Lessons Learned: Helpful Tips for Producing a Podcast
Do you have an idea for a podcast, but you’re not exactly sure how to get started? With the release of our recent episode of the Scrappy podcast, and several episodes under our belt, we’ve spent a lot of time planning and producing the show. And, as with any venture, we gained a lot of knowledge along the way. We hope you can learn something from our journey.
Create Captivating Content
You may have a really intriguing idea for a podcast that you’re sure will draw an audience. That’s great! But have you given any thought to how you will package that content in an engaging way for every episode? You have to work on what each episode actually contains, and this is not as straightforward as it seems.
In producing Scrappy, we quickly learned that creating a topic that pulls listeners is just as important as the sound quality. Drawing them in each episode with a multitude of topics that fall under your main podcast theme increases listener retention and keeps people coming back.
Spend Time Scripting
Developing a thorough script is one of the most useful things you can do to create engaging content for your show. Whether you’re planning a format that’s a conversation between two co-hosts, a Q&A between a host and interviewee, or simply talking about a topic, a good script or outline provides a great foundation for the episode.
Scripting was part of our “learning process” in producing Scrappy, and we discovered how much it helps move an episode forward. A script allows you to develop an episode story arc that makes the episode compelling for your audience all the way through. Podcasting works best when it takes a conversational tone, so avoid sounding too rigid or robotic with any script.
Stay Niche
This lesson is as old as marketing itself: you can’t be everything to everyone. You might think your topic is too niche and you need to expand, but the more niche you get, the higher the chance you’ll have a dedicated following.
If you’re podcasting about butter sculptures, your listenership may not be very high. But there aren’t many (or any) other casts about butter sculptures out there either, so that’s a huge plus for you! By embracing your niche, you’ll capture that entire audience of followers.
With Scrappy, we found our niche in putting a spotlight on the underdogs of the world. Our goal each episode is to find individuals or businesses who have taken large strides to shape their communities for the better, and to give them a platform to reach a broader audience. Once you find your niche, you find your audience, and from there, you can tailor each episode to make it sound personal to each listener.
Launching an Episode
You could make the best-sounding, most interesting and creative podcast in the world, but it won’t matter if nobody knows about it. Be prepared to do the legwork to market your own show. This involves some level of branding and a good amount of social media communication so you can connect directly with your listeners and increase your reach.
For example, we had an all encompassing rollout of marketing content for our most recent episode of Scrappy. First, we put out a few teaser social posts to give listeners a taste of what’s to come. Then, we planned our launch week with more social posts to promote it. We also launched a blog article related to the episode as another way to engage with the podcast. Finally, we strategically planned certain times to re-promote the episode across social, in monthly newsletters, and upcoming blogs.
Did you learn something from our lessons? We’ve learned a lot through our podcasting days, and we’d love to share this knowledge and experience with all of you! From producing to promoting, and everything in between, we have the means to help you create your own successful podcast. If you want to learn more about producing and promoting a podcast for your organization or yourself, contact us today. We not only give great podcasting tips, but we also make a pretty great podcast ourselves! Check out the Scrappy podcast.
