more traditional marketing streams and social media, to reach her audience with a higher level of detail. Learning new things Autumn feels that she has found her rhythm with the podcast. It feels like a conversation, and it has allowed her to chat with people about a vast range of different topics. It has also provided her with an opportunity to learn new things and fine-tune her skills. Podcasting In today’s world, you can share your opinion about anything. Podcasting is a great way to talk to people directly and tell them what you want them to know.  Making podcasts interesting There is a wide variety of topics and many things you can do to make podcasts interesting. But the main thing is to remain true to yourself in whatever you do. Guests Autumn likes to use the feedback from the members to help choose the guests for her podcast.  A simple solution for cleaner air I was a guest on Autumn’s podcast, and I explained that a simple solution for having better air quality in your home is to get the list of NASA plants that are good for cleaning out the air inside your house. It’s super simple, but it makes a big difference. Thinking creatively Thinking creatively about how to answer people’s questions before they have even asked them is a good quality for a podcast host to have. Marketing Autumn oversees the marketing team at OEC. They do some traditional marketing like magazines, their website, and social media marketing. They also have a branch that works with the commercial members of OEC and energy efficiency.  The true heart of service  The true heart of service is what motivates Autumn, and it underscores what truly makes her happy to be at OEC. The goal The goal of OEC is to be good stewards to their members and provide safe and reliable electricity while continuing to move forward with innovative energy solutions. They want to find ways to help people take better care of their homes, and save money while doing that. The marketing goal  Their marketing goal is to educate the community and their membershi