How can I create good podcasts?
How can I improve my podcast so that it will be of higher quality? What kinds of things do professional podcasters do?
Can you help me to develop a good format?
How can I find an audience to hear my podcast?
Can you help me determine who might want to listen?
How can I keep my audience coming back to hear more podcasts? How can I find enough information to sustain podcasting on a regular basis?
What you need to know
Introduction
Content is king!
Formats of a podcast
Sample podcast format
The secrets to successful podcasts
Niche markets
What niche markets can you serve?
Marketing your podcast
Project #6 – Features and Benefits of your podcast
Take Action
Useful sites
Do it now! – for personal podcasters Do it now! – for business podcasters
Wrap up
Summary
Watch your step
The three things you need to know Stay tuned…
If you were online when the Internet made the move from being an advanced and specialized technology to become a popular medium for the regular public, you'll probably remember the early days of web sites: it seemed like everybody who was anybody was trying desperately to put web sites on the Internet. You may remember, compared to today, these web sites really lacked in value.
It was a new age and people did not know what to do with the Internet, they just knew it was going to be a big thing and they needed do be a part of it. So a website simply became a page about a company along with a phone number to call if you wanted to buy their product.
Fast forward to today and you'll immediately see the development of web sites from simply a "cover page" about the company to an interactive and informative site where you can do your questions answered, buy products, and find financial and shareholder information.
Podcasting is still in its early days. People are still trying to figure out what they can put on podcasts, and if people will listen to it. Content and audience will be the determining factors on who is still around 5 or 10 years from now when podcasting reaches its maturity.
Ever heard of the game “Pong?” If not, ask someone who is a little older than you to tell you about it. After Pong came early game systems like Atari with Pacman characters running from ghosts. Game systems have advanced so far in only a few decades. Podcasting is like that, too! Web radio is like the Pong of Internet audio-tainment. Podcasting is like the early Atari system. It won’t be long and we’ll be looking back and laughing at how primitive podcasting is.
Content is king!If you're just looking to find a podcasts that meets your interests, check out many of the sites available. If you do not find what you're looking for, do not despair. It won't be long before someone will create a podcast for your interest. Just keep looking, or create one yourself! Chances are, others are looking for that same niche as well.
If you're interested in podcasting, check to see what's out there now. Some interests lend themselves to podcasting more easily than others, while others may not seem so readily transferable into a podcasting format.
When creating your podcast, make sure that it contains quality content. Just like a bad television show, a podcast with little to say will find that it fades out of existence as its discontented audience trickles away.
>>>SECRETS OF THE PROS! USE CONTENT, NOT EFFECTS, TO ADD
VALUE TO YOUR PODCAST
Would you eat a sandwich with nothing between the bread? Would you read a newspaper that only had blank pages? When was the last time you watched that all-static channel on TV? These are silly examples but podcasting is in its infancy and people tend to put anything on a podcast! If you want a podcast that will be around for awhile, make sure you’re offering a sandwich which is more than just two slices of bread!
In the next few subsections you will see ways to create high quality, high content podcasts that will make people want to come back again and again to hear what you have the say.Formats of a podcast
Podcasting can take many formats, just like a television show or radio program. In fact, since podcasting is so new and people are willing to experiment with different kinds of formats, you are likely to get away with formats that will not be considered acceptable in a television or radio program.
• The interview show. In each podcast you interview one or several experts in the niche you serve.• The call in show. In this format, people phone in and you talk to them. This works well in any problem diagnosis situation, where people ask you for help with their garden or their car or their computer and you give advice to them but it is practical enough advice that all of your listeners will find value in it.
• The monologue. In this format, you simply tell people your ideas, just as if you were a professor in a college lecturing your students or a storyteller with a rapt audience. If you have something interesting to say and you are a good speaker, this format can work well, especially since podcasting is the only medium that will allow you to do this. But be careful! Because it can become boring very, very quickly.
• The dialogue. This format is much more enjoyable to listen to, even though you can accomplish the same thing in this format as you can in the monologue; get your ideas across to your listeners. The only difference is, two or more people are talking about it and the different invoices will help break up the format, and may even allow for a question-and-answer style discussion or a debate with one person on one side of the issue and the other person on the other side of the issue.
• The conversation. This is a little less formal than the dialogue (above) and a lot more freeform. There are some great podcasts out there of just conversation-style shows, but they are difficult to maintain quality content without a script.
