Planning Your Podcast
If you are planning your Podcast, you must know every stage in the planning of the podcast to creating and publishing it. You must have a broad idea about the podcast before starting it.
1. What Is Your Podcast For?
Why do you want to make a Podcast? What sort of work will you do? Will you work as a freelancer, a business or a marketing manager? You might consider starting it as a hobby. Once you are clear about these in your head or on paper, you can start your Podcast. Knowing your approach will widen your options to help you build authority and create a customer base. You’ll be able to entertain your audience with valuable and unique content.
It’s best to have a plan for everything regarding the Podcast before starting it. Decide how it will sound, which type of show it will be and how you will organize it, etc.
2. Who Is The Podcast For?
You should be absolutely clear in knowing exactly what the content will be like, or what you are going to do with it. Without deciding this, it will be very difficult to grown an audience for your show.
For example, you may want to start podcast from a business point of view and lets say you’re a dancer by profession. You might want to make a dance and fitness podcast, but attract a broader audience. Perhaps you could also appeal to those who are into eating healthily, fitness and wellbeing in addition to dancing.
If creating for a hobby show, for example, if you have a love of science fiction your target audience will be those who share the same interest and have a passion for it.
The topics you cover should stay focused and highly targetted on the content you’re including in the podcast. The best way to reach the audience you’re after, is having a perspective from your viewpoint. This way, your podcasts will be unique.
3. Planning Your Podcast
There are several types of the podcast format. You should choose one of them which best fits the content you’re going to produce. The different types of formats are:
- Interview show – These are the probably the best and most popular podcasts. They are presented by a regular host who interviews a different guest in each episode.
- Solo Show- These are presented by one host who talks about important topics of interest to them. The creator has a free reign to explore their creativity by talking about the topic in their own unique way.
- The Co-Hosted Show – This type of show can have two, or multiple hosts to discuss a particular topic. It often sounds like listening to a conversation between friends.
- The Educational Show – These shows can have just one or multiple hosts featuring a specific lesson or conveying knowledge and information about the particular topic.
- Podcast Based On True Story – These feature a variety of different true stories such as crime, science, spooky or interesting news from around the world.
- Podcast Theatre – These are for audiences who are into audiobooks and fiction stories. They are normally narrated by a professional voice artist or celebrity. This type of format works really well for fiction writers or those who enjoy writing thriller short stories.
Pick the best format that fits the type of show you want to produce. The content should be informative and just the right length to keep listeners engaged.
4. Why Should They Listen to Your Podcast?
If your podcast is informative, then you’ll be helping people to increase their knowledge of the topic – they will learn from you. If the podcast is an interview with an entertainer or perhaps, a famous author, those listening to the Podcast learn more about them and hopefully recomment it to others.
Make sure your content is unique so the audience keeps engaged and not only listens, but can’t wait for the next podcast. This is why your planning is vital.
When you are providing information, it helps the listeners when you are able to increase their knowledge about the given topic. In the case of an interview, audiences get entertainment from it and can learn a lot more about the guests or celebrities. The aim should be for your podcast to provide value to the audience.
5. What Is The Need for Consistency?
If you want to continually increase your listener base and keep it strong, you need to have consistency in your content. Consistency means the episodes should be released regularly and at about the same time each week or month. The content should be as good and interesting as in previous episodes.
Always keep in mind when writing the content that it should have as much detailed information about the topic as possible and each episode should be creative and enhance the listener’s interest.
6. How to Record the Podcast?
Recording the Podcast is very simple; all you need is a quiet empty room with a microphone, headphones and editing software. Initially, you can record it on your smartphone or tablet, then edit it in one of the free editing apps that are available to download. If you want a better sound for your podcast, you can record it on either a laptop or PC, you could also buy a better phone .
Planning Your Podcast – The Advantages
- Planning makes them much easier to create: there’s just a few requirements, plus a decent script are enough to create an outstanding podcast.
- Podcasts are highly engaging as they help to create a better relationship between the creator and the audience.
- Podcasts helps the host improve speaking skills by regularly hosting, it helps in developing confidence to speak into a microphone and in public.
- Although a podcast is a one way communication, it helps listeners get to know and become familiar with the person hosting it and encourages them to get closer to the brand.
- It’s a good alternative to video marketing, especially for small businesses who might not be able to afford having a video made, utilizing podcast as an alternative is a much cheaper option.
If you are planning to start a podcast it isn’t difficult to do. The most important things you need are good content, somewhere to record it and a Wi-Fi connection. Podcasts have increased immensely in popularity in recent times, and although you might not get much of an audience to begin with, if you have consistency in the quality of your content and publish regularly, you’ll see it grow.