6 Relevant Tips and Tricks Every Podcaster Should Know

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December 30, 2020 Marketing

Mass media and communication and the way information and knowledge are disseminated have undergone drastic changes over the years. In the earlier years, people would tune in to the radio to gather information about what was happening in the world. The amount of information available was nevertheless limited. With the advent of podcasting, which claims to be the modern online talk radio, the scope of information available has increased.

The variety of topics on which information is available through podcasting is unimaginable. With the rapid increase in the demand for podcasts, many people have started turning towards podcasting as a profession. Though it does not need any specific professional skills, here are a few tips and tricks that you need to keep in mind to be successful as a podcaster.

1. Select a Topic You are Passionate About

People can talk for hours about a topic they are passionate about. The same goes for podcasts. The worst mistake you can make is to choose a topic that you are not at all interested in. You might have chosen the topic because it is the latest and trending topic amongst a specific audience but, before you select the topic, you need to ask yourself a few questions.

Are you passionate about the topic?
Can you speak offhand about the topic for an hour?
Do you have enough knowledge and information about the topic?

If you are not at all interested in a topic and have chosen it just for its saleability, you are making a mistake. The passion that you have for a given topic will reflect in your podcast and automatically speak for itself. This will guarantee a larger audience and sharing of your podcasts with other people having similar interests.

2. Create a Brand for Your Podcast

After you have chosen a topic for your podcast, the next step is to create a brand for it. Your podcast brand is obviously going to need a name. Choose a name that is simple and describes your podcast. Simple, direct, and descriptive names will reach out to more people than creative and abstract names because such names are not relatable. The name of your podcast should also include one or two keywords to help the audiences find it easily. Along with a good name and keywords, a good logo is essential for the success of your podcast. Design an attractive, attention-grabbing logo to get the audience interested in your podcast.

3. Format and Structure

You need to decide whether you want to go for video or audio podcasts. If you have a pleasant and charming personality and are confident about your camera presence, you can opt for a video podcast. A video podcast is much more personal than an audio one. It helps you connect better with your audience. If your audience is finicky about downloading huge files, an audio podcast can be the right choice.

The frequency of your podcast is another important thing that you need to consider. Consistency is extremely important for the success of your podcast. If you have decided to release a show, let’s say, every two weeks, then stick to it. Your audience looks forward to it and expects it of you. A month or two without a release and you will have lost your audience.

The duration of each podcast is another deciding factor in how attentive your audiences are going to be. It shouldn’t be so short that you cannot fit in enough information. It should not drag so much that the audience gets bored and sign out. A duration of 30-50 minutes is just right to get the audience listening to you speak.

4. Plan Your Content

If your podcast does not have good, catchy, and informative content, it is not going to be successful. However good a speaker you may be, you will not be able to attract an audience without good and meaningful content. The success of your podcast largely depends upon the choice of your topics, your content, speaking skills or conversation flow, and overall engagement with the topic.

Your podcast might be broken up into segments. Make sure that each segment is connected to your theme. You can even invite guests onto one of the segments but the guests should also be from the same field as your theme. Though podcasts are never completely scripted, it is advisable to have some sort of script at least for the introduction and conclusion. If you want to reach your target audience and want them to read this as a success story, a partial script is needed. As far as the rest of the show is concerned, you could have a bulleted list of notes so that you cover all the points you have thought of.

5. Technical Aspects of a Video Podcast

There are many tools that you will need for a working podcast. Here is a list of a few such tools.

Microphone: It is essential to invest in a good quality microphone to ensure clarity and quality of voice.
Online Conversation Platforms: You are going to need an online conversation platform like Skype to start your podcast. The platform you opt for should be user friendly and comfortable to use.
There are a number of other tools that help in recording and broadcasting your podcast like cam twist, audio hijack pro, and skype call recorder.

6. Grow Your Audience

Your podcast is obviously created keeping in mind the audience. If you are passionate about your theme and your content is good, you will automatically attract an audience. Nevertheless, there are a few things that you can consciously do to increase your audience.

A professionally built, clean, and simple website will help attract people to your podcast. Let your website focus on your podcast.
Involve your audience in live chats. Get feedback through polls and conduct surveys, involve your audience as much as possible, even in the choice of your topics.
Encourage your subscribers to review and rate your podcasts through social media to increase your audience participation.

Podcasting is a tool that can be successfully used for the purpose of branding and marketing products. It is the future in communication and is here to stay. With easy access to the internet, a podcast can reach a lot more people than many other mediums and is the reason why many people are turning towards podcasting. If you too want to join the bandwagon, simply follow these steps and you will be successful as a podcaster.