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Planning your audio podcast
by Jonathan Halls |
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Planning your podcast If you’re going to produce a dynamic pod that sounds professional, you’ll need to plan a few things in advance. Let’s run through three areas you should work through when planninng your podcast. They are:
Once you develop some experience, planning your podcast will become a lot easier. But when you start, it may seem a little onerous. In the long run, it will make a big difference. Let’s look at these three areas. Editorial Strategy when planning your podcasts What’s your editorial strategy? One of the reasons many podcasts are currently begging for listeners is that they have no clear editorial purpose. And as a result, people start to listen and then ask themselves, "what’s the point?"
Your editorial strategy is a mantra you should write down and
constantly refer to. It
(This is based on a model I developed at the BBC for new media training called the Editorial Triangle.) Have you sat down to clearly think about the purpose of your podcast? Being clear on this will speed up your editorial decision-making. Aim for one clear purpose and write it down somewhere so you can refer back to it. Your podcast's Purpose When you write your editorial purpose, use active verbs such as, educate, entertain, inform, or persuade. For example, it may be to entertain retirees with jokes and memories. Or perhaps, to persuade college students to support the environment. Or, inform the general public of issues behind the news. Your podcast's Audience The second thing to think about is audience. When you’re clear about your purpose, analyze your audience. Who are they? What does the average listener expect from your podcast? A good understanding of your audience may sometimes make you re-think your purpose. For example, a podcast on growing peanuts aimed at peanut farmers may not attract an audience of peanut farmers. They already know how to grow peanuts. However, something on climate change and new harvesting methods might. Storytelling tools and methods Third, think about the storytelling tools you have at your disposal, along with the storytelling methods you can use. For audio, your three principal tools are spoken word, music and sound effects. You also have the option of a number of storytelling methods. These include a straight monologue, interview, panel discussion, sound montage, or drama re-enactment, to mention just a few. Monologues are very common among amateur podcasters and are very boring if not done well.
For example, if your purpose is to persuade voters to think about climate change, you may choose the spoken word as your tool and use the method of interview. You’ll know your audience will find an expert’s opinion more persuasive than a monologue by you. Think through what tools and methods are best and make sure they will achieve your purpose for your audience. Once you’ve clarified your purpose, analyzed your audience and considered which storytelling tools and methods to use, start thinking about your format and timing. Podcasting formats If you’re planning a regular podcast, I would suggest you develop a format. So that each podcast follows the same format. This will make it easier to produce multiple items for multiple episodes. It will also create a regularity, or rhythm, for your listener which is very effective. Formats can also make it easier for you to modularize your podcast. (To think about modularization, think of the chapter selections on DVDs.) Knowing your audience, consider how long your podcast should be. Does your average audience listen in the car on her commute to work? How long is she in the car? Plan your podcast for that duration of time. Think also about when you publish your podcast. Will it be every day? If so, will it be early enough if you’re aiming for commuters? Is there a weekly event in your listeners’ lives for which you could publish your pod to coincide? Once these matters are clear, it’s time for production. Podcasting Production Plan I’m going to suggest four things to think about as you plan and produce your podcast. These are:
Equipment Make sure you have the right equipment. I know this may sound patronizing; however, if you’re planning an interview on location, make sure you have a recorder. If you are borrowing someone else’s, make sure you have reserved it or asked. You don’t want to find on the day of an interview with a famous politician or pop star that you don’t have the right gear because you forgot to arrange the details. Always allow time to check that your gear works. It can be very embarrassing trying to conduct a telephone interview when your recording device does not work. Planning interviews, researching and finding people for your podcasts Always plan your interview. If you’re interviewing someone about their book, at least read some of it. If you’re interviewing a sports star, and you’re not interested in sports, at least research this person’s background. When researching, always double check your facts. Remember, podcasters are publishing and as such subject to all the media laws that apply to broadcasters. That includes laws against defamation, libel, etc. Use the Internet to find people for interviews. Believe me, most people will be happy to do an interview with you on their topic of interest. The Internet is a powerful tool for this, so take advantage of it. For tips and tricks on how to improve your research, I recommend www.researchclinic.co.uk. This site is run by Paul Myers who is the BBC’s research guru. He updates it regularly and provides articles on using the Internet for undercover research and investigation. Write your scripts The first corner many people cut when making podcasts or radio programs is the script. And it invariably shows. Don’t make this mistake. Always write a script. Writing a script does a number of things. The obvious thing is it gives you something to say when the microphone is turned on. And if you’ve written it well, it will sound natural, warm and engaging. The second thing it will do is focus your thoughts before your presentation. It’s an amazing tool for this. So write your scripts. We have tips for writing audio scripts on Podcasters Portal. Check these out. Presenting your script Always make sure you are fully prepared before you present your pod. To sound natural while maintaining authority, practice. The best way to sound great is to gain your "flying hours." The more podcasts you do, the better you’ll sound. Always listen back to your pod a few days after you’ve presented it. Analyze it and ask yourself how you can sound better. The art of critical self-reflection is invaluable in getting you to sound great. Administration for podcasting So, here’s the boring bit. Yes, administration. Make sure you keep a folder or file for each podcast your create. You need to keep a number of bits of information for both legal and practical reasons. Here’s what I suggest you keep.
You never know if someone wants to challenge what you’ve said, or question your right to use a certain track of music. Indeed, you never know when you may need to flip back to a previous episode for information or review. The discipline of good administration may be a pain to start with. But if you’re in this for the long haul, start now rather than later. It’s far easier in the long run.
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Text copyright © 2006,2007,2008 Jonathan Halls. All rights reserved. Website copyright © 2008 Talkshow Communication Ltd and Licensors. All rights reserved.
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should describe what you are doing, who
you are doing it for, and how. 
You need to choose which storytelling tool will achieve your
editorial purpose for your listener.