10 Tips for Podcasting Sound
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10 Tips for Podcasting
As podcasts increase in popularity, listeners have more choices.
So while you might be ahead of the competition, you should
still be thinking about ways that you can make your podcast
unique and stand out from similarly themed podcasts.
1. Plan Accordingly.
When making the decision and commitment to podcast, it is
important to think beyond the moment. Before starting, think
about the time the podcast production will take. How will
podcasting fit into a current schedule? How frequently will
you podcast? How will hosting of podcasting files be handled?
If the podcast is excessively popular, how will fees be generated
to pay for hosting? What is the common theme that threads
all podcasts in a series together? Think not only of a broad
theme, but also various episodic themes that fit into a broader
theme. What will make you distinct or different from others
podcasting about similar content? By approaching podcasting
with a little forethought, you will set yourself up for success.
2. Original Content.
Just like any media company, in order to attract and maintain
an audience, you will need to provide original content, or
at the very least, present the content in an original way.
Think about a long term strategy that will help your show
distinguish itself from others.
3. Get to The Point.
Jibber Jabber is fun, but not to the point of excluding quality
content. Listeners in today's society don't have time for
incessant rambling. If you have a point to make, make it in
a reasonable amount of time. Minimize the fluff and focus
on quality content.
4. Do Your Homework.
Not only is faulty information a liability, but incorrect
information will hurt a broadcasters long term reputation--just
like a journalist's credibility is paramount to their success.
It is important that the information that you provide is accurate.
While being a shock jock might have short-term appeal to listeners,
most will remain loyal to a source that has properly vetted
all of their information.
5. Consistency.
The best content is consistent content. Podcasts should contain
compelling content with episodic titles, that are united in
common broad theme. The format of the podcast should be consistent,
persistent and stable. Each show should be about the same
length and contain a common format.
6. Timeless Content.
Content that is timeless has a long shelf life. Broadcasters
will benefit more from content that is timeless and can be
effectively archived. "How to" content that solves problems
will often have long term appeal and listening life. When
choosing topics, consider the long term effects of a specific
piece and determine whether it will fit with the broad theme
of the show.
7. Articulate Words.
The quality of the audio content does matter. Think of the
last time you heard a good song, on a poorly tuned radio station;
regardless of how much you like the song, most of us would
move the dial along. Listeners will not want to strain to
hear a podcast; pay particular attention to articulation.
Another important item worth noting is that Podcasts have
global reach and often global appeal. Minimizing an accent
will often extend the podcast's listening audience.
8. Optimize Podcasts.
Podcast titles should be optimized to incorporate data that
relates to the contents of the podcast. Think about the themes
when selecting a podcast channel title and description. Use
critical and related keywords and phrases that relate to a
common theme. The text in the feed is important for both feed
optimization and for attracting listeners. Many of the podcast
directories index the contents of podcasts using the information
contained in the channel and item's, titles and descriptions.
Use these text fields to effectively capture the interest
of listeners.
9. Listener Expectations.
Invariably listeners will come to expect certain things from
broadcasters. In order to maintain a listening audience, it
is important that broadcasts are consistent and satisfy the
expectations of listeners. While it is okay to experiment,
straying to far from what a listener expects will often disappoint.
10. Archive.
Many new listeners will want to review previous broadcasts.
Consider ways to make older shows available through archives.
Archives allow broadcasters another channel to benefit from
the content. Maintaining archives of older podcasts might
bring in new listeners and satisfy listeners who just can't
get enough. Podcasts require effort, but by following basic
guidelines and thinking things through, podcasts can be instrumental
in increasing web traffic and communications within a community.
About the Author:
Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com
software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds and podcasts.
In addition Sharon manages marketing for NotePage http://www.notepage.net
a wireless text messaging software company.
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