• Podcast version of seminar/convention. This format is somewhat difficult to listen to, although if your industry has a convention that you cannot make it to, this is the next best thing. When the speaker of the seminar speaks into the microphone, it is also transferred into an MP3 format and then made available for you to download. If the seminar requires a lot of visuals, the podcast can be very boring, but it's the best option if you can't make it.
• This quiz show. This is an interesting format, and it can be done in a couple ways: some podcasts ask questions, pause for some music while you think of the answer, then reveal the answer.
• News magazine format. News channels, like CNN, are putting their headlines into podcast form. Like a television or radio broadcast, they simply list off the headlines then have a feature story or two followed by a few smaller stories. It's a good way to catch the news if you're on the go and want quality news from a respected national news source rather than local news from your radio station.
Of course, there are many other formats, but these are often the most popular. If you're creating a podcast you'll probably want to use these formats in a combination to provide the very best value to your listeners.
Sample Podcast formatFor example, here's a typical format of some current, excellent podcasts available right now:
1. Introductory music
2. Introduction of hosts
3. Hosts introduce topics covered on the podcast with the catchy title and a one sentence teaser (like a table of contents for the podcast).
4. The first topic, the hosts review industry related news.
5. The second topic, someone calls in with a problem and the hosts make suggestions to solve the problem.
6. The third topic, the hosts review a couple of web sites or industry related books. 7. There is a brief pause for an advertisement.
8. The fourth topic, (the longest, in a feature format) an industry expert is interviewed.
9. Question and answer between hosts and guests.
10. The hosts mention an upcoming seminar they are offering.
11. The hosts talk about the next podcast coming up and what listeners can look forward to.
12. Concluding music.
Not every podcast has to follow this format, and you'll find podcasts that vary in quality and quantity of content. But this example, above, is a sample outline drawn from a conglomeration of good quality podcasts currently available.
The secrets to successful podcastsIf you're planning on podcasting, here are a few tips to help you create a high quality podcasts. They do not cost anything and they are easy to implement so they should be added to your podcast in order to help you create a quality product that people will want to subscribe to.
• Have a script but don't read from it. Listeners can tell both ways: if you are just flying from the seat of your pants, or... all... you... do… is… speak… like… this… all… the… way… through… your… podcast. Both ways can be annoying.
• Put a little bit of music or a related sound at the beginning and end of your podcast. Like parentheses, these just give the listener with audible cues that your podcast is starting and finishing.
• Host a podcast, rather than simply letting it be a sounding board of one person renting on and on. The differences in voices will make for a more enjoyable experience for your listener.
• Give headlines at the beginning of your podcast. Tell listeners to expect to hear “these 3 things: Number one, number two, number three.” That way, they can follow along more easily.
• Add value! Podcasts can be a good way to make money, which we will talk about in detail later, but people will only be drawn to them if they actually add value to their lives. Don't use your podcast as a vehicle to only move product or you will find you only need to make one podcast because no one will listen to any more.
• Remember that podcasting is an audio format. There are many podcasts out there today that are simply recordings of seminars or trade shows or product unveilings that require in order to succeed.
• Learn to speak clearly. Either hire a professional to help you or join a group like Toastmasters whose purpose is to help you speak more clearly. There are too many podcasts today whose speakers have not tried to improve their ability to be understood, and these podcast will not be around for very much longer.
• Be excited about your topic!Whether you are new to podcasting or a veteran this list will help improve your listener’s experience.
Niche markets
The secret to successful podcasting, and to the future success of the industry lies in podcasting's ability to service a niche market. Most people can find general information readily available quickly.
What people want is in-depth information, instruction, and entertainment specific to their area of interest. It is easy for them to find a web site that will post all the baseball scores in their favorite division. What they might be looking for however, is information, instruction, and entertainment related to their baseball team, which might not be readily available at the click of a mouse.
People who want to find out more about the industry, do not want to scour the Internet for a couple hours each day looking for analysis and information and top experts. Podcasting brings all of that to them.
>>>SECRETS OF THE PROS! SERVING A SMALL NICHE ENSURES A LOYAL AUDIENCE
What niche markets can you serve?If you are looking to break into the podcasting world, but are not sure what to podcast about, this might be the place to start. Don't worry right now about advertising, just look for a niche markets to serve. The farther you drill down into the niche, the better chance you have of getting your podcast heard. So rather than podcasting on cars or books, drill down further. Let’s say you’re a car enthusiast or a book enthusiast. Here are a couple examples of drilling down to become more specific on your area of interest.
