The podcast world is booming. Up to seven thousand audios are recorded every day. From 15 minutes to two and a half hours, daily or monthly, by author or team - podcasts can be very different. According to analysts, people who listen to podcasts tend not to skip ads, which makes the audio format interesting for advertisers. What do successful podcasts have in common? What does the podcast promotion process look like? What should those who are just going to write their own audio know? This was discussed by podcasters from around the world at the Re: publica 2020 conference in Berlin with Lyndsay Phillips.
Subject, feed angle, opening
Choose a topic that interests you personally that you understand. It's hard to do a podcast about running, for example, if you're not running yourself. Or give advice on vegetarian cooking if you just gave up meat yesterday. But, on the other hand, if you do not initially lie to your audience, pretend to be an "expert," and your position as a beginner can gather your listeners, just like you.
Listen to podcasts that are already on the topic that you are going to develop. Think about how you will be different. Look for twists and turns, details that you were missing after listening to these podcasts. Maybe this is how you find your niche.
Podcast topics that were presented at Re: publica 2019 - personal motivation, technology, nutrition, healthy lifestyle, sex, coaching, personal development, music and music culture, news + additional details, employment and new opportunities for self-realization, migration, mental health, stars.
Target audience - more relevant than ever
Podcasts came about after the iPod boom and the scarcity of audio content. At one time, it seemed that mass video production would undermine the development of podcasts. But in fact, there are people who love audio content, and there are situations when listening is more comfortable than watching or reading. Before you start working on your podcast, introduce your audience.
What does this particular person do when they listen to your audio? Is he at the gym on the treadmill, running through the park, driving to work, making dinner, or getting ready for bed?
Why can't he watch the video or read at this moment?
How often does he find himself in this situation?
Much depends on the answers to these questions in the presentation of the material itself. Also, there are some more interesting questions at https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/30/learning/do-you-listen-to-podcasts.ht...
Tempo and rhythm or how much you can
Once you've introduced your audience, you need to find the exact pace that your listener needs. Many people quit listening to the podcast because they are running, and you are speaking too slowly. Or vice versa, you speak too quickly, and the audience does not have time to follow your thought.
There is no monotony and boredom.
Switch your attention and play with your voice.
Ask your audience questions that they can answer during their feedback.
More than three not going to?
You can invite guests to your podcast, and you can record it with friends. But always remember that the audience may not know and understand your jokes and the contexts you are talking about. It may seem to you that you recorded a brilliant podcast because everyone laughed so much during the recording, but no one will listen to it because listeners simply cannot appreciate your creativity. If you invite guests, keep in mind that some guests may be more popular, and there will be more listeners, some less. Therefore, regardless of the guests, always remember that this is your podcast, so it should be clear what your personal value is as an author, interviewer, producer of this audio show, and why the audience should listen to you.
Feedback and promotion
As with any media product, in order to develop, you need to closely monitor the analytics. It's not just how many people downloaded your podcast, but how long they've been listening to you. If they listen to at least half - then success. If they listen to the end - you have found your listener (well, as long as it’s not your mother).
A podcast, like any media product, needs to be promoted. For this, use social networks and communities where your target audience is. Feedback is very important for a podcast. Tell your audience where they will find your podcast, how to download it, how to listen to it, how often you update it, how to contact you, and how they can affect your podcast.
Communicate with the audience: if not on the air, then on the platforms where you promote the podcast. Ask about topics of interest, program format, background music, and much more. Engage your audience in content production.
Five questions most frequently asked by aspiring podcasters.
How long should a podcast be? See the paragraph about the target audience.
How regularly should my podcast come out? Regularly. How much? See the paragraph about the target audience.
Do I need music in my podcast? Not everyone can masterfully master the voice and not be boring, and the audience is already used to background music. But still see the paragraph about the target audience.
I came up with a theme, found a target audience, so what's next? Write and edit a podcast. Making a podcast doesn't just mean turning on a button on a voice recorder. Listening, composing and re-assembling content, cleaning parasitic words or unfinished thoughts. Remove all unnecessary noise and words, add music or sounds that seem necessary to you.
Where do I host my podcast? Choose sites where your audience is, preferably several at once. iTunes or iPodcasts, Podigee.