From the idea of cars, drill down for specific niche market ideas:Cars
|
Automobile racing
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Stock Car racing
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---------------------------------------------- | | NASCAR Women racers | | Nextel Cup Series **American women racers**
Current year’s race coverage
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**coverage of a specific race team or driver**
Books
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Book reviews
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Book reviews of books available online |
Book reviews of free e-books
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**Book reviews of free e-books for the business traveler**
Now it’s time to find a niche of your own.
Marketing your podcast
So here you are: You have developed a great podcast, with excellent content for a very tight niche. And you are prepared to podcast on this topic with top-notch content for a long time to come.
Now what?Now you have to get your podcast out into the world to be heard. Many broadcasters to simply podcast for personal interest or to get their opinions out into the world, don't bother to market their podcast. And perhaps, if you have a small and faithful following that might be all you're interested in. For example, maybe you are pastor at a church and it doesn't matter to you other people outside of your congregation hear your podcasts, as long as they are available for your parishioners. That's fine.
But there are many people, especially business podcasters, who need to be heard. Perhaps you need to be heard because of the importance of your sell your product and put food on the table, whatever the reason is, you need to do your podcast out there.
The first in you want to do is submit your podcast to the podcast hosting sites mentioned in a previous chapter. If you haven't done that already, take time to be that right away. Don't just submit to one, submit to all of them.
The next thing you need to do is to make sure that your marketing material (if you are a business) contains the web site on which your podcast is hosted. For example, if your company has a web site, make sure it's on your marketing material. Then go on to your company's web site and make sure that the podcast is easy to see. Lots of companies have very busy web sites which makes it difficult to notice if there are new items on the page. You might also want to put on your marketing material something along the lines that of "subscribe to our podcast."
Just plunking down your podcast on your web site and a web address on your marketing material will not get you very many subscribers. It could get some calm and that's great, but just like any other product that you sell you need to give people a reason to subscribe to your podcast.
If you haven't noticed, this chapter talks about content and niche marketing but the underlying secret of both of those is value. When you offer a value, people will come to you. If your product solves a problem, they will buy it from you. If your service benefits someone, they will buy it from you. If your podcast helps them in some way, they will subscribe to it… or even buy it from you.
So how do you make your podcast provide value? This chapter, and previous chapters, give lots of ideas to help provide value: people are looking for interesting and engaging entertainment, information, and instruction to listen to at their convenience. That's what podcasting is all about. Those three things:
1. Interest and engagement. (Is the format varied and easy to listen to?)2. Entertainment, information, instruction. (Is the content of high quality?)
3. Convenience. (Is it an appropriate length and updated with appropriate frequency?)
That is the best test to ensure that your podcast provides value. If it does not to fulfill all three things than you'll find your subscribership will diminish over time.
Here is another exercise that will help you determine your value to your subscribers. If you have spent any time in sales or as an entrepreneur you'll probably already familiar with this, but it is a good exercise to do nonetheless, since it is often overlooked in the podcasting industry.
1. One one side of a piece of paper, list the features of your podcast. Leave plenty of lines under each feature. What are features? The topic is a feature, the length is a feature, the frequency you update it is a feature, it's a feature if two people host the show, the format can be a feature, and your variety and quality of content is a feature.
2. On the other side of the paper, list the benefits: what it is about those features that subscribers will find helpful. For example, CNN provides very short podcasts of excellence depth. Those are features. The benefits are that the listener will save time and become well informed.
3. Determine if there is one or two of those benefits that set you apart from other podcasts in a similar category. For example, perhaps you can provide the same depth of coverage on a sports team as another podcast, but you can do it with greater frequency or with more expert analysis. (Of course those of the features, but the benefits are that your subscriber can save time and increased knowledge by become better informed more frequently).
4. Now promote those benefits!This is a classic feature/benefits exercise from sales training 101. It is often overlooked in podcasting because podcasting is such a personal medium and its brand-new so people are pushing the boundaries in spite of the lack of benefits to their listeners.
Pushing the boundaries is okay if that's what you want to do, but if your interest is in gaining subscribers or in making money from podcasting, then you'll want to discover the benefits of your podcast and promote them.
>>>SECRETS OF THE PROS! “FEATURES TELL, BENEFITS SELL”If you can drive people to your web site, you might be able to you post a couple benefits beside your podcast link. Or, if your marketing material has enough room, you can put those benefits right under your heading "subscribe to our podcast".
You might also find that, although they may appreciate the benefits and value that you provide, they may be scared off by how "technologically advanced" it seems to them. Rather than calling it a podcast, you may want to call it an online audio program or an Internet radio show. It may not be exactly accurate, but it's a lot easier then telling people that it’s a podcast and spending half an hour explaining it to them and telling them why they don't need an iPod to hear you.
You may also want to you pay other people to host affiliate advertising to send an end to your site if you are creating a podcast for people to pay to listen to. These concepts are covered in a little greater detail in the next chapter, but it is appropriate to mention them here at something else to think about in marketing your podcast.
The best form of advertising for any kind of business is word of mouth advertising. It he can get your search drivers to be your biggest supporters and talk about you all the time to their friends, you won't have any problem getting subscribers. How do you do that? (You should be able to answer this in your sleep by now: content, niche markets, benefits). It is still very early in the industry, but it won't be long before you see referral marketing programs that give subscribers some kind of discount or freebie for getting other people to subscribe to a podcast. With a little creativity, you may be able to start doing this right now.
Getting subscribers is all about providing value. If people see the value, they will subscribe. Tell them about your program, tell them what the value is to them, and tell them how to subscribe, and tell them to get their friends to subscribe, and you should not have any problem building up a big list of subscribers.
And with this audience, you'll be able to get your views heard and maybe even make some money!Take Action!
http://www.podcastingnews.com/forum/
Going to a forum on podcasting is probably your best option to getting ideas that will help you develop your podcast into a work of art.
http://www.podcastpickle.com/ Another forum on podcasting.
Do it now! – For personal podcasters
1. You’ve seen what’s out there. And you’ve heard it, too! You’ve made your own podcast. Now it’s time to get serious, join the revolution, and make a permanent mark on the world. What do you want to podcast?
2. Plan your podcast.3. Podcast it!
4. Submit your podcasts to directories.
5. Don’t stop podcasting!
Take it to the next level
Cut your niche in half. You may be surprised to pick up more listeners! For example, if you do a podcast on wine tasting, make it a podcast on wine tasting for women. Cutting your niche in half does not necessarily mean fewer listeners, because by narrowly defining your content your potential subscribers will more easily be able to say “hey, that’s me!”
Do it now! – For business podcasters1. Now that you’ve spent some time listening to podcasts that are out there, what would be some good podcast content and formats suitable to build your business?
2. Do some research to see what else is out there.
3. Talk to someone who is already doing a podcast in a related field. Ask them about the time factor of producing regular podcasts. (Podcasts are only valuable if they drive business to you, not take you away from running your business!).
5. Put together a thumbnail plan for a year’s worth of podcasts. (It seems like a lot of work now, but you’ll be glad you did). Do you have enough material to sustain your interest and your listener’s interest or do you have to publish less frequently?
6. Can you get analysts and experts to provide you with advice and material and interviews?7. Once you’ve done these steps, then consider podcasting on an ongoing basis!
Take it to the next level
Many business books talk about the Unique Selling Proposition you have. That is, your competitive advantage. The reason people might choose your business over someone else’s business. If you are having trouble developing your niche and your content, consider what your competitive advantage is and you’ll likely find a clue there. For example, if delivering the fastest oil change in the country is your competitive advantage, maybe your podcast could be on the industry of oil changes and specifically on tools and techniques to help the rapid oil change shops in metropolitan areas thrive.
Wrap-upCreating high quality content for your niche market is the only way that you’ll gain and keep subscribers. With so much podcast content already available, you’ll need to really drill down to find a niche market that does not currently have a good podcast. And to keep others from stealing your subscribers, you’ll have to continually provide high quality content.
Once you’ve discovered your niche market and are preparing high quality content for them, you’ll want to market your podcast by telling people about how your podcast will benefit them!Watch your step
It’s okay to have a soapbox to speak your mind. But if you don’t have a lot of substance, you’re not going to have a lot of subscribers. People don’t mind listening to rants and opinion, even if it conflicts with their own thinking on issues, but be sure that your content is of a quality that will engage your listeners… or else you soon won’t have any listeners to engage.
The three things you need to know1. Content will determine if your podcast will be around next year or not, since no one wants to spend their valuable time listening to a podcast that doesn’t offer them anything.
2. Format you podcast so that it entertains while it informs by changing formats and speakers. This way, you won’t put your subscriber to sleep!
3. The niche market is the way to cut through all the podcasts our there already and become the leading podcaster in your specialty. Select a niche that is underserved and create the best possible podcast for it.
Stay tuned…In the next section you’ll learn about ten ways that you can make money from podcasting. You can do some of these while you work at your day job or you can quit your job and do all of them. It’s up to you!